Blog 14: Quote-Response Satrapi 1

I enjoyed reading Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis. In the first half of the book, young Marji has all of the black-and-white perspective of young people, which is why I like the extreme black-and-white color of the panels (no grays). Whatever she commits herself to, she does it without reservation, and like many beloved children, she feels she is the special one for the task. I like how she thinks she will become a prophet and the images of her relationship with God. In one image on page 8, God is holding Marji like a baby. He says, "Yes you are, Celestial Light, you are my choice, my last and my best choice" (Satrapi). This image is very comforting because God calls Marji "Celestial Light," as if she will bring the love and wisdom of God to the world like nourishing sunlight. Because she is God's choice, his "last" and "best," the dialogue also suggests she is God's chosen one, and no one but she can do what she needs to do. Also, the pose of God and Marji makes the panel comforting. She is held like a baby in God's arms. What safer place could there be? His body is white, which indicates the goodness of light, and around him is dark, as if he were protecting Marji from the evils of the world. I think the world gets a lot more complicated for Marji as the book moves forward, so it's harder for her to think of herself as a prophet.