Persepolis Media Discussion Paper
“Who am I?” is a question that everyone will ponder upon at some point in their life. The question may not be voiced, but is thought by everybody. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, it is expressed that “We know what we are, but not what we may be.” This means that we know who we are as of now but our future identity is unknown. The movie Persepolis conveys that history and culture will have a profound effect on the self identification of oneself, and in some situations leads one to become fearful of hybridity. The author expresses this through the copious amount events in the movie and also, the absence of colour. Marjane’s constant struggle with identity leads her to believe that she does not have an identity. After the prolonged colonial oppression, Marjane is forced to leave, as her mother expresses that “Iran of today isn’t for [Marjane].” When Marjane tries to reintegrate into Iranian society, she fails as she does not identify herself as an Iranian, and does not seem to fit in…show more content… Although, at first Marjane associates with some of her French peers, she ends up feeling as though she does not belong. At this point, Marjane feels as though she does not have an identity, and is living on the boundary of society, caught between cultures. Furthermore, throughout the movie there is a great deal of black and white. There are no inbetween colours such as shades of grey, it is simply black and white. The lack of colour is a convention which shows the extreme contrast between Iran and France. This idea can relate to the identity struggle that Marjane is burdened with. Marjane feels disposed to associate with either Iran or France, she can not accept hybridity. Another situation in which Marjane is unsure of her identity is when she is at the airport. Before checking-in, to