Family Matters

It is made clear on multiple occasions that Marjane Satrapi, author of The Complete Persepolis, values religion. She speaks of wanting to become a prophet when she gets older (Satrapi 6) and how everything would be okay because God picked the king (Satrapi 19). However, it is also obvious that she values her family, as well—maybe even more than religion. Though, on page 19-20, Marjane chooses her faith over her father’s words after an internal debate with herself, she shows loyalty to God.

On page 13-17, Marjane’s faith is tested. She asks for God when something bad happens, as told by her father, and he doesn’t show up. That leaves her no choice but to side with her parents about the evil being caused and the war/demonstrations rising up.

It is truly proven that her family is important to her when her uncle shows up in the picture. Her uncle was the hero that Marjane had been looking for in a family member, just like her friend’s dad. They’d grown close and she didn’t need to talk to God anymore, it seemed, for she only wanted to talk to her new idol. She’s heard a multitude of political discussions (Satrapi 62) and murders have occurred during Uncle Anoosh’s stay (Satrapi 65). She was revealed and introduced to a whole new world that she had once known nothing about.

When her uncle died of execution, Marjane shunned God for good. He was not there when she needed him (Satrapi 70).

What other things are valued by Marjane? How do her values shape who she is?

Black Friday

"We had demonstrated on the very day we shouldn't have: on 'Black Friday.' That day, there were so many killed in one of the neighborhoods that a rumor spread that Israeli soldiers were responsible for the slaughter." (Satrapi, 39). 

September 8, 1978, known as "Black Friday,"  was the beginning of the end of the Shah's regime and the Pahlavi Dynasty. It was a day that irrevocably changed the course of history in Iran and the Middle East. Many cities were under martial law by decree of Mohammad Reza Shah. Many citizens defied the Shah's orders and took to the streets in protest, a common occurrence throughout 1978 Iran.

In the United States, among other places, “Black Friday” is known as the day after Thanksgiving. It is a day when all or most stores have sales online or in store for the purchase of Christmas, or other holiday, gifts. Is the term “Black Friday” used too lightly? Past research talks about Black Friday having to do with slave trade, but even so—the term is labeled from two bad times in history, yet we use it to label discounts and clearences. Isn’t that insanity? Before reading Persepolis and seeing how tragically awful the Black Friday massacre was, I had no knowledge of it. To me, I feel insulted each time I hear the term anymore.

The lack of knowledge of this war is sickening. A government against its people that resulted in many murders is something that should not be slept on by us and is something that a little girl, like Marjane, shouldn’t have endured. Respect is lost and I believe this could be a major ongoing conflict for the book’s main character and many others who survived that day.

The Tree's Roots

In this novel, there are many minor characters, yet their presence seem to hold the pages together; the storyline would be nothing without these characters. Then, there’s the protagonist, Hazel Grace, who seems to dominate the novel, considering she narrates it. She’s the star of the book and she makes the book worth reading. However, I fail to see how she is the most important character in The Fault in Our Stars. Yes, she was important and yes, the story would be nothing without her. She’s the base of the tree but in my opinion, Augustus Waters proved to be the roots.

                Before Augustus makes his first appearance, Hazel’s life has no meaning and she seems to only attempt to live for the sake of her parents and to make them happy. There was no purpose. Augustus has changed her life profoundly and if he had never blessed the novel with his presence, its pages would also have no meaning, no purpose. It would be a boring novel about a girl with cancer and it would have no bigger purpose and a big waste of time. Green knew this and so Augustus Waters quickly soared to the top of the “best character” list for the book, The Fault in Our Stars.

                "‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ Augustus half smiled. ‘Because you're beautiful.’" (1.89-90). When Augustus speaks these words, Hazel Grace is met with something foreign. In the first few chapters of the book, the protagonist points out how she is not a normal teenager and that she hasn’t been normal since before her diagnosis. With his words, Augustus brings out a newfound confidence that Hazel has never before experienced. She’s never felt this way and she ends up liking the feeling and she doesn’t attempt to hide it with her excessive, nervous giggling and her obvious, pink blushing. Augustus essentially shows up and “rescues” Hazel from all the drudgery of being a cancer kid, and in return, Hazel’s whole entire attitude changes.

                In general, those who are diagnosed with cancer immediately think the worst, as Hazel does quite frequently with her pessimistic attitude. However, Augustus strays from the “cancer kid” stereotype. He’s positively optimistic about every little thing in life. "‘I fear oblivion,’" he said without a moment's pause. "‘I fear it like the proverbial blind man who's afraid of the dark.’" (1.56). He doesn’t want to die without leaving some sort of mark on the world and though people can’t help but laugh at him for it, he isn’t afraid to shout it to the world. At first, Hazel doesn’t seem to be about it. Her pessimism clashes with his optimism often. Augustus never lets it falter, however, and though she might not have wanted it at first, Augustus was the perfect person for her. She needed him to lift her spirits and give her a reason to live. Even past his death, his bright attitude seemed to die and reincarnate in Hazel.

                Hazel is an important character but Gus gives the book character and meaning. He teaches lessons and he lifts the spirits of readers.