The Complete Persepolis

Synopsis

Here, in one volume: Marjane Satrapi's best-selling, internationally acclaimed graphic memoir of growing up as a girl in Iran during the revolution has for twenty years been a classroom staple, a feminist manifesto, and one of the most popular and widely known graphic novels of all time. 

"A stunning graphic memoir...a wholly original achievement in the form." -The New York Times

Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming-both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom-Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Veil

* Marjane Satrapi recounts her childhood in Iran during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.
* Despite the war and oppressive regime, Marjane remains a curious and rebellious child.
* She wears a headscarf in public, but secretly reads Western comics and listens to Iron Maiden.
* Example: Marjane sneaks Iron Maiden tapes into her room and listens to them on headphones, feeling a sense of liberation and defiance.

Chapter 2: The Bicycle Race

* Marjane's father is arrested and imprisoned for supporting the deposed Shah.
* She and her family are forced to flee Iran to Austria.
* In Vienna, Marjane struggles to adapt to a new culture and language, but finds solace in her friends.
* Example: Marjane and her friends engage in a bike race, symbolizing their newfound freedom and determination to overcome obstacles.

Chapter 3: A Mothers' Tale

* Marjane's family eventually returns to Iran after the war, but the country has changed.
* The regime has become more oppressive, and many of her friends and family have been killed or imprisoned.
* Marjane's mother recounts the horrors of prison and torture she has witnessed.
* Example: Marjane's mother describes how she was forced to witness the execution of her friends and saw a pregnant woman give birth in prison.

Chapter 4: Persepolis

* Marjane decides to leave Iran again and move to France.
* She struggles to find her place in a new country and culture, but eventually finds her calling as an artist.
* Example: Marjane creates a comic about her experiences in Iran, which becomes her way of both processing her past and sharing it with the world.

Chapter 5: Embroideries

* Marjane marries and gives birth to a son, Darius.
* As a mother, she reflects on her own upbringing and the challenges faced by Iranian women.
* Example: Marjane's mother-in-law, a skilled embroiderer, teaches her the importance of tradition and the power of storytelling.

Epilogue

* Marjane's story ends with a sense of hope and resilience.
* She has survived the hardships of war, exile, and cultural displacement, and found her own voice as an artist and storyteller.
* Example: Marjane's son, Darius, is raised in a different world than his mother, but she believes that he will carry on the spirit of resistance and freedom that she fought for.