Pages 1-39 of Persepolis

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is the first graphic novel I have ever read.  It really caught me off guard because I didn't know what to expect.  I was very surprised to learn that there are very few words compared to a regular novel.  At first I thought this might mean that it would just be a simple, quick read, but I think that is wrong.  The pictures add a whole new element to the understanding of the novel.  Like the saying goes a picture can say a thousand words.  I'm sure that throughout the novel the pictures will serve an important role.

The novel is narrated by a nine or ten year old girl that was born and lives in Iran.  The beginning of the novel covers a couple of topics including wearing veils and the Islamic Revolution in Iran.  The revolution is the event that really sets the novel in motion.  It causes the narrator and the rest of the female population to have to wear veils in public and it is also the event that the narrator's parents are heavily involved in.  The fact that the story is told from a first person point of view means that we only see one side of the story. I think it is important to remember that when the narrator talks about the revolution there is another group of people who feel completely differently than she does.

Having to wear a veil is a big deal for the narrator.  She is not accustomed to wearing one and feels like it is something that she doesn't want to do.  Along with wearing the veil comes segregation in school.  The narrator is probably more upset by this because she likes to interact with all kinds of people.  The mother's view on the veils is much different that the narrator's cosmic viewpoint.  The mother is adamant about not wearing a veil because of the ideas behind the action.  When the veil comes back into her life she has visions of a pervious ruling regime.  This regime was one that she did not like.  She feels so strongly about this issue that she protests day after day.

Protesting a big part of the parent's lives as well as the narrator's life.  The parents protest almost everyday.  They hope that eventually they will get the changes they desire.  The narrator views protesting as a good thing to do,but she does not really understand what is involved with it.

The narrator gets confused sometimes because she is learning one thing in school, but then at home she learns the opposite.  For example she was taught in school that God elected the king, but when she told her parents this they sat her down and told her the truth.

I think it will be interesting to see how the story unfolds and to see if it gets any clearer.  I had a little trouble following the story because of the scarcity of words and the numerous tangents the narrator goes off on.