On March 4th, 2009 the In-Class discussion definitely brought up an eclectic collection of ideas from a lot of people. We mainly discussed three crucial panels (Satrapi 102, 71 and 116). We were introduced to a new (to us anyway) and complicated theory called Existentialism*. Our group also got a bunch of great feedback pertaining to our ideas (the ones that were right on tone and the ones that were way out there). This Week I will specifically discuss the feedback and conversation ideas that we created, based on page 102.
*People creating their own meaning and purpose. For Example= Franz Kafka
On page 102, the child soldiers die with "keys to paradise" (Satrapi, 102) hanging from their necks during a brutal explosion, with seemingly courageous deaths. The explosion looks like the explosions are coming out of them, almost as if they were committing suicide, and allowed this to happen to themselves. But the intentional emphasis on the keys, symbolizes a greater meaning than suicide for their country. Their deaths represent a side that can be grasped through an empathetic perspective. The children may have explosions coming from them, because they are dying for their country. Instead of suicide victims, they are considered martyrs to their people. So it is plausible that these children are not killing themselves, but their country (which is a sum of their part*) is killing itself by killing its people and passing this off by honoring those who died and calling them martyrs. This theory may be supported by the author, where Marjane Satrapi does not identify any faces to the children or any background to the explosion.
The purpose of leaving the faces blank is a true statement stated by Marjane herself, in an interview at the New York Film Festival. This clip can be found at:
http://stratfordhallmcguigan.blogspot.com/ under 'Satrapi Interview' in the second film clip 'Marjane Satrapi: A pro-iranian humanist tale.'
The idea of faceless recognition and having an open interpretative identity for these child soldiers was initially brought to our attention by Mr. McGuigan on the day that we were going through all of these snippets and getting his feedback. The day we learned about Satrapi's true perspective was a day after hearing Mr. McGuigan's initial interpretation. His interpretation began by a discussion of the following panel on page 102. The children and Marjane partying versus the child soldiers exploding were a juxtaposition of similar actions. This idea was led by Mr. McGuigan but the literary feature was brought up by Richard (I believe?) or Evan.
The similar actions between the two contrasting and paradoxical panels were an interesting use of a Scene to Scene transition. Our class discussion led us to believe that the similar spacings, setup and time were meant for us to identify with a character.
My identity was initially leaning towards Marjane and her friends partying while a war was going on in her own 'backyard'; however, there was a specific reason for leaving the faces blank, and Mr. McGuigan pointed out that the blank faces required an identity. This means that those child soldiers could be you. Although that point is a plausible explanation for the situation and what is 'meant to be' (what the author is trying to tell us), I could not help but thinking that, realistically, I would relate more to Marji and her friends, rather than the child soldiers. While reading the text and dissecting the pictures, I can relate to the children and empathize for their loss, effort and desire to 'change the world' (which I can literally relate to), and while i wear a key necklace myself (sometimes), I could not relate to them whole heartedly (Nor could I picture myself in the panel). But when looking at the following scene, I could relate. I could feel the ignorant, helpless, censored and innocent tone that arose from the image. Her bugged eyes are almost a forced happiness, and the fact that she is facing us, makes the panel appear to be at the back of her mind, just like the thought of the war and other soldiers was always at the back of her mind.
There is another contrast represented through symbolism. Marjane's necklace in the second panel was made of "chains and nails" (Satrapi, 102) and the key necklaces hanging from the child soldiers in the first panel. Keys usually have a positive and hopeful connotation, with a sense of a secrecy and faith; whereas, nails and chains tend to have a negative and violent connotation. This second juxtaposition is almost another yin-yang balance* where the negative symbol is within the happier and ignorant scene, and the positive symbol is in the negative and violent scene. As if the scenes and symbols were switched to leave a shred of memory of the situation that they experience.
*Reference to IB questioning discussion Number 4: "We are more than the sum of our parts." Explain this statement in relation to Persepolis.
*Also mentioned in another snippet on page 6
Geneva
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