Sunday, March 24, 2013

RA: Persepolis


Gamban 5
Amanda Gamban

Professor Knapp

English 1A

24 March 2013

Rhetorical Analysis: Persepolis 

Marjane Satrapi the author of the graphic novel Persepolis also wrote, Embroideries, Chicken with Plums, Monsters are afraid of the Moon, and The sign all have a cultural influence of Iran. In her novel Persepolis she wants to inform people of how life was like in Iran from 1980 to now. Her audience is intended for people who have misconceptions and misunderstandings about Iran, such at the United States and most western societies. Due to western societies seeing Iran only as a threat of terrorism, backwards society, and a rich environment of oil. This novel gives us an understanding of how the Iranian people actually are and the hardship and struggles they have been through.
In the novel the text demonstrates how Satrapi wants the reader to easily interpret her story. The type of character you see in the text throughout the novel is simple but informative by getting the point across. Along side the text is the type of tone Satrapi has throughout as well. She displays a mostly humorous, educational, and very serious tone as she tells us the events of her life. In the beginning of the novel is her tone more naïve and young as she is just starting to learn and experience the beginning of the revolution. Then what happens through the rest of the novel her tone is more aggressive and rebellious as she grows up learns the true facts and experiences many heartbreaking events. 
 What Satrapi is trying to accomplish in the story is to give the reader the truth of what happened during her childhood.  Persepolis gives us a first hand view of how the not only the Revolution from the Shah, but the Cultural Revolution and the Iraq Invasion on Iran. This novel not only informs us the history about the events that occurred but how it affected the Iranian people. This story shows us that the people had no say against the new Islamic Revolution and the affects of the war. Satrapi explains not only what occurred physically but emotionally as well, by giving us opinions of her family, friends, and herself. Such as having strong opinion against the Islamic Revolution and the new government they enforced. Satrapi’s states in class when she was fourteen, “ You say that we don’t have political prisoners anymore. But we’ve gone from 3000 prisoners’ under the shah to 300,000 under the regime. How dare you lie to us like that?”(144). Her tone of her voice as she grows up becomes louder and more rebellious as well.
In Persepolis Satrapi arranges the novel in a way that anyone after reading this remarkable story of her childhood you will have a better and new understanding of Iran. Every chapter within her story emphasized on the importance of learning the truth and experiences that the people of Iran had to face. Seeing these events through her eyes gives us different and more engaging perspective to the reader rather than learning it from a history book. Also by presenting a visual image with her text gives the reader an advantage of understanding the complex story of Iran’s History. The images are a significantly important part of giving the reader a clear and new view of Iran’s turmoil and struggle for a normal society. Satrapi emphasizes on the reality of Iran and does a remarkable job getting it across to any reader.

2 comments:

  1. Nice job! I like how you clearly define the audience, purpose and message. Your analysis of tone is very interesting in that it points out the change in the character as she grows up. What I like about this characterization is that despite the chaos and violence surrounding this child, we can all relate to her very human and universal qualities. I certainly can relate to her outspoken rebellious tone as a teenager, which you explain here. Thanks for a thorough and interesting RA post!

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  2. MLA STYLE COMMENT: move that period over to after the in-text citation (117).

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