Topic > Trauma in Persepolis: A Catalyst for Change

The autobiographical graphic novel Persepolis follows the life journey of Marjane Satrapi as she experiences the dangers of war with Iran. Satrapi's narrative provides a personal glimpse into life during the war in Iran, following her not only through her childhood in Iran, but also in her travels as a teenager until her departure for France as an adult. During his childhood and adolescence he faced many painful events and obstacles due to the consequences of the war, which shaped his character. Satrapi shows how her personal growth is shaped by moments of trauma, through the execution of her uncle Anoosh, her survivor's guilt while in Austria, and her attempted suicide in Iran. These events serve to develop her character and transform her into the person she is at the end of the book. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay During her childhood, Marji is forced to experience death at a young age when her uncle Anoosh is executed. This traumatic event changes Marji's perspective on death and religion. The top panel of page 70 (see figure 1) depicts a newspaper with the cover story “Russian Spy Executed,” along with a photo of Anoosh and the two swans made of bread he gave to Marji. This image follows after saying goodbye to him and she thinks, “That was the last time I met my beloved Anoosh.” Marji is forced to face her uncle's death at a crucial time in her development. By being exposed to death so vividly at such an early age, she is forced to face the tragic reality of war, something that children should not experience. Up until this point, Marji has only had a vague idea of ​​what war entails, changing her perspective on death as she realizes permanence. He is moving away from his childhood games of “torture and killing” and is beginning to realize the gravity of death. The depiction of young Maji floating in space in the full-page panel on page 71 with the caption “And so I was lost, with no direction, what could be worse? It was the beginning of the war." Marji has just experienced the loss of a loved one for the first time, leaving her feeling lost and off-balance. On page 70, when God enters her room, she angrily yells at him, telling him, "Go away!" . She feels betrayed and begins to wonder why God lets bad things happen. She feels lost after this encounter with God. First she loses her role model, Uncle Anoosh, and now she has banished God who had till then guided her through the obstacles in her life. She finds herself alone, with no one to comfort her, neither God nor Anoosh can offer her their reassuring advice. The image shows her floating in space, which is representative of how empty and alone she feels. The loss of her uncle causes her to question her faith, transforming her into a person who no longer believes in God's power to command justice. This trauma serves as a rude awakening for Marji, making the war and all its consequences much more tangible for her as she no longer has God or Uncle Anoosh as a support system. In her adolescence Marji moved to Austria. There, Marji is haunted by the fact that her loved ones in Iran are in danger while she is safe in Austria. Furthermore, she is forced to hide her Iranian identity for fear of being stereotyped in her new country. The first panel on page 194 shows Marji watching a television where news about a bombing in Iran is being broadcast, her face is sad, she says: "I felt so guilty that every time there was news about Iran, I changed the channel ".