Perseopolis, a review by one Ivan L Gaytan

1) Why do you think that Marjane Satrapi chose the comics style to produce her memoir?

I believe in choosing the format of a graphic novel, not only was she able to convey her story with rich emotion but also able to reach larger audiences. Many young people find the task of reading less daunting when set in this format. Also many of the ideas expressed in the novel are easier to visualize with the drawings alongside of them. She shows her childhood imagination of things through her illustrations. Her attachment to God is magnified with the drawings of her wrapped in his robe (Pg. 53, bottom right corner). Another image that stood out to me was the depiction of the Iranian people leaving the bordering towns of Abadan amidst the flame of bombings. (Pg. 89, bottom half)


a) What is she able to do in this format that she wouldn’t be able to do in other formats? For instance, does this format enable her to make certain events, emotions, or moments to stick out in the reader’s mind in ways that other formats wouldn’t succeed?

Indeed! Going right a long with what I was explaining in the former paragraph, Marjane Satrapi is able to express her depictions of war (that are sometimes borderline-humorous) and the trials of growing up in a country that's in a political struggle with it's own people from the view of a child born to two free-thinking adults. This equation leads to a very independent way of thinking that is wonderfully represented by the illustrations in this book.

2) If you were to write a memoir of your life until the present, which one would you choose? Why? Pretend that you could use any format, e.g. painting, collage, a film, a song, a comic book, etc.

If I were to write a memoir of my life up to this point I'd probably try to illustrate it as well. Though not the greatest artist I'd have ultimate control on how things looked and how to express certain emotions going on at that time.