Breaking the Chain of Conformity

Further reading of Persepolis has revealed several distinct hardships that Satrapi had to endure throughout her life growing up, as well as the relationships that she had developed with other people. Satrapi writes in such a way that allows for the reader to draw their own conclusions regarding the scenes that represent her life. It is upon a detailed overview of the comic pictures that a specific trend can be acknowledged. This being that several of the characters that are depicted in certain scenarios all look exactly the same. It is like the characters in these situations all have the same ideals and perform the same actions, as if they are nothing more than a bunch of robots. This type of depiction can be specifically portrayed in the drawings of the military factions, in which each soldier is exactly the same as his comrades. They all act the same and live the same lives, which is not unlike how many people might view those of such backgrounds. Satrapi does not conform with this type of imagery, but rather breaks free from the mold that she is supposed to fill. She cuts herself away from the society and chooses to make her own choices without the influences of being told what to do, whereas the soldiers and extremists only do what they are told to do. They cannot think for themselves so they are all essentially the same and in unison with one another. If a group of people cannot exercise their own ideas or practices then what makes their physical appearance the ultimate distinguishing factor? This is how most Americans live by and this is perhaps why most Americans now view anyone who looks Arab to be a terrorist, which is simply wrong.

Expanding upon the idea of the extremist view and how Satrapi depicts them, this is no different from soldiers of Sierra Leone. In Sierra Leone, many of the soldiers are actually children much like the soldiers who are Islamic extremists. The children are not only used as physical man power, but also to psychologically mess with their enemy. It is hard to picture a child trying to kill another person and for many adults to even point a gun at that child is almost impossible. The children of Sierra Leone most of the time are taken from other villages and drugged and told what to do. They do not have a voice and are manipulated into thinking that their actions are good and for a good cause. They try to instill a fear in those around them to feel power and kill anyone who refuses to break free. This is no different than how many Islamic extremists opperate and carry out their actions. Their message to instill fear becomes the teaching method to those around them and anyone who does not share their ideals are then the enemy. Satrapi's character is not the enemy in this notion, but rather she is the unheard voice that is trying to break the barrier. She is trying to convey her side of the story and show that one should not be afraid to speak out to the world.
(David Roberts, Post 22)