Persepolis: Family Theme

When an entire country is cast as the enemy, it's easy to forget that the people we are fighting against are people, too, with their own lives, personalities, hopes, careers, and families. In Persepolis, Marjane shows us that her family is just like any others. Her mother and father have their similarities and their differences. Her grandmother is a strong influence in her life. And while they may fight sometimes, they still love each other and will do anything for each other. Forget The Brady Bunch or the Tanners on Full House, the real life lessons are to be learned by this family.

Questions About Family

1. This is the Goldilocks of Persepolis study questions: Is Marjane's mother too strict, too permissive, or just right?
2. Marjane doesn't think her father is a hero for a long time. Does her father do anything heroic? If so, what? If not, why do you think he doesn't act like the hero Marjane wants him to be?
3. Which member of Marjane's family influences her the most?

Chew on This

Marjane doesn't return to Iran because she's homesick: she returns because she's family-sick. Her family is the only support group she has.

By the time Marjane becomes an adult, she has incorporated the best aspects of her mother, father, and grandmother (along with a few other relatives) into her personality.