This is why writing Persepolis was so important to me. As an Iranian who has lived more than half of my life in Iran, I know that this image is far from the truth. “Since then, this old and great civilization has been discussed mostly in connection with fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism. In an introduction to Persepolis, Satrapi discusses the changes in her home country following the overthrow of the Shah: She wanted to honor her land by referencing a time of wealth and glory during the Persian Empire – before it changed and became accused of evil doings. Satrapi perhaps wanted to reflect on Iran’s past, before its major changes and the Revolultion. Hereis a history of Persepolis.īy naming her graphic novel Persepolis, Satrapi challenges the often biased view of her country Iran, which has been unjustly dubbed as being part of an Axis of Evil by a War mongering US president. Persepolis is in fact the Greek translation of the original Persian name, Parsa. Persepolisis a graphic memoir which recounts the childhood of Marjani Satrapi in Iran, the overthrow of the Shah, the terror of the Khomeini years, the devastating effects of war with Iraq, Satrapi’s refuge in Europe, and her path to adulthood.īut readers have often wondered: why is the title of the novel Persepolis? The name ‘Persepolis’ refers to the capital city of the Persian Empire in 560 BCE and is another reference to Iran’s history.’ It is the name of ancient Persia’s ceremonial capital, dating back some 2,500 years.

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