Geneva Week 2 Category 1: Class Act

The Literary Jigsaw

+ =The Literary Jigsaw




In class, Mr.McGuigan assigned us five questions that were mixed with a series of IB diploma exam questions. Each one was supposed to relate to Persepolis. We answered this in groups and divided it up by table and had mini-discussions of each question (one person per question per table) after we clarified our answers to our original questions (most of us took notes).





My question was Question #2.) How does Satrapi approach the art of storytelling?


Table Partners: Rushil, Manny and David



Satrapi uses different mediums to connect to a range of people. Persepolis is a universal graphic novel because it depicts relatable aspects of life for people of different ages. For example, Page 77, uses Aladdin's Magic Carpet to highlight the text's meaning and the representation of the common childhood tale signifies the fact that Marjane is still a kid in that chapter, although she may think as if she were an adult. With all her grand ideas Marji is a dream chaser. Marjane looking back on her life in this auto-biographic graphic novel looks at the different places she goes by using her childhood stories (Aladdin) and her personal adventures with her "parents [whom] abruptly planned a vacation" (Satrapi, 77).






She makes her story universal and relatable, this makes it easier to connect to as a first person story. Satrapi allows others to connect to he message of hardships portrayed in the graphic novel. This is done by emphasizing her minority status (as a child, as a woman, as an Iranian, as a common citizen, as a rebel). Page 20 describes the historical relationship between Iran and Britain. This historical reference connects to the Iranian and British foreign policies. Both serving as relative historical interpretation of universal common knowledge.






Based upon what Persepolis explains about Marjane Satrapi's life, she allows the audience to read into the 'truth' that she has created or lived. Every event is mandated as fact, but it is difficult to determine if the situations in Persepolis are fact or fiction...Clearly, this is a limitation. Not only was the original Persepolis written in French, this graphic novel is Marjane Satrapi's adaptation and abbreviation of the occurrences in Marjane Satrapi's life. This serves as support that the information put in may not be entirely true, but it is also not the entire happening of the situation.






Through a blend of dialogue and text, Satrapi tells her story by:

1. Connecting to a wide range of people (Universal)



2. Symbolism and photos re-affirm her text and vice versa



3. She tells the truth (from what we can tell) about her life



4. Makes Marji a likable protagonist (similar to 1984)



5. Her story is circular



6. Looks back on her life



7. Censors what she wants people to know and what she knows occurred



8. Both text and art tell a story, but are both linked in idea



9. There is a purpose



10. The text is accessible

Geneva