Is Persepolis A Memoir Written From A Humanistic Perspective

Running Head: IS PERSEPOLIS A MEMOIR WRITTEN FROM A HUMANISTIC

PERSPECTIVE? 1

IS PERSEPOLIS A MEMOIR WRITTEN FROM A HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE?

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IS PERSEPOLIS A MEMOIR WRITTEN FROM A HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE? 2

Humanistic perspective is the perspective that people have a free will to perform their

own actions without the influence of others (Tuan, 2017). It holds that people can make their

own decisions and choices independently rather than believing that there are instinctive forces

that are beyond the human power which clouds their choices. The perspective as well believes

that humans are good naturally and have the tendency of desiring to make the world better than

they found it (Tuan, 2017). Here, humans become creative of ways of improving the world and

the same persons as well as improve their worth in the process. They have the motivation to get

to their potential. Humanism as well holds that human beings share certain values and rights.

In addition, the humanistic perspective as well recognizes that humans have the tendency

and ability to persevere, endure and strive to overcome the pain and hardships of life and their

situations as they have the capability to do so (Tuan, 2017). Another aspect of the perception is

that human individuals are made in a way that they are motivated to having or striving to acquire

satisfaction and fulfillment in their day to day activities and life at large (Tuan, 2017). This, the

founders or psychologists of the perspective defined as a motive that is basic to the individuals.

Persepolis is novel narrated by Marjane Satrapi where she gives the story of her lifetime

from childhood to adulthood bringing up what happened and majorly explaining the happenings

before the Islamic revolution took place in Iran and afterward. The novel has used graphic

images to pass across its message making it easier for the reader to picture what was happening

at what moment.

According to the humanistic perspective of having free will and the ability to make own

decisions, at first, it seems that the women in the novel are forced into complying with the

wearing of the veil with the protesting that took place in the city with others advocating for the

veil while others thought it was fine. However, Marjane brings out the free will perspective

IS PERSEPOLIS A MEMOIR WRITTEN FROM A HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE? 3

where she is able to choose what happens in her life with her mother and grandmother constantly

reminding her that she had to be independent, educated and cultured (Satrapi, 2007). She gets the

support of her parents to make her own decisions and choices in life especially with the divorce

which was termed as "lack of integrity." This was after she got cheated on by her husband of

three years.

The book contains different and many wars. Islamic revolutions begin as a result of

disobedience against the Shah, after he overthrew the prime minister and later when the Islamic

Republic government puts the people under suffering and pain, they resist (Satrapi, 2007). This

would in a way support the humanistic perspective that human beings though they have the

ability to endure pain and oppression and suffering, they have a desire to strive to come out of

the situation and overcome it. The rights to peaceful coexistence that is common to all when was

breached, caused the people to protest an indication that at a certain level, humans share same

rights and values just as held by the humanist perspective.

In Persepolis novel, there is as well an element of humanistic perspective where human

beings want to get satisfaction and fulfillment in their day to day activities and life In the novel,

there are good pop music played by the people and family celebrations, In school, Marjane and

her friends enjoy pranks on each other and they share happy moments despite the wars and

unhappy moments of their country.

Marjane has always desired to become his best not only for her but for the people as well.

While growing up, she wants to become a prophet as she thinks that would be best for everyone.

She thinks she symbolizes love and justice and wrath of God. The citizen protest over bad

leadership and oppressive rulings and the parents of Marjane teaches her about life and support

IS PERSEPOLIS A MEMOIR WRITTEN FROM A HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE? 4

her decisions. I would translate all the efforts of the people to striving to make the world a better

place, changing the world despite the bad leaders and the revolutions that are in the book.

Despite all the humanism in the book, there are as well characters in the book that depicts

contrary motives. This is shown especially with the leaders and the government subjecting the

citizen to oppression. When Marjane tells her parents for instance that she loves the king as God

is the one who chose him, her father tells her how Reza, the father to the Shah, had overthrown

the emperor roughly and came with the Republic (Satrapi, 2007).

The book however in a way seem to lean more on the women rather than the men. Apart

from Marjane’s father and uncle who are supportive of her actions in life, other men in the

country are seen are hard, arrogant and uncaring. An example is of her grandfather. After asking

her grandmother about her grandfather, tells her that Reza, her grandfather, took everything from

them. She says he was tough. The grandmother also says that the current Shah was as well bad

and had worse, and made lies about holding family celebrations (Satrapi, 2007). Marjane's

boyfriend turns out to be gay, and her husband cheats on her. Generally, the book could to some

point be considered feminist following how it brings out general bad characters in men while

women get viewed as strong, independent and of character and could stand on their own.

IS PERSEPOLIS A MEMOIR WRITTEN FROM A HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE? 5

REFERENCE

Satrapi, M. (2007). The Complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books.

Tuan, Y. F. (2017). Humanistic geography. In Theory and Methods (pp. 127-138). Routledge.

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