Flashcards for Persepolis

God (Marji's imaginary companion)

In Persepolis, Marji's imaginary God is a significant visual and emotional element in the early chapters of Satrapi's graphic memoir, symbolizing her childhood faith, inner life, and eventual disillusionment.

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Grandmother

Grandmother is one of the most morally grounding figures in Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis.

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Malcolm X / Che / Fidel (Revolutionary Idols)

Malcolm X, Che Guevara, and Fidel Castro appear in Marji Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis not as active characters but as composite revolutionary icons—figures plastered on the walls of Marji's imagination and bedroom.

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Marjane (Marji) Satrapi

Marjane "Marji" Satrapi is the main character and narrator of Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir about her life.

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Marji's Father

Marji's father, simply referred to as "Dad" in the text, is one of the two central parental figures in Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis.

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Marji's Mother (Tadji)

Tadji, Marji's mother, is a passionate and politically active woman whose journey in Persepolis highlights the painful struggle between her instinct to protect her child and her personal beliefs.

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Mohsen Shakiba

Mohsen Shakiba is a minor yet thematically important character in Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis.

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Mrs. Nasrine

Mrs. Nasrine is a minor but important supporting character in Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis.

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Siamak Jari

Siamak Jari is a secondary yet symbolically important figure in Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis.

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Uncle Anoosh

Uncle Anoosh is Marji's paternal great-uncle and a key political figure in Persepolis.

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“I knew that this trip was the last time I would see my grandmother.”

This line is delivered by Marji (Marjane Satrapi), the autobiographical narrator of Persepolis, as she gets ready to leave Iran for Austria.

Marjane (Marji) Satrapi · The Dowry (end of Volume 1)

“One can forgive but one should never forget.”

This line is spoken by Marji's grandmother during one of her visits, serving as a moment of moral guidance in the graphic memoir Persepolis (2000) by Marjane Satrapi.

Grandmother (Marji's grandmother)

“We didn't really like to wear the veil, especially since we didn't understand why we had to.”

This line is delivered by the young narrator, Marjane (Marji) Satrapi, in the opening section of Persepolis, her graphic memoir.

Marjane Satrapi (narrator) · The Veil

“To die a martyr is to inject blood into the veins of society.”

This haunting quote is found in Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis (2000), voiced by a religious zealot or a government supporter during the early days of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Religious/government ideological figure (as presented to schoolchildren) · The Sheep

“In life you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's because they're stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty.”

This advice comes from Marji's (Marjane Satrapi's) grandmother to young Marjane in Persepolis, Satrapi's graphic memoir about her childhood during the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Grandmother (Marjane's grandmother)

“I was born with religion.”

This line is spoken by Marji (Marjane Satrapi), the young protagonist and narrator of Persepolis, in the opening chapter of the graphic memoir.

Marji (Marjane Satrapi) · The Veil (Chapter 1)

“I wanted to be justice, love, and the wrath of God all in one.”

This line is delivered by young Marji (Marjane Satrapi), the autobiographical narrator and main character of Persepolis, in the early chapters where she reflects on her childhood religious fervor in Iran before and after the revolution.

Marji (Marjane Satrapi) · The Veil (Chapter 1)

“The real Islamic invasion had come from within.”

This line appears in Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis (2000–2003), where Marjane narrates her reflections on how Iranian society changed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Marjane Satrapi (narrator)

“With the revolution, we had lost everything. But we still had each other.”

This line is spoken by Marji (Marjane Satrapi), the narrator and main character of Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir.

Marjane Satrapi (Marji)

“I am the last Iranian. A generation of people who have seen the Shah, the Revolution, the war, and the Islamic Republic.”

This quote comes from Marji's father (or another member of the older generation, as conveyed through Marji's thoughtful narration) in Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic memoir Persepolis.

Marji's father (Ebi) / older generation narrator

Fire

In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, fire serves as a complex symbol that represents both revolutionary passion and destructive chaos.

The Key (to Paradise)

In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi shares her experiences of growing up during the Iranian Revolution and Iran-Iraq War.

The Prison Cell

In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir about her childhood during the Iranian Revolution, the prison cell symbolizes the stifling lack of political and personal freedom under an authoritarian regime.

The Ruins of Persepolis

In Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis, the ancient ruins of Persepolis — the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire — highlight the conflict between Iran's splendid pre-Islamic past and its troubled present.

The Veil

In Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir Persepolis, the veil represents the ideological control imposed by the state and the erasure of personal identity.

Western Culture & Contraband

In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Western culture and its illicit goods represent freedom, personal identity, and defiance against the authoritarian rule of the Islamic Republic.

Symbolism

The veil is the most prominent symbol in the work.

Imagery

Because Persepolis is a graphic memoir, the imagery relies on Satrapi's stark black-and-white panels just as much as it does on the text.

Irony

Irony stands out as the memoir's primary tonal resource, created by the contrast between Marji's childlike perspective and the adult reader's understanding.

Narrative Poem

Persepolis tells a coming-of-age story that also serves as a history of Iran.

Juxtaposition

Satrapi uses juxtaposition both structurally and panel by panel.

Personification

God appears as a character in the early chapters—a bearded, kind figure who sits with young Marji on her bedroom cloud, listening to her dreams of a just society.

Allusion

The memoir is rich with references to both Persian history and Western culture, and the clash between these two areas of allusion is a key part of the book's argument.

Metaphor

Satrapi's most powerful metaphor is the graphic form itself.

Motif

The recurring theme of borders—be they physical, cultural, or ideological—shapes the emotional landscape of the memoir.

Dramatic Monologue

While Persepolis isn't a poem, its caption-box narration acts like a dramatic monologue: a single, distinct voice speaks directly to the reader, revealing character through the events chosen and presented rather than through outside description.

Understatement

Satrapi's subtle approach, both visually and verbally, is one of the memoir's most impactful rhetorical strategies.

Extended Metaphor

The graphic memoir form itself serves as a lasting metaphor for vision and blindness.