Persepolis
Summary:
“In this autobiographical graphic novel, the author takes readers into her childhood and adolescence during the period of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. She first guides them through her childhood in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and the war with Iraq, then recounts her time at a French lycée in Vienna, her subsequent return to her homeland, her final attempt to come to terms with a regime that can have no understanding for independent personalities like hers—especially as a woman—and finally her definitive departure for France. While the main theme of the first part is life under a totalitarian regime, the second part focuses on how a person raised in such a system comes to terms with newly acquired freedom. “
Edited by: Gender Studies, o p.s. - Knihovna Jiřiny Šiklové
Comment:
Persepolis is a unique story about cultural alienation, totalitarian regimes, and growing up. It offers a unique perspective on the Islamic Revolution through the eyes of a young girl who witnesses the change in the Iranian regime while growing up. When we talk and read about historical events, in this case from very recent history, we often forget that women’s experiences can offer a unique perspective on the events. Here, we can observe a candid account of the formation of a girl’s identity as she becomes a stranger in her own country, which rejects her because of her fearlessness and gender identity. It also reminds us that the struggle for emancipation and women’s rights is never definitively won.