In Persepolis Marjane looks up to her
Uncle Anoosh because of all the suffering he endured due to his
beliefs in Marxism. She believes he is a hero because of all the pain
he suffered, but does not look at her father as a hero because he has
not went to prison. This got me thinking; what makes a person a hero?
Is it a person's actions, sacrifices or their suffering? To Marjane,
who is just a child, you have to suffer to be a hero. I feel as if
sometimes society looks at heroes the same way Marjane does.
We respect those who fight for their
beliefs but they are not taken as seriously as someone who was
condemned for their beliefs. Marjane's states that her father takes
pictures of the demonstration even though it is forbidden, and tells
the reader about how her father had been arrested but escaped last
minute. But, even though she knows her father had been arrested she
does not view him as a hero. She is jealous of Laly's father because
he went to jail for his beliefs. Everyone admires those who have
faced torture and pain for their beliefs, but what makes them less
heroic then someone who stands up for their beliefs with out being
condemned? I understand that Marjane is a little girl but she is
easily influenced by those around her. She sees the adults praising
those who went to jail and that is her idea of a hero. I can agree
that those who have been tortured are heroes but I feel that Marjane
should learn that being tortured is not the only way to make someone
a hero. I hope that as Marjane gets older her understanding of the
world she is living in becomes stronger and violence is not the only
thing she admires.
It could be that an absence of violence and punishment is a reason why she does not view her father as a hero. She believes that if a person incites violence or is a victim of torture, then they can become a hero. Early within the story, she starts admiring and imitating Communist revolutionaries such as Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. Both of these leaders are known for using violence (guerilla warfare specifically) in order to further their goals. Marjane’s admiration for violence is shown when she tries to attack Ramin, the son of a member of the Shah’s secret police force. Her intention to use brass knuckles shows how she perceives violence. She believes that she will be a hero and avenge those who were killed by the Savak by violently attacking a member’s son.
ReplyDeleteWhen Uncle Anoosh tells Marjane his story, Marjane is impressed when Anoosh mentions Fereydoon surrounded by enemy soldiers and visions of death and blood. When Anoosh shifts the focus to his exile in the U.S.S.R, Marjane tries to focus the story back on Fereydoon, more interested in the topic of his imprisonment and possible torture or death at the hands of the enemy. Yet as Anoosh gets into details about Fereydoon’s final moments with his girlfriend, Marjane’s facial expressions show that she is uninterested in those details and asks for different stories.
I think it is important to note that Communism has a history of violence; there has yet to be a bloodless and non-violent communist revolution. The violent nature of communist revolutions is most likely what influences Marjane’s view of heroes. She believes Anoosh to be a hero because he was imprisoned for nine years and was a victim of torture. She becomes interested in Fereydoon’s story because he was surrounded by enemy soldiers, which guarantees torture and execution. However, her dad, who risks his life to take photos of the revolution, is not a hero because he has been neither a victim nor an inciter of violence or torture.