how Is Marji Changed By Her Time In Austria? Literature Review Examples

Is Marji freer in Austria? How or how not?

Marji is safe but not any freer in Austria. She was safer in a sense that she no longer has to endure the terrors brought by the war in her country. In addition to this, she does not have to experience the judgment passed on by her contemporaries and teachers at school due to her strong character in Austria. “I think that the reason we were so rebellious was that our generation had known secular schools” (Satrapi 98). However, as it turned out, she was surrounded with a bunch of people who take for granted the freedom they were give. The people that surrounded Marji were toxic as they were discriminatory and judgmental—making her feel ashamed of being Iranian.

Marji was changed in a sense that the shame she felt opened new doors for her. This, however, does not necessarily mean in a good way. She had a love affair which ended rather traumatically on her 18th birthday.  These doors that opened also driven her into homelessness and a near death experience due to severe bronchitis before she was rescued off the streets of Austria. These experiences—although depressing—made Marji a little tougher than she was before as her grandmother told her the night before she left for Austria: “Listen. I don't like to preach, but here's some advice. “You'll meet a lot of jerks in life. If they hurt you, remember it's because they're stupid. Don't react to their cruelty. There's nothing worse than bitterness and revenge. Keep your dignity and be true to yourself” (Satrapi 150).

 How does Marji’s relationship with God and her faith change throughout the story?

Marji grew up to be a very religious child, although she did not show it very much. However, throughout the story, little by little, she started to become more radical and cynic because of her experiences in life that brought by the war in Iran. Shut up you! Get out of my life!!! I never want to see you again.” (p. 70) which she directed to god after the execution of his uncle Anoosh. She started to understand what was happening to her surroundings. She told her teacher: “My uncle was imprisoned by the Shah’s regime, but it was the Islamic regime that ordered his execution. You say that we don’t have political prisoners anymore. But we’ve gone from 3,000 prisoners under that Shah’s to 300,000 under your regime. How dare you lie to us like that?” (p. 144). Her outspoken character and quick wit, apparently, brought distress to her teacher that her parents got a call from her school again.
 At one point, Marjane’s own street is bombed. Have you ever come home to a major crisis or disaster like she did? How did it change you? [If you haven’t, then describe her reaction to the bombing.]
I have not come to a point of this kind of disaster, but Marji was surprised of what greeted her home. Although she was happy to be reunited with her mother, she was distraught by the realization that her neighbors’ homes were destroyed, and she hoped that they were not at home when it happened. “Let them be alive. Let them be alive. Let them” she whispered to herself as she walked towards their home (p. 140). As she walked down, she saw the partial remains of her neighbor’s daughter on the street, and was suddenly overcome with rage.

 What happens when Marjane finds her friend’s bracelet in the rubble of her street? What is it attached to?

She was not just overcome with rage when she walked past her friend’s house, but with so much distress as she found the Neda’s turquoise bracelet in the rubble of her street. “No scream in the world could have relieved my suffering and my anger.” (p. 142) she said as she saw the bracelet still attached to the arm of her friend who was a victim of the bombing in their street.

Work Cited Page

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of Childhood. New York: Pantheon Publishing, 2004. Print.