Hello readers!
My university english class is in the final stages of studying Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir, Persepolis. That being said, I’d like to further my analysis of the book. Just to let my readers know, I will be focusing on Persepolis 2, The Story of a Return, which we have not read in class. My apologies if I spoil anything for you. To briefly summarize, Persepolis 2 covers Marji’s adolescent years spent in Vienna, where she must grow without the support of her home and family. Towards the end of the book she returns to Iran, but after living in a different society for so long eventually finds herself unable to continue there. She leaves Iran for good, which is where the story of Persepolis ends. This second part of Persepolis is emotionally affecting in an entirely different way from the first. Marji is without guidance or support. In the more western society of Austria, Marji experiences trials and pain that are more familiar and thus more relatable to the mind of a young westerner. Growing up with extremists in control of my society and at war is a foreign concept to me; it is the kind of horrid that I cannot comprehend going through.
Part two starts out with her living as an awkward guest in the house of her mother’s friend; the household is unhappy, there are constant arguments, and Marji dislikes the other girl living there. It’s essentially every child’s nightmare scenario of being sent away. Everything she experiences is a total opposite of her life in Iran: she goes from a happy household to a unstable one, then moves to a catholic nunnery, and soon falls into a crowd of misfits and rebels, whose characters strongly oppose everyone she was exposed to in Iran. As she grows older, she struggles with school and having no home and no true friends. She struggles to find people who can love her as a friend, a lover, parents, and a community all in one. She is shoved into a society which she is ill equipped to deal with, both with her previous life experience and with her lack of support. She begins to feel more and more displaced and starts spiralling away from the energetic, vivacious, eager to learn, and strong principled Marji we knew in the first part of Persepolis. While reading this, I was reminded of a concept we were looking at in sociology: that of Emile Durkheim’s anomie. Anomie can be defined as: “a state or condition of individuals or society characterized by a breakdown or absence of social norms and values, as in the case of uprooted people”. (Dictionary.com) It applies to Marji’s case because she finds herself isolated: she doesn’t have the social ties which inform behaviour, she has no structure to fall back on, and she feels a profound sense of unbelonging. These lead to her not knowing what her path should be, or what is expected of her, or even what is right and wrong. To quote Satrapi; “I was a westerner in Iran, an Iranian in the West. I had no identity. I didn’t even know anymore why I was living.” (pg 272) As suggested, her lack of meaningful (she does often have social relationships, but they pan out as unsupportive, transitory, toxic, or simply shallow, with many people being unable to relate to Marji’s particular struggles) social connection and support gives way to a debilitating depression, which peaks in an attempt to take her own life.
I think the overall tone of Part 2, what with her trying to find her way through her rootlessness, failed relationships, lack of motivation, and purposelessness can all (in a usually less extreme manner) be applied to the new university student. The new university student is thrown into the culture of college life, and are often away from the support systems of their home. Forming meaningful social connections can be a struggle for many, and feelings of anomie are not uncommon. Without guidance, Marji falls down paths that are perhaps not beneficial for her, and experiences mental health repercussions that we as university students must also be vigilant towards. I would suggest, if you have read Persepolis: A Story of Childhood that you read the second part as well. I know western students are likely to feel a connection with the issues addressed. One may be surprised just how close to home the text hits.
Sorry for the long post today, hope you found it interesting!
Thanks for reading,
Nicola Cox
