Veiled Lives and Visual Voices: Marjane Satrapi’s <i>Persepolis</i> and Confronting Othering in Post–Islamic Revolution Iran

Abstract The term “Other” usually brings to mind an image of a cultural opposite, usually with postcolonial connotations. But at times, the “Other” can exist within one’s own culture—that is, nonconformity. Cultural revolutions bring about certain changes to which a part of society refuses to adjust. They can endeavor to assimilate to an extent while still remaining rebellious in their own capacity. This research will attempt to explore the cultural otherness within a society with reference to Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and its sequel Persepolis: The Story of a Return. These graphic novels, which are autobiographical in nature, depict Satrapi’s life in Iran before and after the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979. It explores how Satrapi, as an Iranian, dealt with the cultural revolution in the country and came to terms with her otherness in a post–Islamic Revolution Iran and after leaving Iran for Austria for a certain period of time. This article, in reference to these graphic novels, will endeavor to mainly analyze the otherness within, while touching upon the otherness without, meaning thereby that it will see how people can feel “Otherized” within their own culture and how, after escaping from their culture, they come to terms with their otherness in a completely alien culture.