Compare/Contrast three of your own experiences with three of Marjanes from the book Persepolis - Essay Example

That said, there are also many differences. In the early points of Persepolis, Marjane’s parents are a bit hesitant to allow her to participate in demonstrations. They feel she is too young to be involved in what they believe to be adult business. They would rather her be informed, but not necessarily participate in anything. This is something I can relate to. There have been many points in my life where I have wished I could get out there and do something toward a cause I believe in. One particular situation was when I was considering becoming a vegetarian.

I talked to my parents about cutting meat out of my diet. While they appreciated that I cared so much about animals, they thought I was too young to be making such a decision which could ultimately affect my life and health. Like Marjane felt in her situation, I believed it was extremely unfair for my parents to treat me in such a childish manner. I realized, eventually, that this was just their way of expressing concern for my well being, not shooting down my beliefs, which were the same thing Marjane’s parents had done.

Another point in which I identified with Marjane was when she read up on all the great revolutionaries and decided she wanted to be just like them. She admired the likes of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro because they had been so powerful and, however opposed they were, they implemented changed and had their voices heard by the masses. I can also identify with this feeling. As a teenager particularly, it feels like it is impossible to be heard and taken seriously by anyone, let alone masses of people.

Many of us, myself included, yearn for the ability to have our voices heard. I know I have often admired both famous and infamous people for how they are able to get their message out and touch people. This is especially true in a time where there is a lot going on in the world, particularly in the political sense, which is true of both the novel and today’s world. Changing the way a person or group of people think is an incredible power that I would like to have one day. There are several points throughout the novel where Marjane feels ashamed of how much her family has.

She often feels ashamed that her parents constantly hold elaborate parties and that her father drives a Cadillac. Being ashamed of what your family has is something I can relate to. I feel like, especially in today’s economic state, it’s easy to feel like you are suffering. However, whenever I haven’t had money for something I’ve wanted, or had to bypass one thing for something that is cheaper, I have thought about all the people who really suffer. I have thought about people who are truly poor and homeless and how much I have in comparison to these people.

When I consider things in such a way, I feel ashamed of what I have on one hand. On the other hand, it really grounds me. It makes me realize that there is always someone worse off than you and something for you to appreciate. There are many characters in different literary genre that one can find similarities with. There is a greater significance with Marjane’s character, however. I feel the similarities between me and her character points out just how relatable her character is. She goes through all the motions of growing up which we all experience at one point or another.

Despite being a female character, she isn’