Comparative Study


allow her spirit to be crushed. This sense of individual agency allows us to hope that Marjane and those like her will not be utterly crushed by the repressive forces of the Islamic Republic.


We see Marjane’s strength several times in the graphic novel, often at the bleakest moments. When she is only 14 and studying in Vienna, Marjane struggles to fit in with her fellow students. She makes the mistake of denying her nationality and pretending to be French when she fears her Iranian nationality will make her unpopular. While this is perfectly understandable given Marjane’s age and her loneliness, it is a rather pessimistic view of what it takes to blend into a new life. Marjane’s efforts fail and one day she overhears a group of youngsters mocking her accent and her looks. She storms over to them and shouts, ‘I am Iranian and proud of it!’ We applaud Marjane’s return to her old self and proud expression of her identity. Although she is faced with many challenges and is very young, Marjane’s belief in herself and her pride in her country ultimately shine through. The author’s viewpoint – that the most important thing is to be true to oneself – is driven home several times over the course of the text.


However, the journey to self-belief is neither easy nor short. Because she is lonely and isolated in Vienna, Marjane is vulnerable and soon falls prey to a weak, selfish and manipulative young man called Markus. The relationship is destructive, and Marjane is forced to face up to Markus’ true nature when she finds him in bed with another girl. Although Marjane is a strong person, the ending of this relationship nearly breaks her. We fear for her health and her sanity when she leaves her boarding house and ends up sleeping rough. Sure enough, Marjane falls ill and, after a brief recovery in hospital, decides to return home to Iran. We feel great sympathy for Marjane but it is hard to see how a return to a repressive regime will improve her lot. Our only note of hope is the reflection that this is an autobiographical graphic novel – so clearly Marjane managed to find a way to express herself and be free at last.


Returning home is a huge culture shock for Marjane. She didn’t feel she fitted in when she lived in Vienna, and now she finds she has changed too much to fit in with the people she used to know in Iran. Feeling alone and vulnerable, Marjane becomes depressed and goes to see a psychiatrist. She is prescribed pills but continues to feel worse and attempts suicide. This is a wake-up call for Marjane, and her old strength of character reasserts itself. She takes control of her life once more and things begin to appear more optimistic.


Unfortunately, Marjane’s road to happiness is as rocky in Iran as it was in Vienna. She falls in love with a young man called Reza, and they decide to marry. The marriage is not a success, but we can understand Marjane’s desire to pretend it is working because she is so afraid of failing in love, as she did in Vienna. Eventually, Marjane realises that she cannot remain married to a man she does not love, so she decides to divorce Reza and leave Iran for good. She explains her decision to Reza and her family, and she secures a place at an art college in France. It is difficult for Marjane to part from her family again, but she is determined to do what she thinks is right. Although the ending of the marriage is sad, we feel more positive about Marjane’s decision to leave a miserable relationship than we did when she was pretending to be someone she was not in order to fit in. Marjane’s journey to self-fulfilment is not an easy one, but her determination and courage see her through.


372 King Lear and Comparatives


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