Character Description

     As I read Persepolis further more, I was amazed to find Marjane an interesting mature young character with such big courage and fearless heart.  At the age of six, Marjane said, "I was already sure I was the last prophet" (6).  I think she wanted to be a prophet so that she could make improvements to the currently bad situation in her country.  She thought, "everybody should have a car, eat together at the same table, and no older person should have to suffer".  Despite of still being too young, Marjane already had an unshakable thought of being a revolutionary to defend her country. 
    
     There were so many invasions occurred in Marjane's beloved country in the past.  When the Islamic revolution took place, she wanted to be justice.  Marjane said, "but let's be fair.  If women faced prison when they refused to wear the veil, it was also forbidden for men to wear neckties (that dreaded symbol of the West), and if women's hair got men excited, the same thing could be said of men's bare arms.  And so, wearing short-sleeved shirts was also forbidden" (75).  This quote emphasized the significance of equality and justice.  After the Islamic revolution took place, young Marjane's beloved country was invaded by the Iraqis.  The news of this invasion provoked young Marjane's moral. 

     One scene from Persepolis that I could relate to is the part when Iraqis bombed the place where Marjane's family friend, Mali, lived.  Mali's family and the people lived there lost their homes and all their belongings.  As well known, wars always inflict unnecessary suffering and lost.  As I recalled the scene when we had our last similar war occurred in our country, Vietnam, years ago.  We had a government changed from democratic politic system to a repressive regime, or so called a dictatorship system.  The war started from the Northern part of Vietnam all the way down to the South.  There were chaos everyday and body remains scattered everywhere in the city where I live.  As I remembered, my uncle and his family lived in another city, not too distance away from where my family and I lived.  During that chaotic moment, they came to our house seeking for shelter, because the place where they lived almost got demolished.  We lived in fear for so many months, did not know when to expect the disruption to end.  As a result of this war, many families lost their loved ones.  Many of the people were also taken for imprisonment.  Engineered city streets and manicured parks and gardens were also destroyed.  This corrupted scene left a carved depressing image in every Vietnamese mind. 

     In my opinion, the author purposely mentioned this scene to express a country subsided when war occurred.  The author wrote this scene to clearly provide the aftermath details from the occurrence of a war.  The author skillfully emphasized this scene so that readers can easily visualize themselves in the scene itself.