Mrs. Johnsmeyer

Literary Elements

Setting. The setting of Satrapi’s memoir plays a particularly crucial role in understanding her character and growth as a person.  Set in Tehran, the capital of Iran and center of radical religious and political conflict, we see up close and personal what it was like to live in the midst of a revolution, where opposing factions are pitted against each other, and many innocent people get caught in the cross fire.  Marjane recounts her father’s history lessons: ”2500 years of tyranny and submission,” he says and goes on to explain the people’s oppression from a succession of Persian emperors, to the Arab  and Mongolian invasions, and lastly modern imperialism from the West.  The oppression of the revolution, which sadly comes in the wake of a people trying to establish a national and cultural identity free of foreign influence, is quickly realized by Marjane and her family.  She tells of secret family parties where family and friends gather to do the forbidden:  drink and dance.  Other risky behavior includes wearing denim jackets, flirting with boys in public places, and buying black market contraband, such as videos, rock music, lipstick and nail polish.  Marjane’s parents return from a respite in Turkey where, to the delight of their daughter, they smuggle through customs an Iron Maiden poster that had been sewed into her father’s trench coat!  Despite the propaganda, war, political persecution and religious indoctrination, Marjane is exposed to the culture of the West, secures a moderately liberal elementary education, and through it all remains surprisingly upbeat and optimistic.

 

 

 

Characters and Characterization. Marjane is the main character and narrator of the story.  She is an intelligent, precocious child who tries to make sense of the unpredictable, unstable world in which she finds herself.  Her parents recognize this and begin, at an early age, to explain the political conflict of her country and the role that her family played in the turbulent times.  As the novel progresses, Marjane learns about uncles, grandparents and neighbors who meet tragic ends, some due to their defiance of the shah’s regime, others to a subversive movement against the Islamic regime.  Many die heroically, fighting for, what they believe to be, a more just and equal society. Marjane demonstrates her pluck and resourcefulness when she writes a series of letters for her illiterate nanny Mehri, who has been flirting with a neighbor through the apartment window.  When Marjane’s father makes a visit to the young man to explain Mehri’s station in life, the young man rejects Mehri and returns the letters. Her father explains to his disillusioned daughter that their love was impossible, “Because in this country you must stay within in your own social class.”

Two other important characters, of course, are Marjane’s parents.  Both her parents can be described as modern and progressive, and determined to raise their daughter in an atmosphere that allows her to grow unhindered by repressive ideas, whatever their source.  This is indeed a difficult task considering the social restraints imposed by the current government.  Marjane is an outspoken, stubborn and even opinionated adolescent whose harsh experiences have only toughened her resolve to speak her mind.  Her parents recognize this and understand, all too well, that such a demeanor in the current social and political climate can be extremely dangerous.  They make a crucial decision that profoundly affects her future.

 

Theme.  There are several themes to this autobiographical novel, such as loss of innocence, disillusionment, political strife and oppression, persecution, search for identity, and revolution.  What comes through loud and clear is the great toll in human suffering that  political upheaval can cause.  Marjane tells a touching story of her uncle, Anoosh,  who gets caught up in the maelstrom of political strife.  He aligns himself with his uncle who declares independence for the Iranian province of Azerbaijan.  The shah suppresses this defiance with military action, imprisonment and execution for all the defectors.  Anoosh, however, is able to  escape to Moscow, but returns to his beloved Iran only to be arrested and imprisoned.  His fate is sealed by the Islamic leaders who, after his release from prison, accuse him of being a Russian spy.  Marjane portrays such heroes as men who are impassioned with the goal of helping their country and its citizens structure a social, political and economic system that is decidedly more just for all.  Their courage in the face of such daunting and perilous times evokes sympathy and understanding for readers who dwell in a world far different from Marjane and her family’s.