Persepolis View on Culture

Textual Exercise: Persepolis perspective on Western Pop Culture
Marjane Satrapi, aka Marji, displays her life in this graphic novel to correct the misconceptions often made by the Western world. She makes sure her audience knows who she is, where she came from, and what her country is like.
Though she is born and raised for much of her life in Tehran, Marjane Satrapi is as much of a product of Western culture as of Middle Eastern culture. In the book you can see the influence that the western countries have on Iran. Her parents both ascribe to Western political viewpoints and are not reluctant to let their daughter indulge in Western popular culture. Marjane like clothes and shoes such as jeans, Nike’s, and head scarves. She is even rebellious about the veil they are forced to wear.
Many popular music artists are referenced in Chapter 17. Kim Wilde, the English pop singer in the 80s, was very well known for her debut single, Kids in America, which Marji sings the chorus to. This picture in Chapter 17 page 134 demonstrates very well Marji’s perspective of Western culture. She highly supports it with her fashion style that is quite rebellious and different than any other kid her age. The size of the layout is fairly big so you can see the Nike’s logo and her full outfit. The sentences are short to focus on the specific articles of clothing she is wearing. Chapter 17 also shows how Marji’s parents are fully supportive of her beliefs and what they do for her happiness. Her mother wanted to help Marji bring her Kim Wilde poster through customs and put lots of effort in sewing it discreetly in her husband’s coat. This just shows how far her parents will go to because the coat doesn’t look rather normal anymore but he is still prepared and willing to wear it for his daughter.
Those who live in the West have different ideas of what the West is depending on where they are in the world. Some see it as a place for freedom, and it can also be a source of entertainment and influence. Others see it as a place of opportunity, wealth, and prosperity. America’s pop culture has allowed Marji to obtain a little freedom and independence in the environment of the iranian Revolution and has had a huge effect on her teenage life.