Persepolis Illustrations Analysis
Satrapi’s graphic memoir, Persepolis focuses hugely on the loss of innocence of Marjane, which she illustrates by using several techniques such as the sizes of figures and the contrast of shades, as well as the of details, or lack thereof she includes in her drawings.
Marjane’s drawings are more than mere illustrations; they are drawn the way they are for a reason. Figure sizes throughout the book vary to show the importance or maturity of the characters. In the beginning of the memoir, Marjane is depicted as a small girl, considerably smaller than her parents and all other grown-ups that surround her. Though Marjane is very aware of her situation, and a lot smarter or conscious than other children her age, she is still childish and innocent. The first time we see a change in the way she is depicted is in the second panel of page 72. Marjane is considerably larger, her hair is longer and her face lacks the childish features it had the previous page. This change is not coincidental, it occurs after one of the most important moments in her life: the death of her uncle Anoosh. Though Marjane is aware of the deaths and torture going on around her before her uncle’s death, these things had never affected her personally. The change in her size and features are made intentionally to demonstrate, she has undergone a change, not physical, but mental and emotional. The death of Anoosh affects her deeply, and it takes away part of her naivety.
Another technique Satrapi uses to depict her innocence is the shading of the cartoons. Though the cartoons are in black and white, these two colors can still be used for contrast, and as symbols. In the fourth panel of page 76 Marjane is at a protest with her parents. It is easy to differentiate her from the crowd because she is slightly smaller than the figures that surround her, and she is the only one dressed in white. She is the only teenager in the scene, and she’s handing out flyers while the grown-ups around her protest.
Marjane’s drawings are more than mere illustrations; they are drawn the way they are for a reason. Figure sizes throughout the book vary to show the importance or maturity of the characters. In the beginning of the memoir, Marjane is depicted as a small girl, considerably smaller than her parents and all other grown-ups that surround her. Though Marjane is very aware of her situation, and a lot smarter or conscious than other children her age, she is still childish and innocent. The first time we see a change in the way she is depicted is in the second panel of page 72. Marjane is considerably larger, her hair is longer and her face lacks the childish features it had the previous page. This change is not coincidental, it occurs after one of the most important moments in her life: the death of her uncle Anoosh. Though Marjane is aware of the deaths and torture going on around her before her uncle’s death, these things had never affected her personally. The change in her size and features are made intentionally to demonstrate, she has undergone a change, not physical, but mental and emotional. The death of Anoosh affects her deeply, and it takes away part of her naivety.
Another technique Satrapi uses to depict her innocence is the shading of the cartoons. Though the cartoons are in black and white, these two colors can still be used for contrast, and as symbols. In the fourth panel of page 76 Marjane is at a protest with her parents. It is easy to differentiate her from the crowd because she is slightly smaller than the figures that surround her, and she is the only one dressed in white. She is the only teenager in the scene, and she’s handing out flyers while the grown-ups around her protest.