Marjane Satrapi - The Power of Persepolis

There is something powerful about the arts that can occasionally seem to flip a switch in your brain upon receiving it. As we pour over the constant sources of media in our everyday lives, occasionally one source will stand out in particular and strike you with it's ability to move you and make the world seem larger than it had been the day before. Coming from a small town, my concept of the world as a whole was very limited when I discovered Marjane Satrapi's work years ago. The younger you are, the more it will seem to you that the world exists purely in your own tiny bubble - it can at times seem incomprehensible that there are 7 billion simultaneous lives going on around you. 

When focusing on a particular area of the world, it can be easy to feel disconnected, particularly when everything that you hear or see from a given location is entirely negative in the media that you consume. I knew little of the Middle East aside from overhearing talk of the War on Terror and through minuscule portions of information in history class. Upon picking up Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel, Persepolis, I came to the conscious realization that the world is much more vast and varied from my own small, privileged bubble. 

Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian graphic-novelist, author, illustrator, and film director. Satrapi is a powerful visual storyteller, and what is more powerful than her imagery and writing is the knowledge that she draws from the truth - from her own personal experiences. Raised in a time of turmoil, harsh regimes and revolution in Tehran, Iran, she witnessed friends and family being arrested, persecuted, and murdered throughout the course of her childhood. She herself was an opposing force of the oppression, and she clearly portrays even the mundane hardships of life in Iran. Most importantly, however, is that her visual interpretations of her life felt extremely personal and identifiable. In Persepolis, we follow Satrapi as a young girl as she details the hardships she and her family faced, and reflects on the forming of her own beliefs in this coming-of age story. Everything from not being able to buy certain music or play board-games that are restricted by the regime, fighting against the veil, or witnessing the horrors of oppression at a young age are touched upon. 

Although Persepolis and the award-winning film she directed by the same name are what Satrapi is most well-known for, she has written multiple other graphic works that delve deeper into her life and reflections beyond her childhood, including a sequel that described her teen years. These works can touch on a variety of subjects, from the trials of Iranian women in "Embroideries" to recollections of a relative's last days of life in "Chicken and Plums". These stories are illustrated in a clear but powerful black-and white ink format, and take you on a journey into the intimacy of another life. 

While much of the world is shrouded by prominent media, it can be easy to develop conclusions based on the limited knowledge you posses or the inherent prejudices you hold due to the influences of the environment you were raised in. Satrapi's works fight against that barrier. A human life is just as rich in story and experience as one on the other side of the planet. Particularly in Western culture, privilege often goes unrecognized by those who hold it, and although they know there are those that struggle, it does not truly become "real" until there is a face put to those hardships. These works should be appreciated in that they can convey the concept of a life in such a simple yet powerful medium, and when utilized they can truly broaden one's concept of the world outside of their comfort zone in which they never realized they were a part of.

Marjane Satrapi utilizes humor, visual artistry and raw life experiences to show the world that people are people, no matter where they are from or what efforts are made to shroud them. She tackles heavy subjects with ease and her work seems to resonate with the innate human experience. Her works can enlighten, lead you to question your prior interpretations, and still provide the joys of reading and viewing fulfilling stories with a touch of humor. In the case of "Persepolis", what may seem to one person with a limited world-view as a simple "comic", may actually have the power to change their outlook on an entire culture and question whether or not they tend to judge others through the clouded gaze of negative media. 

Image Sources:

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Introductions, Please!

Hello, my name's Catrina! When reflecting on what could be considered my defining characteristics, I would have to say that I am organized, determined, goal-oriented and overall a rather open-minded and quiet person. I may not be the most talkative individual, but I have big plans in life and thrive off of setting and accomplishing new goals. My life revolves around learning, and I spend long hours in the labs and working on projects (and often not getting an ideal amount of sleep because of it). As stressful as a heavy workload can be, I try to maintain a positive outlook and remind myself how grateful I am to be able to have these experiences. When I'm not working away, I love to find peace in nature, whether that be at the beach, in the woods or simply on a walk outside. Outside of the visual arts, my interests lie in many areas, from animal science to science fiction to music-making. 

I come from a rural area in Pennsylvania, surrounded by forests, fields and mountains. It has a very small-town feel, and with that comes a close connectedness amongst family and friends. My lineage varies with each side of the family. My father is Italian, which leads to the origin of my last name, Miccicke, and my mother is Polish and German. My family always identified most with our Italian heritage, and Italian food was an important element of our household as I grew up. My mother helped to bring out my creative spirit and forge the discipline that I hold myself to today, and my father taught me that there are strengths that can be found in being open-minded and taking a quieter approach to life. 

When it comes down to it, I tend to ground myself and my decision-making to reality. In a world where it is incredibly easy to compare your life to the filtered lives of others in media, it is easy to get lost in "could-haves" and "should-haves", but at the end of the day you cannot change the past, and in reality you cannot control every aspect of your lives. When I find myself caught up in the past or taking a negative approach to situations, I ground myself in the knowledge that hard-work and determination prevails above all else. I don't want to wait around to get lucky - it's not realistic. I would rather make my own luck instead. 

Living with a realistic standpoint tends to lead to an onslaught of negativity when consuming media. I try to keep up with major events in the world and on social issues and movements, but the fact of the matter is that optimistic news does not usually make a good story, and thus the ratio of negative to positive outlooks on the world is often unbalanced. It can be hard to look past all of the problems of the world, but I do my best to seek out more optimistic sources as well. Over the past few months I have begun distancing myself from sources of media that leave me with a sense of negativity, and I am trying to utilize my time with these sources wisely. I don't want to be blind to the happenings of the world, but as a general trend I find that I can maintain a much more positive outlook when I focus more on the direct influences of day-to-day life rather than larger problems that I cannot change. Time is limited, so I am working to utilize that time in the mediascape in ways that will benefit me the most.

I try to stay open-minded, and this has definitely helped me when approaching new sources of media and the new outlooks they present. I find great pleasure in reading and viewing visual media, but am often critical of shortcomings in regards to insensitive works and skeptical of large claims as I learn more about the world. Finding a balance when it comes to media consumption and interpretation is an ongoing process for me, but when that balance is met the result is fulfilling.