I noticed in the beginning of Persepolis that Marji’s identity was intertwined in the western idea of a “rebellious” teen. At first, she wanted to be an individual, wearing American style clothing and listening to eccentric music to differentiate herself from the “average” Iranian teen. It wasn’t until she was thrust into western society after moving to Austria that she started to shift her personality. At first she seemed to follow along with the others around her to blend in; which is very different from how she tried so hard to stand out in Iran. What is interesting to me is that we slowly start to see Marji’s appreciation for her culture and country develop now that she’s away from home. As she comes into her own, there are many occasions throughout the novel that she has to defend who she is and where she comes from but it isn’t until she yells at a group of girls that she is proud to be Iranian that she finally gives up trying to be someone else. I feel like this is typical teen self-exploration that Marji is experiencing over these years. The only difference is that her life experiences have been anything but ordinary.
Another thing to point out is how she felt like she didn’t fit in when she lived abroad…trying so hard to assimilate into her new surroundings. However, as soon as she got back, Marji realized she didn’t necessarily fit in with her old friends anymore either. On page 259 she says, “I had a hard time remembering what brought us together before. A part of me understood them. When something is forbidden it takes on disproportionate importance. Much later I learned that making themselves up and wanting to act in western ways was an act of resistance on their part”. Having gone through the experience of self-discovery and developing a deep appreciation for her own culture along the way, she could no longer relate to her old friends who were mentally still in the same place as they all were when she left for Austria.
Third World Literature 