Entry revised; Comics by Women: Persepolis

I find that Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi truly lives up to the hype as one of the greatest graphic novels ever written. When I first came upon it in the 7th grade, I took a quick look at Satrapi's style: flat and almost child-like. It was because of this style that I passed it up before, but now I think its one of the many charming qualities of this work. Satrapi discusses growing up in Iran after the Islamic Revolution, and I found Satrapi's style very appropriate for the story; it is simple and transparent which gives a sense of innocence. As a reader I felt like a child trying to understand the complicated world and events that are occurring, just like Satrapi in the story. Thinking about it, its brilliant how the simple aesthetic of the work juxtaposes the complexity of Iran's situation. Though sometimes artistic style is uncontrollable and I'm sure Satrapi did not purposefully draw with any such intention, I find it all the more great how the visuals placed with the content subconsciously puts the reader more in Satrapi's childhood perspective.

The story was really enjoyable to read: the perfect mix between social history and personal experience. I am not familiar or educated about the conflicts in the Middle East, and I was young when 9/11 happened, and sometimes fell into the fear propaganda that sprang up. I am always looking to educate myself about Islamic culture and what has happened the past couple of decades. It was nice reading this story from young Satrapi's perspective was a way to guide the novice reader into some of the events that occurred and understanding a new perspective.
Part of what makes Persepolis so engaging is how personal it is. Satrapi doesn't only tell what happened; she also directs the reader's attention to what is significant. She titles her chapters with things mentioned in the chapters (Kim Wilde, Persepolis, the Cigarette...etc) that are symbolic of the chapter's essence. While pretty much all authors do that when naming their chapters, sometimes I find it not so successful. With Satrapi, I know she is very thoughtful about them, and it is fun to read the chapter and think back to why she named it so.

Dr. Steiling had pointed out how Satrapi's compositions sometimes reflected patterns. I thought that was an interesting point, considering how prevalent patterns are in Islamic culture. I thought that was a nice way to subliminally tie together some qualities of the story with the aesthetic of the comic.

These are some of the things that I like so much about Persepolis; whether Satrapi's intention or not, every element (drawings, content, meaning) relates to one another. There is nothing random about the choices, which make the experience of reading it all the more engaging and engrossing. I got lost in it and read it quickly in one go; it was one of the most enjoyable reading experiences ive ever had.