The Power of Knowledge: A Look at Marji's Empowerment through Education in Persepolis

Maria A. McGonegle
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor

In Marjane Satrapi’s memoir Persepolis, education and schooling are prominent themes in the life of young Marji given the context of the politcal and religious transformation of Iran in 1979. From the time Marji is six, her very avant garde parents gift her with many books that explore complex ideas such as Marx's theory of dialectical materialism, the Vietnam War, and even the concept of God. Marji soon realizes that knowledge is power and the more she learns from the adults in her family and from the books that she reads, the better "armed" she will be in her societal realm of the Iranian Revolution. Throughout the course of Persepolis, Marji, who is already a precocious child, grows very independent. At the end of the book when she is fourteen, education is Marji’s ticket out of Iran as her parents see her off at the airport to boarding school in Austria.

Keywords: Persepolis, Education, Marjane Satrapi, Iranian Revolution

Topic(s):English

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA