Persepolis Part II

Part II of Persepolis took us through Marji’s excursion in Austria and her eventual return to Iran. Her parents sent her to Austria to become education and escape the horrors of war that ravaged Iran. When she first arrives she is infatuated by simple things like well stocked grocery stores and not having to wear the veil. At first she is able to stay in touch with her Iranian roots and it brings her friendship with some of her punk schoolmates who think she is okay because she has seen war. Overtime either in an attempt to fit in or find her identity she starts to lose herself in a world of drugs and poor decisions. She finally hits rock bottom when she becomes homeless for weeks. Catching a cold she passes out and almost dies, it is this near death experience that opens her eyes to return home to Iran.

When Marji returns to Iran she is welcomed back in the loving arms of her family. She is able to enjoy the comfort and new peace in Iran. But just as her trip to Austria her mood and thought process began to change for the worse. She became depressed because she had done nothing with her life and ultimately wasted her time in Austria. Once again a near death experience changes her perceptive when she fails at a suicide attempt. She organizes her life back together even getting a job and meeting her future husband Reza. One of the most interesting points in this novel is the value of education and life experiences. Over and over again she has to make mistakes to learn from them even though she is warned beforehand. The best example is her marriage, I could not believe that both of her parents knew it would not work out but realized that she would have to find out for herself. It had been a complete reversal of their behavior towards her earlier in the novel. They always wanted her to be independent and make something of herself. In the end of the novel she does realize the mistake she has made and leaves Iran for the last time and goes to France to further her education and make her family proud.