Never Let a Hand Hold You Down: The Role of Women In Persepolis Anonymous College

In the graphic novel “Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood”, written by Marjane Satrapi, Satrapi tells her story of her transition from childhood, through adolescence into adulthood. Through Satrapi’s personal story, she is able to educate the audience on what it means to be an Iranian girl and woman, in the political situation of Iran in the time she was raised. Due to Marjane’s headstrong personality, she often had trouble clashing with the oppressive society in both Iran and Europe. Satrapi’s story offers a very modern approach to feminism in literature. Persepolis can clearly be read as a feminist text because of the fact that the main characters are female, inside of a male-dominated sphere.

Persepolis: The story of a Childhood, is a graphic memoir account of Satrapi’s early childhood and adolescent years in Iran, in which she witnessed the fall of the Shah, the political and cultural transition to the Islamic Republic, as well as the trauma of the Iran-Iraq war. ( Barzegar 1).

The quote above is a great explanation on what this graphic novel is about. Satrapi faces many obstacles in her life, and she had a very traumatic upbringing in some ways. Marjane feels oppressed in her society as a child and disagrees with the...