Throughout Persepolis, the black backgrounds that appear serve as a constant reminder of the day-to-day turmoil faced by the protagonist and her family, whether it is depicted through the fundamentalist regime or through the ongoing search for her identity. Regardless of the audience, anyone can identify and relate with a visual image that invokes a particular mood. According to Satrapi “Image is an international means the same thing in all cultures” (Satrapi interview). Although the work is entirely monochrome, the author is able to weave a colorful tapestry that depicts her coming of age. While Book 2 is based primarily in Europe, and the black scenes represent the authors‘ social isolation and rebellion from her culture. The dark backgrounds in Book 1 are focused exclusively on Iran, the center of oppression and persecution. Some of the more dramatic scenes to be analyzed bear similar meaning in regards to the setting. The novel consists of black and white panels, indicative of Satrapi’s bleak outlook on life. Persepolis is a new turn in the genre in that it focuses on the Iranian turmoil of the 1980s, an event mostly unknown to Western audiences at the time, One aspect of Satrapi‘s work that bears great meaning is the use of black backgrounds to heighten the intensity of a scene, ranging from somber to painful to joyful. Only in recent years have graphic novels come to the public’s attention, largely through the success of the recent movies 300 and Sin City, both based on the colorful works of Frank Miller. In a traditional novel, the author must rely on words, and in turn, the reader is left to guess the identities, characteristics and interactions between the characters, plot, and environment.

The purpose of a graphic novel is to allow an author to express their thoughts and ideas in a unique method. A Comprehensive Analysis of Persepolis, a Novel by Marjane Satrapi

Marjane satrapi novels