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How Does Satrapi Use Direct Characterization In Persepolis

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In Persepolis, Satrapi’s parents and grandmother are three of the most important characters in the graphic novel. Throughout the work, Ebi, Taji and Grandmother are portrayed as guides in Satrapi’s childhood and adolescent life and Satrapi uses indirect characterization and direct characterization to emphasize their importance in Satrapi’s life

When Persepolis begins, Marjane’s mother, Taji is first seen at at an anti-veil demonstration protesting against the headscarf and other oppressive laws that the Islamic regime has placed upon Iranian citizens. This characterizes her as a mother who cares deeply about the social issues of Iran at the time and her emotional strength, forward mind and unwavering loyalty for her family has a great impact on Marjane’s life and reflects on her later on in the novel. As the story progresses, the reader learns that Taji is not just a hot-headed protester, rather, she is constantly aware of the hazards of protesting that she even changes her appearance, such as dyeing her hair blonde and wearing sunglasses to conceal her identity and protect her family. Despite this, young Marjane is proud of her mother and admires her courage in the face of danger, which is expressed on page 5, “I was really proud of her, her photo was published in all the European newspapers.” (Satrapi 5) Satrapi uses direct characterization in this quote to emphasize young Marjane’s feeling of pride toward her mother and displays a tone of innocence. Another instance of Taji’s character is in The Letter, where Marjane and her friends meet up one day and plan to torture Ramin, a neighborhood boy whose father was part of the Shah’s Regime and “killed a million people” (Satrapi, 44) Marjane agrees to “teach Ramin a good

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