Saturday, March 16, 2013
Is Marji still Considered a Child?
In Persepolis, we as the readers see a transition in Marji. Although she is only a pre-teen, she tries to show herself off as an adult. We feel bad for Marji because she is a confused individual. She is living through a revolution and cannot express her individuality because of the veil and she will be condemned if she rebels. In the earlier chapters, we see her trying to understand what is going on around her, how society is radically changing, and how she obeys her parents. She gets inspiration from her Uncle Anoosh because she feels he is a hero and he was executed for his heroism. As the story continues, we see her expressing herself with the music she listens to, (Iron Maiden), and the clothes she wears, such as denim jackets, Nike sneakers, etc. Marji also shows rebellious actions when her teacher tries to remove her bracelets, so Marji hits her. I started thinking, is Marji still a child? For someone to be rebellious at that time was high risk; she also tries to understand what happening in the political aspect which a child would normally not bother to care about. I feel that she is forced to grow up and her childhood was robbed, especially when her parents come to the conclusion to send her to Austria so she can live a better life. Living in Austria will give her the opportunity to live free, and to stay away from the danger occurring in Iran. Would one still consider her a child, even though she has grown up witnessing war and is about to live a new life without her parents?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In response to the question: "Is Marji still considered a child?", I believe that Marji is in fact an adult. She has experienced death, war and excessive changes, including having to move away from her stable life with her family in Iraq. These are some things that many people—even those in their mid-life years—have not experienced. Also, the way that Marji handles these situations conveys her true maturity. Marji constantly tackles the heavy topics of death, suicide, war and religion with an open mind, rather than being afraid and shying away from speaking about them.
ReplyDeleteEven in her younger years, Marji held a strong opinion. This is the reason for her rebellious acts. Instances such as Marji pushing her principle and refusing to take off her bracelet, and telling off her teacher in her new school are the cause of a strong will, opinion and sense of individuality. The traits of a mature adult.
Alex, I understand where you are coming from wondering if Marji is still a child because of the way she acts and her rebellious nature. But, I find myself having to agree with Leslie. Marji indeed is not a child, she is an adult. Although, Marji is only a teenager, I tend to view her as a young adult. Marji is growing up in a war zone with constant fighting and bombing. Marji is faced to act at an age that is much older than her true age. Marji is forced to act older because she needs to help her family cope with the tragedies happening all around her (the bombing in her neighborhood). Marji needs to be strong and mature something that cannot be achieved by a child. The manner in which Marji handles the war speaks volumes about her as an adult.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason why I believe Marji is an adult rather than a child is with her situation in Austria. Marji is seen as an adult in this situation because of how she handled her move to Austria. If Marji was a child, she would have not been able to move to another country and live on her own. Although, Marji faced her struggles in Austria, the adult-like attitude which Marji showed, and the maturity to move to a completely different county shows how Marji is truly an adult and not a child.