Persepolis
By Marjane Satrapi
Published by Pantheon Books
While one of the quotes on the back of this new hardcover graphic novel compares it to Art Spiegelman (and presumably his acclaimed Maus), I think the more accurate and telling indication of its contents is the subtitle, "The Story of a Childhood."
Where Spiegelman used his family history to express the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II, Satrapi's narrative reveals at least as much about her character and upbringing as it does about the time and place of the story.
That's not to say that there's not a wealth of information about what her world was like growing up; indeed, we see the societal changes that were so confusing for her, and presumably millions of other children. Religious fundamentalism causes boys to be segrated from girls, and girls to be forced to hide themselves under veils. Satrapi was confused and outraged by these sudden changes, and although her parents were more liberal at home, she was forced to obey. Her subjugation was never more than a surface submission, though, and her contempt for the laws she was forced to bend to could lead to confrontations by turns comical and dangerous.
One of the most comical scenes in the story comes when a middle-aged woman insists young schoolgirls hide their hair for fear it will arouse males -- Satrapi's father then suggests that the woman should shave her moustache. This is the kind of subversive parenting that leads children to have a healthy distrust of authority, and no doubt contributed to the creative energies that lead Satrapi to create this work.
It's not often that I read through a graphic novel, compose a review and yet still am unsure of my ultimate feelings about the work. Yet this is one of those times. Satrapi has a clear creative voice that comes through in the novel, but one of its disappointments is her seeming passivity toward events some would see as outrageous offenses. While it's clear that the act of creating this graphic novel is a statement of defiance, and the history it presents is both valuable and fascinating, you won't find many answers about the issues of religious fundamentalism.
Mostly you'll find heartbreaking depictions of the price members of a society pay for standing by and letting zealots create the law of the land, with the final statement on such matters forming the crushing final scene, a moment that must haunt the creator to this day. Such warnings have never been more timely, both here and elsewhere.
Persepolis is compelling reading as a personal history, but I found myself unable to connect to a central theme. Satrapi has shown me a series of incidents from her childhood, but I'm not entirely certain I've learned anything from them except that she has survived an oppressive culture and has the skill to tell her story, but either she lacks the ability to tell me what it means, or I am unable to divine it for myself. It feels like one of us has failed in some way, but I'm not sure which one of us it is. As a friend pointed out, perhaps as she continues to grow as an artist, she'll further explore the personal and cultural ramifications of her childhood further -- I most certainly would like to see how she continues to develop as a creator.
Despite these reservations, Persepolis is a highly readable and at times highly entertaining memoir, and it deserves your attention. Pantheon is to be saluted, by the way, for the elegant and mature design aesthetic it applied to this graphic novel. In every way, it is presented simply as a hardcover memoir, in standard dimensions of a hardcover book, with a beautiful die-cut dustcover. All graphic novels should look this good. Grade: 4/5