Essay On Satrapi

Marjan Satrapi portrays herself in several lights in the book that are unique and different from each other. Satrapy starts by identifying herself as a conflicted young girl who is both traditional and modern; later she becomes the embodiment of the last great prophet; she also portrays herself as justice, love and wrath of god in one being. As time passes, Satrapi takes many other forms such as a revolutionary, a good person and a bad person, budding adult conflicted with the western ideals, women who has compromised her individual personal liberties, sophisticated and modern Persian women among many others.
These portrayals are completely different from each other and reveal the changing identity and self-image of young Muslim women in Iran. It was also revealed how Marjan changes as a person over a period of time due to changes in her environment. Since, Satrapi grows up in Tehran during the time of political change and revolution; she, like many other youth had to face changes in her society. Coming from a modern family based in Iran, her self-identity was challenged several times with the changing environment of the country. The changing portrayals of herself shows how Marjan Satrapi changes as an individual over a period of time and takes several adhering and conflicting shapes with a changing and radicalized nation.
In my opinion, Satrapi changes as a person over the course of the book in search of her true identity. She manages to identify with several Islamic and western practices that leave her in a state of constant change over her self-image. Her changing portrayals of herself are an example of her being unsure of her ideal identity and changes are the result of her personal thoughts and the reality surrounding her.