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Comparing and Contrasting Marjane and Santiago: in Charge of their Destinies or not? (625

words or more, 2,5 pages)

The question of being in charge of one’s destiny is the one that intrigues us from early

childhood. How free are we when it comes to major decision-making? In this short essay, I

attempt to answer if Marjane and Santiago were in control of his and her destinies? In other

words, were they fully autonomous and independent individuals, or are they dependent on their

immediate circumstantial context or societal influence?

Comparing and Contrasting Marjane and Santiago

From the very beginning, Marjane Satrapi portrays herself as having to wear a hijab (a

veil) to school as a result of the Muslim revolution in 1979 (Marjane Satrapi 7). To make things

worse all bilingual schools had to be closed in 1980 Marjane Satrapi 8). So, it feels like freedom

was taken away from Muslim pupils, girls had to wear a veil, and together with other Muslim

boys, they could not study together with other non-Muslim friends. Then Marjane narrates how

she had a dream to become a prophet to alleviate some suffering in this world (like helping her

grandmother to be healed from knee-ache) (Marjane Satrapi 10-12). The lack of freedom is

evidenced by the teacher’s remark to Marjane’s parents that t

the girl might be “disturbed” (Marjane Satrapi 12). However, later on, it seems like she

attempts to control her destiny by laying her prophetic destiny and she takes part in the

revolution (Marjane Satrapi 14). Moreover, Marjane has the freedom to read some radical books
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for a Muslim girl — by Descartes and Marx (Marjane Satrapi 16). Marjane narrates a horrible

event of how 400 cinema visitors were burned alive in the locked-down movie theater

commandeered by Shah (Marjane Satrapi 18-19). She narrates how Shah was dethroned as a

result of the revolution (Marjane Satrapi 44). It felt like the country was free (Marjane Satrapi

46-47). She tries to break loose from oppressive regimes — she experiences some Western

freedom. But deep it feels like she is not free. She tries to pee while standing but that does bring

her an inch closer to true freedom.

Similarly, Santiago is just a shepherd with “loneliness or the happiness of a shepherd in

the fields” (Paulo Coelho and Clarke 14). He speaks only of one girl — “the daughter of a

merchant” — a stunningly beautiful lady with “flowing black hair” and “Moorish conquerors”

eyes (Paulo Coelho and Clarke 15). The girl is surprised to know that Santiago can read. It seems

that even though he can read he cannot break away from his shepherd’s work. Will he be able to

woo a beauty like hers? His attraction seems to grow for her: “He recognized that he was feeling

something he had never experienced before: the desire to live in one place forever. With the girl

with the raven hair, his days would never be the same again” (Paulo Coelho and Clarke 16).

However, the story turns on a sudden twist when we learn that Santiago chooses the life of the

shepherd to travel forfeiting his future priestly assignment (Paulo Coelho and Clarke 17-18). He

chooses the life of constant travel as the shepherd. Santiago learns experientially that his region’s

women are the most beautiful. He sees some dreams and that is the indication that he is not in

control of his destiny as he wants his dream of possessing treasure to come true. It feels like

destiny has a firm grip on his life or divine fiat one would say. The wise man advises the

shepherd on how to find the treasure: “In order to find the treasure, you will have to follow the

omens. God has prepared a path for everyone to follow. You just have to read the omens that he
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left for you” (Paulo Coelho and Clarke 30). He has some freedom to become a shepherd but deep

down that inclination could have been sent from on high.

It is hard to see how providence works in our lives. We think that we control our lives or

destinies but, in the end, there is some sort of destiny prepared for us before we take the first

steps in life. Both Santiago and Marjane seem to be following some high purposes for their lives.

They seem to be bound by a higher purpose and they cannot resist it. We cannot say if control

things or know things that are part of our future. The seer provides some food for thought to the

shepherd boy:

Well . . . so I can do things,” he had responded. “And so, I can change those

things that I don’t want to happen.”

“But then they wouldn’t be a part of your future,” the seer had said.

“Well, maybe I just want to know the future so I can prepare myself for

what’s coming.”

“If good things are coming, they will be a pleasant surprise,” said the seer.

“If bad things are, and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly before they

even occur.”

“I want to know about the future because I’m a man,” the camel driver had

said to the seer. “And men always live their lives based on the future (Paulo Coelho and

Clarke 74).
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Works Cited

Marjane Satrapi. Persépolis. Barcelona, Pantheon Books, 2007.

Paulo Coelho, and Alan R Clarke. The Alchemist: 25th Anniversary Edition. New York,

HarperOne, 2014.