Serendipity

I was opening up the pantry door to get an ingredient for my mom. As I reached in, the strong smell of cardamom flooded my nose. I was instantly brought back to my grandmother’s house and memories of me as a young child fiddling around while she laughed and crushed cardamom to make chai. They say that different visuals, smells, and feelings can bring back a plethora of memories, and throughout watching the second part of Persepolis , I couldn’t help but feel like similar things had happened before. Upon further investigation, I realized that the first and second journey, though different, followed a rather similar pattern. The first part, illustrates the trauma Marji faced as a young child in Iran, as well as a struggle to figure out what she believed and who she wanted to be. She went from wanting to be a prophet to hating God, from considering imprisoned rebels, “heroes”, to wishing her Uncle was still alive. She is constantly unsure of where she stands on issues and feels lost (th...

I've really enjoyed Persepolis so far. It's really different from what I've read in the past. Prior to this, I've always thought graphic novels wouldn't be able to tell a complex story. Reading Persepolis has   completely erased that notion. I would argue that it actually adds depth to a narrative and enables a lot more creative expression. In Persepolis, there are many stories going on (Marji's growth as a character through religion and books, the overall historical events happening that relate to the story, the local issues going on, etc.) but through the graphics, Satrapi really effectively ties these threads together. One of the things I've found most interesting in the story and in discussion is Marji as a character. In the first part of the story she is rather young, but her reflection and goals do not mirror that of normal children her age. She has an insatiable curiosity; she's always asking questions and trying to understand what is going on ...