Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi is the author, illustrator, and narrator of Persepolis. Born into an educated family in Iran, she is raised in Tehran and attends bilingual French schools. Her grandfather was a prince who also served as the Iranian prime minister, meaning her family has had ties to the Iranian government. Satrapi is a bright, idealistic, and imaginative child but increasingly grows disillusioned and rebellious as she enters her teen years. She grows to love Western heavy metal and punk rock. Her parents eventually send her to a French school in Austria to keep her safe.

Satrapi’s mother is a progressive, intellectual, compassionate, stubborn woman who nurtures her daughter’s budding interest in politics and philosophy. She places a huge emphasis on Satrapi’s education and cites it as the most important thing she can have. Satrapi and her mother sometimes butt heads because they are both stubborn, but her mother’s love is always on display.

Satrapi’s father is also progressive and educated, frequently taking photographs and documenting political demonstrations. Skeptical of the Islamic regime, he often fact checks the news using the BBC and Western news sources. He regularly gets out of trouble with the authorities using bribes, which is indicative of his cleverness.