As we deepen our look into the conventions of graphic novels (panels, gutters, voice overs, symbols, etc.), we have identified juxtaposition as an especially effective technique. For this blog post, identify the panel transition/transitions between two or more panels in our most recent readings in Persepolis. Then, write an analytical paragraph in which you explore how these transitions work to explore or support a theme in the graphic novel. Keep in mind our discussion of the difference between a theme and topic.
As always, be sure that you support your ideas with evidence from the text. Also be sure to be as specific as possible in your evidence, explanations, diction, and syntax.
On page 97 the transition between the last two frames showed the theme of Marji privately disrespecting authority. It did this by showing Marji and her friends sitting in silence and making faces at the teacher when she turns around. This shows her public respect for authority but her private disregard for authority. This theme is supported throughout the book with Marji's interactions with her parents where she refuses to obey their rules and talks back to them. This is exemplified on page 113 when Marji calls her mother the guardian of the revolution of her house. This shows her lack of perspective as her mother is very progressive for Iran at the time.
ReplyDeleteOn page 104, there are only two frames. The first frame shows people running down a flight of stairs, and the second frame shows the same people calling their relatives. The framing of this was interesting because instead of taking up the normal amount of space, Satrapi used long frames to demonstrate importance. I think that the first photo is silhouettes of the families running, and the second frame is a more clear, zoomed in photo of what happened after. The connections between the photos showed that they were related, while the differences in shading and detail imply a difference in time. The theme in these frames is how families react to the bombings. The differences in the frames show a progression, and all of the character's reactions. Two people in the second photo appeared to be happy, but the others looked shocked and scared. The theme is evident in this frame, and shows a variety of reactions to bombings.
ReplyDeleteOn page 109, the entire page is a "story". In the first three frames there are drawings of an officer question Marjane's parents. He starts off as a little friendly but it was obvious something else was going on. Then, further down, it is depicted that her parents get in their car but the officer follows them home to see if they have any alcohol (which is not allowed). The main thing I noticed about this page was the sizing. It is very interesting that the first three frames are the exact same size but the other four below are not. The sizing on this page clearly shows how connected each frame is to the next one. The main theme that stood out to me in these frames is the dark background. This portrays both the time of day and it helps to show that this was a dangerous situation.
ReplyDeleteOn page 117, the last two panels utilize a moment-to-moment transition in which Marjane takes a puff of the cigarette then brandishes it in a rebellious action. These panels are only moments apart, which makes them easy for the reader to interpret and follow along with. They don’t require many assumptions to be made or conclusions to be drawn. The panels support the ongoing theme of loss of innocence. In the last panel, Marjane says in a speech bubble, “With this first cigarette, I kissed childhood goodbye,” which I thought was interesting to be included in a speech bubble since it was spoken in the past tense. Speech bubbles usually include what is happening in the moment, not what happened before. Also in the last panel, a narration box states, “Now I was a grown-up.” This narration along with the bold statement from Marjane further emphasized loss of innocence because she was blatantly stating that she felt she was no longer a child, though she was only 12 years old. Smoking is a horrible addiction and something that is not usually associated with children, so it is an effective symbol for Marjane’s rebellion against the “dictatorship” of her mother. The use of a simple moment-to-moment transition was critical (and effective) for this part of the story due to its important representation of a large theme within Persepolis.
ReplyDeleteOn page 51 of Persepolis there is a large section of the page containing no frame, which is followed by a smaller panel showing Marjane looking at an iron. The lack of frame in the first group of pictures makes them feel more overwhelming, as if they are all happening at once. I believe Satrapi chose to do leave out a frame for this specific section for two main reasons. The first reason being so that she can show the many types of torture the man had to go through all at once. Also, as i mentioned before, it makes it feel more overwhelming. The second reason I believe she chose to do this is because it allows the words one character is saying to hang over another image, acting not only as a speech bubble, but as a voiceover. The speech of one character talking about the man being tortured brings an explanation to why it is happening. I haven't seen any other times in which this approach was used, and that is why I think this section is so significant. The symbol I see in these frames is the iron. Within these few frames, the iron is used to torture the man and then Marjane notices a connection between the iron in her house and the iron used to torture. I feel that this represents the violence of the war slowly creeping into her personal life. The theme of the effects of the war joining her life is shown in many parts of the book such as when she must wear a veil, when she sees the ladies arguing in the supermarket, and when the boys automatically dive into the gutter when they think bombs are coming.
ReplyDeleteOn page nine, the bottom three frames consist of portrayals of God or representations of what Marji believes. The transitions between these three frames are seemingly non-existant, weaving the pictures together seemlessly. Due to the seemless transition, it is evident that no time has passed between frames. First, Satrapi used two smaller frames to show Marji's conversations with God, giving the reader some backstory. Then, the bottom frame is long and takes up the rest of the page, showing the importance of the picture. In the drawing, it depicts Marji generally explaining what she wants, and it all relates back to religion. Religion is, in my opinion, the biggest theme in the book. Overall, on this page, Satrapi uses the size of the frames and the transitions to show the importance of God and religion in general throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteOn page 114, the three middle frames show Marji talking to herself about the war. It first shows her at the top of the stairs explaining that the basement is her hideaway. Then, it transitions into a closer picture of Marji as she explains the war. The frame after that zooms out and I think metaphorically shows the "bigger picture" as Marji's hands are spread apart and explains about Iraq and Saudi Arabia's agreement. The theme that I see in this set of panels was going down stairs and digging deeper. Obviously she is digging deeper into her explanation about the war. I think it connects to the fact that she is going down stairs because she is looking deeper into the subject.
ReplyDeleteOn page 102, there are only two panels. One panel, the larger of the two, depicted a giant and devastating explosion causing thousands of young children to lose their lives. The only other panel on the page is smaller than the panel above, but still larger than most of the other panels in the book. This panel depicts Marji at her first party, having a blast. These two scenes are extremely different, but Satrapi purposefully words the narration so that the reader knows they happen at the same time (with the word meanwhile). This is a scene to scene transition between the panels, because the two panels show completely different scenes that happen at the same time, but it is also a juxtaposition. Satrapi purposefully made this page very meaningful. For basically the whole book we have seen Marji in a serious and curious sense. She is always asking her parents about current events and the revolution in her country, but we have rarely seen her purely having a good time. It is also important to note that at the party, none of the girls (including Marji) are wearing the veil. I think the juxtaposition was used to show that Marji did still have some values of a typical twelve year old. I think it also showed the theme of perseverance. Even though Marji knew bad things were happening among her country, she still went to a party and had a good time.
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