Persepolis: Panel

Presentation
Kabir Narasimhan
 • The Trip – Page 81
Symbolism • In this panel, Satrapi uses the black
cloud as a symbol for war. While
Marji and her family are in Spain for a
family vacation, this image of a map
appears on the local TV news. She
draws the black cloud almost like
spilled ink taking over a page. This
shows the reader that something is
imminent. The cloud’s pitch black
color hints at something bad or some
kind of danger. In this way, Satrapi’s
use of symbolism here also acts as
foreshadowing for some kind of war
or danger in Iran (Iran – Iraq War)
Conflict
• The Sheep – Page 73

• Internal and External conflict:

• On this page and group of panels, it can be
clearly seen how Satrapi contrasts between the
internal and external conflicts of the novel.
• An internal conflict of the novel is Marji’s
personal relationship with god and the role
religion plays in her life.
• An external conflict of the novel is the political
scene (State vs Other state) (People vs State)
(Party vs Party)
Stream of Conciousness
• As a literary convention, stream of
consciousness aims to replicate the natural
continuous flow of unfiltered thoughts and
sensations coursing through a character's
mind. Satrapi utilizes this narrative technique
to vividly capture Marjie’s anxieties and
dashed hopes in the wake of the new Islamic
regime. Marjie dreams of emulating Marie
Curie and becoming an educated, liberated
woman. But Marjie’s fear the new regime's
conservative ideology will crush such
aspirations is shown through the use of
stream of consciousness in the text. She
worries that she will have to resign her
fantasies of academic glory to early
motherhood. The use of stream-of-
consciousness in these panels highlights the
historical moment's threat to women's
freedoms in a personal way.