Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novel and autobiography about a girl living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In the book Marji witnesses the fall of the Shah in 1979 and the subsequent rise of Islamic fundamentalism (Encyclopedia Britannica). Soon after, in 1980, Iran became involved in the Iran-Iraq war (Encyclopedia Britannica). Islamic fundamentalists persuaded young men to join the military force against Iraq by promising the “keys to heaven” to those who died in battle (Satrapi 99). Thus, a government and culture that valued religious martyrdom was established in Iran. The new Islamic fundamentalist leaders used fear tactics to force people into obedience, and it encouraged complete submission to both religion and the regime. Yet even though Islam became a prominent part of people’s daily lives, the government’s domineering methods of enforcing religion actually made some citizens question Islam rather than respect it.
In the two comic strips, Marji explains what happened to her maid, Mrs. Nassine. Mrs. Nassine had a fourteen-year-old son who was given a “key” to heaven. When asked what the object is, Marji’s mom replies with a confused expression, “a plastic key painted in gold” (Satrapi 99). The key is made of cheap plastic, only covered up with some fake gold paint to make it appear more attractive. This symbolizes a belief in the fraudulence of the Islamic regime, and for some, even in Islam itself; like the key, the fundamentalist authority was superficially appealing with its religious halo, but deep down, it was nothing but a deception and a lie. Mrs. Narsine goes on to say that though she has been a faithful Muslim her whole life, after the fundamentalists’ encouragement of her son’s death, she cannot have faith in anything anymore. The comic shows Mrs. Narsine as distraught and sorrowful with upturned eyebrows and a wrinkled forehead, tears falling down her cheeks. Marji and her mother are wide-eyed with disbelief, confused by the atrocity of the regime’s propaganda. The character’s expressions give these two comic strips an air of perplexity, sorrow, and loss.
The strips from this page of the book distinctly tie in with the theme of faith because the characters at this point come to question religion. Mrs. Narsine has doubt about God and religion due to the cruelty of the fundamentalist regime’s propaganda. After witnessing such evil and fearing for the life of her son, she wonders whether the God she has always been so faithful to really cares about her. As shown in the looks on their faces, Marji and her mother are obviously confused by how the fundamentalists could get away with telling such lies. For all three characters, it comes down to the same question that challenges their faith: how can there be a God if so much evil and wrong exists in the world? Persepolis is evidence that experiencing misfortune, mistreatment, and wrongdoing can cause people to deviate from faith if their religion fails to provide answers or consolation. The Islamic Revolution, a time period characterized by the rise of a religious government, actually led many to challenge their faith in Islam due to the government’s extreme authoritarian nature.
