Liberal Theme in Matthew Arnolds and Marjane Satrapis Poetry - Essay Example

Comparison between the liberal theme in Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach” and Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” In his poem ‘Dover Beach’, Matthew Arnold shows his apprehension for the gradual waning of the power of religion in society and feels that liberalism, which is increasingly being accepted in mainstream Victorian society, is going to bring with it a moral and cultural disintegration of the society he loves. His poem is mainly melancholic and portrays the poet’s somber feelings about how man will be negatively affected by his disregard of the basic tenets of the Christian religion. In Matthew Arnold’s society, the industrial revolution was already starting to bring different effects to society by re-defining the functions of social classes as well as religion in the life of the common man. Arnold’s poem appears to indicate his belief that if people ignore the faith as a result of the material prosperity that will come with technological advancement, the result will be vulnerability and uncertainty in the life of modern man. This is expressed through the skilled use of anaphora, and onomatopoeia. Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis also addresses issues that were being experienced at a time when Iran was in the throes of violent change. Satrapi narrates about different incidences that she experienced while she was still a child living in Iran. Moreover, unlike Arnold, Satrapi’s main complaint appears to be about the way people were mistreated as a result of their social class. While Arnold felt that the disregard of religion would result in the slow destruction of his society, Satrapi felt that the new ways of perceiving various social classes would negatively impact Iran. Marjane’s grandmother and parents are portrayed as being very liberal, in contrast to the rest of the Iranian citizens living in that era. When they chose to support the Iranian revolution, they did so because they believed that the revolution only sought to usher the nation into more advancement. When this did not take place, the family was deeply disappointed. In the poem “Dover Beach,” Matthew Arnold utilized the sea to signify the time when his fellow English citizens had great and unshakeable faith in God. According to the poet, this faith was protected citizens from feelings of doubt and despondency, just as the sea wraps itself around the borders of the world; as is indicated in the stanza “the sea of faith/ was once, too, at the full capacity, and surrounded the earth’s shore…but now there is a sea of doubt (Arnold, 2105). Materialism and the discoveries of science have now began to challenge the tenets of religion, and human desolation makes the entire world feel like a place that is abandoned. From Arnold’s poem, it is evident that people started to trust in their material things, thus removing from their souls the certainty that could only be fostered by religion. With the dearth of trust brought about by faith, Arnold states that only darkness was left behind. Understanding the historical context of Arnold’s poem during the Victorian era when the Industrial Revolution was in full swing helps in understanding better his sentiments. When he wrote “Dover Beach” in 1851, Arnold feared that many people who were once strong adherents of the Christian faith were changing their focus to the demands of growing industry. In his poem, Arnold tries to address what he feels is the main issue of contention. He worries that ‘faith is fading as it is being continuously battered by the new waves of science and materialism (Arnold, 2105). At the start of the poem, Arnold speaks about the calmness of life, “The sea is tranquil tonight/ The tide is full, and the moon lies fair – just as on any other night” (Arnold, 2105). Moreover, as the poem continues, Arnold notes with alarm how “Sophocles long ago/ heeded the sorrow in the Aegean Sea,” (Arnold, 2106) as though he were listening to the sorrow in his own sea. In speaking about “the sea of faith,” Arnold reveals that even though the sea may appear to be calm on the surface, it is actually singing a song of sorrow and despair. This time of disquiet was characterized by society’s questioning of religion and the growing trust in doctrines proposed by biological and science subjects introduced by Darwin through his evolutionary theory. Arnold is basically referring to the fact that in the past, people did not question the tenets of religion, but now they were not sure about what they had always believed. In speaking of his faith and love, Arnold is hopeful that there might still be remnants who hold on to the faith thus saving the society from being overcome by despair. From Arnold’s estimation, the dangerous doctrines that were introduced by Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck were responsible for the changed mindsets of the populace. All through the poem, facts concerning religious issues and the importance of established religion are addressed. To further impact his reader into his appeals, Arnold implores him or her to pay heed to the sounds of his or her faith gradually retreating as science and the importance of the self takes a centre stage. In the poem, Arnold symbolically uses ‘the terrible sound of the pebbles slowly eroding the land’ to indicate the gradual disappearance of the faith from man’s soul. Arnold portrays man's inner conflict with the developments that are slowly eroding his faith as well as his belief in his religion, but which furnish him with material benefits thus leaving him helpless to check the destruction. In the second part of ‘Dover Beach’, Arnold refers to the expressions ‘eternal sadness’ and ‘sea of faith’ to express the continued desolation of the soul that is left without its spiritual anchor. Satrapi’s narrative, Persepolis, is not so much about the desolation caused by materialism on the spiritual condition of the community, but about the desolation left by political factors. Satrapi’s narrative first of all depicts the story-teller- a child- as being extremely self-aware at a relatively young age as she tells about Iran’s political situation during the revolution. Satrapi’s tumultuous gradual development into girlhood and adulthood during which she experiences turbulent emotions mirrors the difficult political situation in Iran (Basu, 6). Satrapi’s parents are presented as liberals who share political information with their only child. Some of the information that Satrapi is told would even seem to be shocking to the ordinary human being. For instance, Satrapi was informed of the torture of prisoners and her uncle’s execution at a very young age. Persepolis is written in a reflective tone that is depicted in a comic strip layout. This is somewhat odd given that the topics being addressed in this child-format are serious and grave topics that appeal more to adults. By using a child as Persepolis’ major character, Satrapi is able to explore what it was like to grow up in the midst of the conflict generated by a revolution using simple words. The main character is also presumed to have the innocence of a child who has not yet been affected by the cultural expectation of her society. The main character is shown as favoring serious books such as Marx instead of being interested in playing. The character, moreover, is obviously deprived of her innocence, and exposed to conditions that force her to become worldly too early and adopt the attitudes of adults around her- whether this be hatred or tolerance. Unlike what Arnold may have feared would take place if citizens were influenced by the reality of industrialization and the acceptance of the basics of science by mainstream society, Satrapi’s main character did not really change much or abandon her liberal attitude with the coming of a conservative government. In spite of being forced to face serious challenges at an early age, the tone in ‘Persepolis’ is quite positive. There is even a comparison of Karl Marx and God in a comical fashion in which both are depicted as being revolutionaries who maintain huge, bushy beards. Satrapi’s main character survives and maintains positivity in a culture that is dominated by inequalities and unfair practices because of her hope in the kindness of the human spirit. There is happiness in ordinary things such as the music tapes and good wine (Basu, 9). Contrary to the intonations of Arnold’s poem, in Satrapi’s ‘Persepolis’, liberalism is the shining light, the one thing that maintains the human spirit in the face of depressing conservatism. Works Cited Arnold, Matthew. “Dover Beach”- The Norton Anthology: English Literature. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt and M.H. Abrams. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2006. 2105-2106. Basu, Lopamudra. “Crossing Cultures/ Crossing Genres: The Re-invention of the Graphic Memoir in Persepolis and Persepolis 2.” Nebula 4.3 (2007): 1-17. 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