View source for Persepolis (comics)

{{short description|Graphic novel series by Marjane Satrapi}}
{{Infobox graphic novel <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Graphic novel--> 
| title           = Persepolis
| foreigntitle    = 
| image           = Persepolis-books1and2-covers.jpg
| imagesize       = <!-- default 250 -->
| caption         = Covers of the English version of ''Persepolis'' Books 1 and 2
| alt             =
| publisher       = [[L'Association]]
| date            = 
| origpublication = 
| origissues      = 
| origdate        = {{ubl|2000-2003}}
| origlanguage    = French
| origisbn        = 
| creator         = [[Marjane Satrapi]]
| transpublisher  = [[Pantheon Books]]
| transdate       = {{ubl|2003 (''Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood'')|2004 (''Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return'')}}
| transisbn       = 0-224-08039-3
| pages           = 
| translators     = Blake Ferris, Mattias Ripa, Anjali Singh
| previous        = 
| next            = 
}}

'''''Persepolis''''' is a series of autobiographical graphic novels by [[Marjane Satrapi]] that depict her childhood and early adult years in [[Iran]] and [[Austria]] during and after the [[Islamic Revolution]]. The title ''Persepolis'' is a reference to the [[Persepolis|ancient capital]] of the [[Persian Empire]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Malcolm |url=http://2010.newsweek.com/top-10/best-fictional-books/persepolis_by_marjanesatrapi.html |title='Persepolis', by Marjane Satrapi - Best Fictional Books - Newsweek 2010 |publisher=2010.newsweek.com |access-date=2012-10-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919052707/http://2010.newsweek.com/top-10/best-fictional-books/persepolis_by_marjanesatrapi.html |archive-date=2012-09-19 }}</ref> Originally published in French, ''Persepolis'' has been translated to many other languages. {{As of|2018}}, it has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motaword.com/blog/famous-translators/persepolis|title=The Graphic Translation of Persepolis|website=MotaWord - The World's Fastest Business Translation Platform|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-24}}</ref>

French comics publisher [[L'Association]] published the original work in four volumes between 2000 and 2003. [[Pantheon Books]] (North America) and [[Jonathan Cape]] (United Kingdom) published the English translations in two volumes – one in 2003 and the other in 2004. Omnibus editions in French and English followed in 2007, coinciding with the theatrical release of [[Persepolis (film)|the film adaptation]].

Due to its graphic language and images, there is controversy surrounding the use of ''Persepolis'' in classrooms in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Case Study: Persepolis – Comic Book Legal Defense Fund|url=http://cbldf.org/banned-challenged-comics/case-study-persepolis/|access-date=2021-06-25|language=en-US}}</ref> ''Persepolis'' was featured on the American Library Association's list of Top Ten Most Challenged Books in 2014.<ref name=":4" />

==Plot summary==
=== Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood ===
''Persepolis'' 1 begins by introducing Marjane, the ten-year-old protagonist. Set in 1980, the novel focuses on her experiences of growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Her story details the impact of war and religious extremism on Iranians, especially women. Belonging to an upper-middle-class family, Marji has access to various educational materials, such as books and a radio, which expose her to Western political thought at a very young age. By discovering the ideas of numerous philosophers, Marji reflects on her class privilege and is eager to learn about her family's political background. This inquiry inspired her to participate in popular demonstrations against the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah's]] regime, in which people asked for his exile to safeguard their rights. Unfortunately, after the Shah's departure, Marji notices the rise of religious extremism in her society and is unhappy about it. Her uncle Anoosh's visit deepens her interest in politics when he tells her stories of being imprisoned as a communist revolutionary. His stories cause her to value ideas of equality and resistance. The new government then began to reform Iranian society, especially by having women cover themselves publicly and restricting social freedoms. Marji's family begins to fear for their lives since many of their friends and thousands of Iranians have fled the new regime to Europe or the USA, but they resolve to stay. Anoosh is arrested again and accused of being a spy. He is executed for his political beliefs. Marji is upset that God did nothing to help her uncle and rejects her faith.

After an abrupt family vacation to Europe, Marji returns to Iran, where she learns from her grandmother that the government has [[Iran–Iraq War|declared war against Iraq]]. As her hometown of [[Tehran]] comes under attack, she finds safety in her basement, which doubles as a bomb shelter. One night, the family hears the Iranian national anthem play on the TV, moving them to tears. It is later revealed that the government released the soldiers and air pilots from prison who were in jail for protesting. The soldiers agreed to fight on the condition that the country's national anthem be played on public broadcasting. Amidst the chaos of an ongoing war, her family secretly revolts against the new regime by having parties and consuming alcohol, which is prohibited in the country. Two years of war force Marji to explore her rebellious side by skipping classes, obsessing over boys, and visiting the black market that has grown due to the shortages caused by war and repression.

As the war intensifies, Marji rushes home one day to find that a long-range ballistic missile has hit her street. Her family escaped the missile as it hit the neighboring building, which housed their neighbors of Iran's minor population of Jews, the Baba Levys. She is traumatized by seeing her friend's dead body and expresses her anger against the Iranian political system. Her family begins to worry about her safety and decides to send her off to Austria for further study and to escape the war. The novel ends with her departure to Europe and the final sight of her mother fainting in her father's hands, unable to bear letting go of Marjane.

=== Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return ===
The second part of the series takes place in [[Vienna]], where Marji starts her new life, whilst a student at the [[Lycée Français de Vienne]], at a boarding house because her mother's friend has no room for her at her own apartment. Since she cannot speak German upon arrival, Marji finds it hard to communicate, but eventually overcomes it and makes friends. She assimilates into the culture by celebrating Christmas and going to [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] with her roommate. Away from home, Marji's Iranian identity deepens, and she is expelled from the boarding house<!--the boarding house run by nuns has nothing to do with the school she attended--> after a verbal altercation with a nun who makes xenophobic comments against Marji.

Marji starts living with her friend Julie and her mother. Here, she experiences more culture shock when Julie talks about her sexual endeavors, as such topics are prohibited in Iran. Soon she undergoes a physical and ideological transformation by using drugs and changing her appearance while continuing to move house. Marji finally settles on a room with Frau Dr. Heller, but their relationship is unstable. Issues also arise in many of Marji's relationships, in which she finds comfort in drugs. She forms a relationship with Markus, but breaks up with him when she discovers that he has been cheating on her. Marji leaves Frau Dr. Heller's house after she accuses Marji of stealing her brooch. She spends the day on a park bench and ends up living on the streets for two months. When she catches bronchitis, she almost dies, but is found and taken to a hospital. Marji reaches out to her parents who arrange for her to move back and thus, after living in Vienna for four years, she returns to Tehran.

At the airport, she recognizes how different Iran is from Austria. Donning her veil once more to go out, she takes in the 65-foot murals of martyrs, rebel slogans, and the streets renamed after the dead. At home, her father tells her the horrors of the war, and they talk deep into the night about what she had missed. After hearing what her parents had gone through while she was away in Vienna, she resolves never to tell them of her time there. However, her trauma from Austria makes her fall into depression, forcing her to attempt suicide twice. When she survives, she takes it as a sign to live and starts her process of recovery by looking after her health and taking up a job. She also begins art classes at the local university. However, due to the restrictions of showing female nudity, Marji and her friends attend secret sessions and parties, away from the prying eyes of the religious police.

Following her return to Iran, Marji meets Reza, also a painter, and they soon begin to date, but this proves to be frowned upon by the religious police. They are caught holding hands and their families are forced to pay a fine to avoid their lashings. In 1991, Reza proposes marriage to Marji, and after some contemplation, she accepts. Her mother, Taji, warns her that she has gotten married too young, and Marji soon realizes that she feels trapped in the role of wife. Marji attends a party, but someone warns them about the religious police. They quickly discard the alcohol and the women cover themselves as the police enter the building. The men make their escape by jumping from the rooftop, but Marji's friend Nima hesitates and falls to his death. Later on in 1994, her marriage has deteriorated and Marji confides in her friend, Farnaz, that she no longer loves Reza and wants a divorce. Farnaz advises her to stay with her husband because divorced women are social outcasts, but her grandmother urges her to get a divorce. After much contemplation, Marji decides to separate from a reluctant Reza. She goes to her parents and tells them about her and Reza's divorce, and they comment on how proud they are of her and suggest that she should leave Iran permanently and live a better life back in Europe.

In late 1994 before her departure for Europe, Marji visits the countryside outside Tehran. She also visits the [[Caspian Sea]], the grave of her grandfather, and the prison building where her uncle Anoosh is buried. In the autumn, Marji along with her parents and grandmother go to [[Mehrabad Airport]] for their final goodbye as she heads off to live in Paris. Marji then reveals that her grandmother died in 1996. The book ends with the message: "Freedom had a price."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Satrapi |first1=Marjane |title=The Complete Persepolis |date=2004 |publisher=Pantheon Books |location=New York City |page=341}}</ref>

==Character list==
*''Persepolis: The Story of A Childhood''
**'''Marjane''' (main character): nicknamed Marji, Marjane's life is depicted beginning with her early childhood. Growing up in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war, Marjane grows up in a family who is involved in the political unrest of Iran. This influences her world-view of oppression and its consequent rebellion. Eventually, her family sends her to Vienna in hopes of escaping the unrest of her home. Throughout her journey, she grows and matures while maintaining her rebellious nature, which sometimes gets her into trouble. Her family decides that she should leave Iran permanently, and she settles in Paris at the end of her story.<ref name=proquest1790692619/>
** '''Mrs. Satrapi''' (Marjane's mother): Taji is a passionate woman, who is upset with the way things are going in Iran, including the elimination of personal freedoms, and violent attacks on innocent people. She actively takes part in her local government by attending protests.
** '''Mr. Satrapi''', Ebi, or Eby (Marjane's father): He also takes part in many political protests with Taji. He takes photographs of riots, which was illegal and very dangerous, if caught. Both Mr. and Mrs. Satrapi come from a middle class background. This is important to note within the political and social context of their actions, values, and influences on their rebellious daughter.
** '''Marjane's Grandmother''': Marjane's Grandmother develops a close relationship with Marjane. She enjoys telling Marjane stories of her past, and Marjane's Grandfather.
** '''Uncle Anoosh''': Marjane's father's brother. He is executed by the new Islamic revolutionary authorities. His execution serves as a representation of the millions of activists who were killed under this regime.<ref name=proquest1790692619/>
** '''Mehridia''':  Marjane's family maid who became friends with Marjane during her childhood. She had a secret relationship with the neighbor boy who was from a higher social class. The boy falls in love with her, but then abandons her when he learns of her social background.
**'''Khosro''': A man who makes fake passports. Marjane's father went to him when one of Marjane's uncles was suffering from heart trouble and needed surgery in England, but the hospital's director refused to send him abroad. Khosro shelters his relative Niloufar, who is wanted for her Communist beliefs. Unfortunately, Niloufar was spotted, arrested and executed and Khosro was forced to flee to Turkey and was unable to finish the passport for Marjane's uncle. Khosro then settled in Sweden. 
* Characters only in ''Persepolis: The Story of A Return''
**'''Julie''': A friend and schoolmate of Marjane's who takes her in when she is kicked out of the Catholic boarding facility in Vienna. Raised by a single mother, Julie is four years older than Marjane and the two become close friends. Julie is already sexually active with different men and very open, blunt, and direct about sex, unlike teenage Marjane who is sexually timid and still a virgin.
**'''Frau Dr. Heller''': A former philosophy teacher who rents Marjane a room in her home. She has an unstable personality and accused Marjane of stealing her brooch, causing Marjane to leave.
**'''Markus''': Marjane's lover who cheats on her, and she breaks up with him. 
** '''Reza''': Marjane's husband, who she had a socially strained relationship with. They were divorced after two years of marriage.<ref name=Ostby2017/>

==Background==
[[File:Marjane Satrapi Cannes 2008(Cropped).jpg|thumb|Marjane Satrapi in 2008]]
Marjane Satrapi's use of graphic novels to depict her own life events has made her reading easily accessible to people throughout the world.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galegbpp/satrapi_marjane/0|title=Satrapi, Marjane {{!}} Gale Biographies: Popular People - Credo Reference|website=search.credoreference.com|access-date=2019-04-24}}</ref> In an article titled "Why I wrote ''Persepolis''", Satrapi says "Images are a way of writing. When you have the talent to be able to write and to draw, it seems a shame to choose only one. I think it's better to do both". Her first novel in this series, ''Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood'', depicts her childhood experiences in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, while her subsequent novel, ''Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return'', depicts her high school years in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]]. ''Persepolis 2'' also includes Satrapi's return to Iran where she attends college, marries, and later divorces before moving to France. Hence, the series is not only a [[memoir]], but a ''[[Bildungsroman]]''. Throughout both books, she focuses on the idea of "witnessing". Meaning, the motivation behind her writing involves describing her life from the viewpoint of someone viewing political and social chaos. This displays the "survival" aspect behind Satrapi as a young girl, and eventually young woman within this context.<ref name=proquest1790692619>{{cite journal |last1=Nabizadeh |first1=Golnar |title=Vision and Precarity in Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis |journal=Women's Studies Quarterly |volume=44 |issue=1/2 |year=2016 |pages=152–167 |doi=10.1353/wsq.2016.0014 |s2cid=147755252 |id={{ProQuest|1790692619}} }}</ref> The influences of Satrapi's past education in Iran and Europe, and specifically German expressionism, can be felt throughout her writings and drawings as well. She seeks to create a visual context for not only those from the West, but also those from the Middle-East due to the lack of physical optics for this important time in history.<ref name=proquest1790692619/>

Both describe her life experiences of being Iranian and the way in which the Revolution shaped her life and the lives of her friends and family. The novel narrates "counter-historical narratives that are mostly unknown by a Western reading public."<ref name=proquest1790692619/>

Satrapi chose the name Persepolis, originating from the Ancient Greek term for Iran, in order to convey the message that the current state of Iran comes from thousands of years of background, not just recent hostile events.<ref name=proquest404932988/>

After the writing and publication of ''Persepolis,'' Satrapi herself has transformed into a diplomat for her home country of Iran.<ref name="auto"/> She has "become a spokeswoman for greater freedom [in Iran], and a voice against war and for cross-cultural understanding".<ref name="auto"/>

== Genre and style ==
''Persepolis'' is an autobiography written as a [[graphic novel]] based on Satrapi's life. The genre of graphic novels can be traced back to 1986 with Art Spiegelman's ''[[Maus]]'', portraying the [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]] through the use of cartoon images of mice and cats. Later, writers such as Aaron McGruder and Ho Che Anderson used graphic novels to discuss themes such as Sudanese orphans and civil rights movements. This genre has become an appropriate forum for examining critical matters by using illustrations to discuss foreign topics, such as those discussed in ''Persepolis''.<ref name=proquest404932988>{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Vanessa E. |date=4 October 2004 |title=A life in graphic detail: Iranian exile's memoirs draw readers into her experience |work=The Boston Globe |url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2004/10/04/a_life_in_graphic_detail?pg=full |id={{ProQuest|404932988}} }}</ref> The "graphic novel" label is not so much a single mindset as a coalition of interests that happen to agree on one thing—that comics deserve more respect.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Keywords for Children's Literature|last1=Nel|first1=Philip|last2=Paul|first2=Lissa|publisher=New York University Press|year=2011|location=New York}}</ref> Nima Naghibi and Andrew O'Malley, English professors at Ryerson University, believe that ''Persepolis'' is part of a larger movement of autobiographical books by Iranian women.<ref name="Naghibi & O'Malley 2005">{{cite journal |last1=Naghibi |first1=Nima |last2=O'Malley |first2=Andrew |title=Estranging the Familiar: 'East' and 'West' in Satrapi's Persepolis |journal=English Studies in Canada |date=2005 |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=223–247 |doi=10.1353/esc.2007.0026 |s2cid=161983079 |url=https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/24757611 }}</ref> Satrapi wrote ''Persepolis'' in a black-and-white format: "the dialogue, which has the rhythms of workaday family conversations and the bright curiosity of a child's questions, is often darkened by the heavy black-and-white drawings".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galelp/persepolis/0?institutionId=702|title="Persepolis." The Literature of Propaganda|last1=Satrapi|first1=Marjane|last2=Gard|first2=Daisy|year=2013|editor-last=Riggs|editor-first=Thomas|edition=1st}}</ref>  The use of a graphic novel has become much more predominant in the wake of events such as the Arab Spring and the Green Movement, as this genre employs both literature and imagery to discuss these historical movements.<ref name=Ostby2017>{{cite journal |last1=Ostby |first1=Marie |title=Graphics and Global Dissent: Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Persian Miniatures, and the Multifaceted Power of Comic Protest |journal=PMLA |date=May 2017 |volume=132 |issue=3 |pages=558–579 |doi=10.1632/pmla.2017.132.3.558 |s2cid=165899099 }}</ref> In an interview titled "Why I Wrote Persepolis",<ref name=Satrapi2003>{{cite magazine |url=https://greatgraphicnovels.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/whyiwroteperspolis1.pdf |title=Why I Wrote Persepolis |magazine=Writing! |year=2003 |first1=Marjane |last1=Satrapi |pages=9–11 }}</ref> Marjane Satrapi said that "graphic novels are not traditional literature, but that does not mean they are second-rate."<ref name=Satrapi2003/>

''Persepolis'' uses [[visual literacy]] through its comics to enhance the message of the text. Visual literacy stems from the belief that pictures can be "read." As defined by the Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education, "Visual literacy traces its roots to linguistic literacy, based on the idea that educating people to understand the codes and contexts of language leads to an ability to read and comprehend written and spoken verbal communication."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education|last=Provenzo|first=Eugene F.|publisher=Sage Publications|year=2008}}</ref>

Due to the nature of artistic choices made in ''Persepolis'' by virtue of it being an illustrated memoir, readers have faced difficulty in placing it into a genre. The term "novel" most commonly refers to books that are fiction. Thus, there is some controversy surrounding how to classify the genre of ''Persepolis'', being that it is non-fiction. Nima Naghibi and Andrew O'Malley, illustrate this by stating how bookstores have had issues with shelving ''Persepolis'' under a single label.<ref name="Naghibi & O'Malley 2005"/> Furthermore, scholars like Hillary Chute argue that ''Persepolis'', like other similar books, should be called a "graphic narrative" instead of a "graphic novel."<ref name=":022">{{cite journal |title=The Texture of Retracing in Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis |journal=Women's Studies Quarterly |date=2008 |volume=36 |issue=1–2 |pages=92–110 |doi=10.1353/wsq.0.0023 |last1=Hillary Chute |s2cid=84339568 }}</ref> She argues that the stories these works contain are unique in themselves and challenge popular historical narratives.<ref name=":022" /> Chute explains that graphic narratives defy convention portraying complex narratives of trauma emphasize a different approach on discussing issues of  "unspeakability, invisibility, and inaudibility that have tended to characterize recent trauma theory-as well as a censorship-driven culture at large."<ref name=":022" /> She adds that this technique of uncovering the invisible is an influential feminist symbol.<ref name=":022" /> Chute contends that ''Persepolis'' highlights this 'unseen' by appearing to be visually simplistic so that it can draw attention to the intense political events happening in the story.<ref name=":022" />

Professor Liorah Golomb from the [[University of Oklahoma]] states about Persepolis and related books; "As time went on the comics still tended towards the autobiographical, but storytelling gained importance. Most of the women creating comics today are still doing so from a woman's point-of-view, but their target audience seems more universal.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Golomb |first1=Liorah |title=Beyond Persepolis: a bibliographic essay on graphic novels and comics by women |journal=Collection Building |date=18 January 2013 |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=21–30 |doi=10.1108/01604951311295067 }}</ref>

An article from a journal on multicultural education written about teaching ''Persepolis'' in a middle school classroom acknowledges Satrapi's decision to use this genre of literature as a way for "students to disrupt the one-dimensional image of Iran and Iranian women."<ref name=":03">{{cite journal |last1=Sun |first1=Lina |year=2017 |title=Critical Encounters in a Middle School English Language Arts Classroom: Using Graphic Novels to Teach Critical Thinking & Reading for Peace Education |journal=Multicultural Education |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=22–28 |id={{ERIC|EJ1170198}} }}</ref> In this way, the story encourages students to skirt the wall of intolerance and participate in a more complex conversation about Iranian history, U.S. politics, and the gendered interstices of war."<ref name=":03" /> Satrapi utilizes a combination of the text and accompanying drawings to represent Iranian and European culture through both images and language, asserts Marie Otsby in an article for the Modern Language Association of America published in 2017.<ref name=":03" />

== Analysis ==
''Persepolis'' reminds readers of the "precarity of survival" in political and social situations.<ref name=proquest1790692619/>

=== Feminism in the East ===
Satrapi's graphic memoir contains themes concerning feminist ideals and the hegemonic power of the state. Satrapi uses the context of the [[Iranian Revolution]] to criticize the hypocrisy of state-enforced social pressures that seek to enact violence.<ref name=Friedman2013/> During the Iranian Revolution, martyrdom had been nationalized by the state in order to encourage young men to participate in the revolution<ref>{{cite news |last1=Peterson  |first1=Scott |title=To enlist Iran's youth, Islamic Republic adds an nationalist pitch |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2016/0214/To-enlist-Iran-s-youth-Islamic-Republic-adds-a-nationalist-pitch |work=Christian Science Monitor |date=14 February 2016 }}</ref> and strict social rules were forced upon women and were justified as protection.<ref name=Friedman2013>{{cite journal |last1=Friedman |first1=Susan Stanford |title=Wartime Cosmopolitanism: Cosmofeminism in Virginia Woolf's ''Three Guineas'' and Marjane Satrapi's ''Persepolis'' |journal=Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature |date=2013 |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=23–52 |doi=10.1353/tsw.2013.a536391 |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/536391 |jstor=43653363 |s2cid=142917275 }}</ref> Satrapi's recount of her harassment by both male and female members of the Guardians of the Revolution because of her untraditional behavior and clothing exemplifies the hypocrisy of the state's beliefs.<ref name=Friedman2013/> Although Satrapi criticizes the socio-political pressures, she does not fully dismiss her Iranian identity.<ref name=Friedman2013/> Marji struggles with finding her identity because she is torn between a deep connection with her Iranian heritage and culture and the political and religious pressure enforced by the state.<ref name=Friedman2013/> Satrapi's struggle with societal pressures is based on her belief that the Islamic state oppresses women when it regulates their expression and dictates their beliefs.<ref name=Friedman2013/>

Jennifer Worth, an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Wagner College, presents that Satrapi uses the veil as a metaphor to describe the desire to control women.<ref name=":13">{{cite journal |last1=Worth |first1=Jennifer |title=Unveiling: Persepolis as Embodied Performance |journal=Theatre Research International |date=July 2007 |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=143–160 |doi=10.1017/S0307883307002805 |s2cid=163049486 |doi-access= }}</ref> Worth proposes that the Guardians of the Revolution wield the cultural symbolism of the veil to oppress the social liberties of women, while Marji herself dons the symbolic veils of makeovers in Austria to escape social ostracization for her Iranian identity.<ref name=":13" /> Through her utilization of the veil as a symbol of concealing latent struggles, Satrapi contends that the confusion surrounding Marji's transition into adulthood stems from her complex beliefs and feelings about her Iranian heritage.<ref name=":13" />

The portrayal of the veil in ''Persepolis'' has also been used to combat the Western perception that the veil is solely a symbol of oppression.<ref name="Botshon & Plastas 2009">{{cite journal |last1=Botshon |first1=Lisa |last2=Plastas |first2=Melinda |title=Homeland In/Security: A Discussion and Workshop on Teaching Marjane Satrapi's ''Persepolis'' |journal=Feminist Teacher |date=2009 |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=1–14 |doi=10.1353/ftr.0.0068 |s2cid=143166411 }}</ref> The perceptions are challenged in the first chapter of ''Persepolis'' similarly titled 'The Veil,' where Satrapi illustrates young girls playing in the schoolyard with their veils.<ref name="Botshon & Plastas 2009"/>  Lisa Botshon, a professor of English, and Melinda Plastas, a professor of Women and Gender studies, comment that Satrapi's depictions of the veil illuminate for Western audiences the extent of Middle Eastern women's agency.<ref name="Botshon & Plastas 2009"/> The depictions challenge the Western notion that women who wear the veil are helpless and victims of brutal social oppression.<ref name="Botshon & Plastas 2009"/> {{Educational assignment}}

Manuela Constantino’s article, published as part of the University of Toronto Press, argues that ''Persepolis'' was released during a crucial time that aided its reception in North America. In 2003-04, tensions over middle eastern evasion were on the rise in the United States. At the same time, ''Persepolis'' started to circulate in the North American education system. It’s possible that “its arrival could be read as a political attempt to shape an understanding of Middle Eastern cultural practices by presenting a liberal Middle Eastern viewpoint amidst radical unrest” Constantino speculates if Satrapi’s memoir had anti-American or anti-Western sentiment, “would it have been so widely circulated and therefore so popular”?  This makes ''Persepolis'' "easily accessible and seemingly transparent,"<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last=Costantino |first=Manuela |date=December 2008 |title=Marji: Popular Commix Heroine Breathing Life into the Writing of History |url=https://utpjournals.press/doi/10.3138/cras.38.3.429 |journal=Canadian Review of American Studies |language=en |volume=38 |issue=3 |pages=429–447 |doi=10.3138/cras.38.3.429 |issn=0007-7720}}</ref> Constantino states that these childlike reactions to the horrors they are exposed to bridge the gap between human and history. The complicated historical facts of war are broken down into easily understandable moments in history, and help people understand what is usually complex and culturally intricate into relatable and educational.<ref name=":02" />

Mahdiyeh Ezzatikarami and Firouzeh Ameri of the International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature published their article the strengths of ''Persepolis'' as a memoir. Telling the story from a child's point of view allows Satrapi to facilitate "supreme authenticity and immediacy" to her memoir.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} Satrapi created an identity that readers immediately relate and identify with. This is seen through her childish ways of coping with evil. When Marji's grandmother asks how she will install the rule of old people never feeling pain, Marji states she will simply forbid it.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Satrapi |first=Marjane |title=Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood |publisher=Pantheon Books |year=2003 |isbn=037571457X |location=New York |pages=6}}</ref> Seeing how children react to the violence of war makes ''Persepolis'' "easily accessible and seemingly transparent."{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

==Publication history==
The original French series was published by L'Association in four volumes, one volume per year, from 2000 to 2003. Marie Ostby, professor at Connecticut College, noted that, [[David Beauchard]], a co-founder of L'Association, strove to "create a forum for more culturally informed, self-reflective work," especially consisting of female writers.<ref name=Ostby2017/> L'Association published ''Persepolis'' as one of their three "breakthrough political graphic memoirs."<ref name=Ostby2017/> ''Persepolis, tome 1'' ends at the outbreak of war; ''Persepolis, tome 2'' ends with Marji boarding a plane for Austria; ''Persepolis, tome 3'' ends with Marji putting on a veil to return to Iran; ''Persepolis, tome 4'' concludes the work.

When the series gained critical acclaim, it was translated into many different languages. In 2003, Pantheon Books published parts 1 and 2 in a single volume English translation (with new cover art) under the title ''Persepolis'' which was translated by Blake Ferris and Mattias Ripa, Satrapi's Swedish husband and edited by Anjali Singh; parts 3 and 4 (also with new cover art) followed in 2004 as ''Persepolis 2'', with the translation credited to Anjali Singh. In October 2007, Pantheon repackaged the two English language volumes in a single volume (with film tie-in cover art) under the title ''The Complete Persepolis''. The cover images in the publications from both countries feature Satrapi's own artwork; however, the French publication is much less ornamented than the United States equivalent.<ref name=Ostby2017/>

==Reception==
===Critical reception===
Upon its release, the graphic novel received high praise, but was also met with criticism and calls for censorship. In [[Bookmarks (magazine)|''Bookmarks'']] September/October 2003 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the first part received a {{rating|3.5|5}} (3.5 out of 5) based on critic reviews and the second part, in a November/December 2004 issue, received a {{rating|4|5}} (4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary stating, "Highly recommended, across the board".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Persepolis 2 By Marjane Satrapi|url=http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/book-review/persepolis-2/marjane-satrapi|access-date=14 January 2023 |website=Bookmarks|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829023641/http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/book-review/persepolis-2/marjane-satrapi|archive-date=29 Aug 2016}}</ref> According to Book Marks, the book received "rave" reviews based on six critic reviews with three being "rave" and three being "positive".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood|url=https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/persepolis/ |access-date=17 February 2024 |website=Book Marks}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], for part two, the book received a 84 out of 100 based on eleven critic reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Persepolis 2|url=http://www.metacritic.com/books/authors/satrapimarjane/persepolis2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212030250/http://www.metacritic.com/books/authors/satrapimarjane/persepolis2|archive-date=2008-12-12|access-date=2024-02-14 |website=Metacritic}}</ref> On the French site ''Zoo Le Mag'', aggregates critic reviews of comics, the comic received 4.0 out of 5 based on critic reviews of individual volumes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Persepolis|url=https://zoolemag.com/serie-3667-persepolis |access-date=17 February 2024 |website=Zoo Le Mag|language=fr}}</ref> Globally, the work, based on assessments of reviews from the [[Complete Review]], received ratings such as "A" and "B+" for reviews of the volumes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-04 |title=Persepolis |url=https://www.complete-review.com/reviews/iran/satrapim.htm |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Complete Review |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-04 |title=Persepolis (3)|url=https://www.complete-review.com/reviews/iran/satrapi2.htm |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Complete Review |language=en}}</ref>

Andrew Arnold of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' described ''Persepolis'' as "sometimes funny and sometimes sad but always sincere and revealing."<ref>Arnold, Andrew. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20030622094439/http://www.time.com/time/columnist/arnold/article/0,9565,452401,00.html An Iranian Girlhood]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. Friday 16 May 2008.</ref> Kristin Anderson of ''[[The Oxonian Review of Books]]'' of [[Balliol College]], [[University of Oxford]] said, "While ''Persepolis''{{'}} feistiness and creativity pay tribute as much to Satrapi herself as to contemporary Iran, if her aim is to humanise her homeland, this amiable, sardonic and very candid memoir couldn't do a better job."<ref>Anderson, Kristin. "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20081226073633/http://www.oxonianreview.org/issues/4-2/4-2-5.htm From Prophesy to Punk]}}." Hilary 2005. Volume 4, Issue 2.</ref>

===Awards, lists, and impact===
The book continued to receive acclaim among many critics lists. According to ''The Greatest Books'', a site that aggregates book lists, it is "the 592nd greatest book of all time".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-16 |title=Persepolis|url=https://thegreatestbooks.org/books/1303 |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=The Greatest Books |language=en}}</ref>''Persepolis'' has won numerous awards, including one for its text at the [[Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for Scenario]] in [[Angoulême]], France, and another for its criticism of authoritarianism in Vitoria, Spain. Marie Ostby points out that "Satrapi's work marks a watershed movement in the global history of the graphic novel," exemplified by the recent increase in use of the graphic novel as a "cross-cultural form of representation for the twenty-first century Middle East."<ref name=Ostby2017/> [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] magazine included ''Persepolis'' in its "Best Comics of 2003" list.<ref>Arnold, Andrew. "[https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2001842_2001833_2002064,00.html 2003 Best and Worst: Comics] ." ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. Retrieved on 15 November 2008.</ref>

Despite the controversy surrounding the novel, ''Persepolis'' has turned into an important piece of literature which connects the Western and Iranian world. The graphic novel was awarded to ''Newsweek''{{'}}s Ten Best Fiction books list, and was created into a film in 2007.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galelp/persepolis/0|title=Persepolis {{!}} The Literature of Propaganda - Credo Reference|website=search.credoreference.com|access-date=2019-04-24}}</ref> Reading ''Persepolis'' "lends itself to discussion of literary strategies and to teaching visual literacy, as well as to broader discussions of cultural difference as constructed in art and the media and as experienced in life".<ref name="auto1"/>

Friere and Macedo argue that teaching ''Persepolis'' in a middle school classroom has proved to be beneficial in the development of students' literacy and critical thinking skills, which are necessary to help them interpret the world around them.<ref name=":03"/> In a journal article on how to teach ''Persepolis'' in a post 9/11 classroom, Lisa Botshon and Melinda Plastas from the University of Illinois assert that ''Persepolis'' offers a platform for students to question Western stereotypes and fear surrounding the Middle East. Another study that was done also showed that ''Persepolis'' has greatly impacted the thinking skills of middle school students who were taught it in their ELA classroom. Despite the images and easy-to-read text, ''Persepolis'' is also often taught at the high school level because high-school aged students would be able to take the information learned and thoroughly discuss it to enhance their literary skills.<ref name="auto1"/> From writing about her life and the people in it, Satrapi's writing also denies the typical assumptions made by the world about Western Iranian women.<ref name="auto1"/> Friere and Macedo believe that the way women and Iranian society in general are presented in the book can help students come to doubt their perceived sense of national insecurity when it comes to the Middle East.<ref name="Botshon & Plastas 2009"/>

In 2019, the graphic novel was ranked 47th on ''[[The Guardian]]'''s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century.<ref>{{cite news |title=The 100 best books of the 21st century |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/sep/21/best-books-of-the-21st-century |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=22 September 2019|date=2019-09-21 }}</ref> In 2024, it was ranked 48th of the 100 best books of the 21st century by the ''New York Times''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/best-books-21st-century.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=10 July 2024 |date=8 July 2024}}</ref>

===Censorship in the United States===
Despite the positive reviews, ''Persepolis'' faced some attempts at censorship in school districts across the United States.  In March 2013, the [[Chicago Public Schools]] ordered copies of ''Persepolis'' to be removed from seventh-grade classrooms after Chicago Public Schools CEO [[Barbara Byrd-Bennett]] determined that the book "contains graphic language and images that are not appropriate for general use".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wetli|first1=Patty|title='Persepolis' Memoir Isn't Appropriate For Seventh-Graders, CPS Boss Says|url=http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130315/roscoe-village/cps-bans-persepolis-at-lane-tech-protest-planned-for-friday|website=DNAinfo|access-date=25 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414165813/http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130315/roscoe-village/cps-bans-persepolis-at-lane-tech-protest-planned-for-friday|archive-date=14 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Ahmed-Ullah|first1=Noreen|last2=Bowean|first2=Lolly|title=CPS tells schools to disregard order to pull graphic novel|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-cps-promises-explanation-after-graphic-novel-pulled-20130315-story.html|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=25 April 2015|date=15 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Gomez|first1=Betsy|title=Furor Continues Over PERSEPOLIS Removal|url=http://cbldf.org/2013/03/furor-continues-over-persepolis-removal/|website=Comic Book Legal Defense Fund|date=18 March 2013 |access-date=25 April 2015}}</ref> Upon hearing about the proposed ban, upperclassmen at [[Lane Tech High School]] in Chicago flocked to the library to check out ''Persepolis'' and organized demonstrations in protest. CPS reinstituted the book in school libraries and classrooms.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Libraries and Schools |journal=Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom |date=2013 |volume=62 |issue=3 |pages=103–104 |id={{EBSCOhost|90256161}} }}</ref>

In 2014, the book faced three different challenges across the United States, which led to its placement as #2 on the ALA's list of "Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2014".<ref name=":4">{{cite web|title=Top Ten Most Challenged Books Lists|url=http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10#2014|website=Banned and Challenged Books|publisher=American Library Association|access-date=December 5, 2017|date=2013-03-27}}</ref> The first of these controversies occurred in Oregon's [[Three Rivers School District (Oregon)|Three Rivers School District]], where a parent insisted on the removal of the book from its high school libraries due to the "coarse language and scenes of torture".<ref name="Case Study: Persepolis">{{cite web|title=Case Study: Persepolis|url=http://cbldf.org/banned-challenged-comics/case-study-persepolis/|website=Comic Book Legal Defense Fund|access-date=December 5, 2017}}</ref> The book remained in libraries without any restriction after school board meetings to discuss this challenge. Another case of censorship arose in central Illinois' Ball-Chatham School District, where a student's parent stated that the book was inappropriate for the age group assigned. The parent also inquired into why ''Persepolis'' was assigned to the students to read on September 11.<ref name="Case Study: Persepolis"/> Despite this opposition, the school board unanimously voted to keep the book both in the school libraries and within the curriculum. The third case occurred in Smithville, Texas, where parents and members of the school community challenged the book being taught in [[Smithville High School (Texas)|Smithville High School]]'s World Geography Class. They voiced concerns about "the newly-introduced Islamic literature available to students". The school board met to discuss this issue at a meeting on February 17, 2014, after a formal complaint was filed against the book. The board voted 5–1 to retain the novel.<ref name="Case Study: Persepolis"/>

In 2015, [[Crafton Hills College]], in Yucaipa, California, also witnessed a challenge to the incorporation of ''Persepolis'' in its English course on graphic novels. After her completion of the class, Tara Shultz described ''Persepolis'' as pornographic and lacking in quality. Crafton Hills administrators released a statement, voicing strong support of academic freedom, and the novel was retained.<ref name="Case Study: Persepolis"/>

In 2022, [[Franklin Regional High School]], located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, paused teaching of ''Persepolis'' after complaints to the district. The book was reinstated to the curriculum as of a meeting on March 31, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Franklin Regional 'un-pauses' teaching of honors English novel 'Persepolis' |url=https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/franklin-regional-un-pauses-teaching-of-honors-english-novel-persepolis/ |website=TribLive |date=31 March 2022 |access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref>

== Other ==

===Film===
{{Main|Persepolis (film)}}
''Persepolis'' has been adapted into [[Persepolis (film)|an animated film]], by [[Sony Pictures Classics]]. The film was co-directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gilbey|first=Ryan|date=April 2008|title=Children of the revolution: a minimalist animation sheds light on the muddle of modern Iran|url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T001&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=17&docId=GALE%7CA179048534&docType=Movie+review&sort=RELEVANCE&contentSegment=&prodId=LitRC&contentSet=GALE%7CA179048534&searchId=R2&userGroupName=wash43584&inPS=true#|journal=New Statesman|via=Literature Resource Center}}</ref> It was voiced by [[Catherine Deneuve]], [[Chiara Mastroianni]], [[Danielle Darrieux]] and [[Simon Abkarian]]. Debuting at the [[2007 Cannes Film Festival]], Persepolis won the Jury Prize but also drew complaints from the Iranian government before its screening at the festival.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120911001425/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/movies/news/article_1308400.php/Iran_slams_screening_off_Persepolis_at_Cannes_Film_Festival Iran Slams Screening off Persepolis at Cannes Film Festival], http://www.monstersandcritics.com</ref> It was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] in 2007 for best animated feature. The film has also received high honors, specifically, in 2007, when it was named the Official French Selection for the Best Foreign Language Film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theprospector.org/2008/03/graphic-novels-more-than-just-superheroes/|title=Graphic novels, more than just superheroes|last1=Nehl|first1=Katie|website=The Prospector|publisher=Daily Dish Pro|access-date=5 December 2017}} {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/893970743 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/893970441 cite #36 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. [[User:GreenC bot/Job 18]]}}</ref>

===Persepolis 2.0===
{{Main|Internet activism during 2009 Iranian election protests#Webcomics}}

''Persepolis 2.0'' is an updated version of Satrapi's story, created by different authors who combined Satrapi's illustrations with new text about the [[2009 Iranian presidential election]]. Only ten pages long, ''Persepolis 2.0'' recounts the re-election of President [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] on June 12, 2009. Done with Satrapi's permission, the authors of the comic are two Iranian-born artists who live in Shanghai and who give their names only as Payman and Sina.<ref>Itzkoff, Dave. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/arts/22arts-PERSEPOLISUP_BRF.html "'Persepolis' Updated to Protest Election,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103004246/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/arts/22arts-PERSEPOLISUP_BRF.html |date=2017-01-03 }} ''The New York Times'', published 21 August 2009, retrieved 28 August 2009.</ref> The authors used Satrapi's original drawings, changing the text where appropriate and inserting one new drawing, which has Marjane telling her parents to stop reading the newspaper and instead turn their attention to [[Twitter]] during the [[2009–10 Iranian election protests|protests]].

''Persepolis 2.0'' was published online, originally on a website called "Spread Persepolis"; an archived version is available online.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.spreadpersepolis.com "Spread Persepolis]" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710234936/http://www.spreadpersepolis.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Persepolis_2.0.pdf}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|France|Comics|Feminism|Iran}}
* [[List of feminist comic books]]
* [[Portrayal of women in comics]]

==References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading ==
*Hashemi, Kate C. (2023) "Daughters of Persia: Female Characters in Iranian Graphic Novels", ''MAI,'' 10, https://maifeminism.com/daughters-of-persia-representing-female-characters-in-iranian-graphic-novels/ 
*{{cite journal |last1=Davis |first1=Rocío G. |title=A Graphic Self: Comics as autobiography in Marjane Satrapi's ''Persepolis'' |journal=Prose Studies |date=December 2005 |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=264–279 |doi=10.1080/014403500223834 |s2cid=142617979 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Malek |first1=Amy |title=Memoir as Iranian exile cultural production: A case study of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis series |journal=Iranian Studies |date=September 2006 |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=353–380 |doi=10.1080/00210860600808201 |s2cid=161807564 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Hendelman-Baavur |first1=Liora |year=2008 |title=Guardians of new spaces: 'Home' and 'exile' in Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis series and Azadeh Moaveni's Lipstick Jihad |journal=Hagar |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=45–62, 121–122 |id={{ProQuest|214408860}} }}
*Bhoori, Aisha (2014). [http://harvardpolitics.com/books-arts/reframing-axis-evil/ "Reframing the Axis of Evil"]. [[Harvard Political Review]]
*{{cite web |url=http://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/man_with_a_country/ |title=Man with a Country: Amy DePaul interviews Seyed Mohammad Marandi |last=DePaul |first=Amy |date=5 February 2008 |website= [[Guernica (magazine)|Guernica]] |location=New York |access-date=21 December 2013}}
*{{cite book|last=Abedinifard|first=Mostafa|chapter-url=https://roam.macewan.ca/bitstreams/1ab32b1e-fc54-4950-bf7a-bcf1fd02d649/download|chapter=Graphic memories: dialogues with self and other in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis and Persepolis 2|editor1=Manijeh Mannani|editor2=Veronica Thompson|title=Familiar and Foreign: Identity in Iranian Film and Literature|publisher=[[AU Press]]|pages=83–109|year=2015}} - [https://roam.macewan.ca/items/e1309c3b-bd02-4d74-a0ee-185b84628b58/full Profile page]
*{{cite journal|last=Maggi|first=Diego|url=https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2212&context=jiws|title=Orientalism, Gender, and Nation Defied by an Iranian Woman: Feminist Orientalism and National Identity in Satrapi's Persepolis and Persepolis 2|journal=[[Journal of International Women's Studies]]|volume=21|issue=1|publisher=[[Bridgewater State College]]|date=January 2020|via=[[Gale Academic Onefile]]}} - Gale ISD is A621801439
*{{cite journal|last=Miller|first=Ann|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26290021|title=Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis": Eluding the Frames|journal=[[L'Esprit Créateur]]|publisher=[[The Johns Hopkins University Press]]|jstor=26290021|volume=51|issue=1, Watch This Space: Women's Conceptualisations of Space in Contemporary French Film and Visual Art|date=Spring 2011|pages=38–52|doi=10.1353/esp.2011.0005 |s2cid=162492547 }}

{{Marjane Satrapi}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Persepolis (Graphic Novels)}}
[[Category:2000 graphic novels]]
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