It makes them easy manipulative and in some ways affects their further development. We can observe these processes in Prolepsis, on Manner’s example. We see an Iranian girl taking interest in western culture, doing different sorts of activities corresponding: partying, listening to pop and rock music, wearing Nikkei shoes and denim jacket, trying a cigarette, skipping school to go for burgers, etc. The whole graphic novel itself, as a format, is an example of western influence. A graphic novel earlier used as a course of entertainment, Marianne Satraps brings it to a new level.
She uses it with an aim to introduce her culture through a familiar to the foreign readers format. Moreover, the simplicity and the narrowness of details of her drawings encourages the readers to identify with Marci, to erase all differences in a gesture of “cultural understanding. ” The reason why precisely American culture is so influential in the world is due to its leading position among the other counties in technical and broadcasting progress and also because it is the birthplace of pop culture n general.
Also Maria’s involvement in this movement can be determined by her aspiration to try to find her true self in the course of her growth and development. There is also an international side to it. Living in such oppressive and violent period of Iranian history can’t hold people back from seeking a better life. The psychological part of it is that always seems that “on the other side the grass in greened when in this case it really is. Furthermore, anything is always more desirable when it’s forbidden.
Foreign things and activities serve as a advertorial escape from the horrors of Iranian regime of that time. There are two sides to this process. Lets look at the negative aspects first. Smoking may cause health problems in the future, but there is a problem more essential than that. With the situation in Iran being openly anti- fundamentalist or in any manner even slightly not following the rules attract a lot of attention and can get you into serious trouble, so it is safer to be like everybody else and merge with the crowd.
Now let’s take a look on some positive aspects of western culture influence. In the period of transitional age hobbies and interest begin to form as a stage of identity formation. And it is good as long as the child stays inspired and forward looking. The other country influence keeps Marci open-minded, internationalist, ready to understand and accept other people’s cultural characteristics and not to be categorical or dogmatic.
And of course, the West appeared to be far more developed and cultivated, that it’s culture accepts more progressive thoughts and ideas. The jacket upon her black clothes is white and drawn in detail. It is obvious that for her it symbolizes this same progressiveness and freedom of thoughts. Also want to briefly mention Merman?s music preferences and their symbolism . Heavy Metal music played by Iron Maiden somehow conveys the horror and intensity of the war and helps to release stress and powerful emotions.
Kim Wiled sings about the kids in America, which is also very symbolic, as an illusion of happy, carefree live on the west. Michael Jackson is also significant as he actively promoted world peace and race diversity. It is clear that Maria’s tastes change, as she grows older, hence her redirections are not permanent. They are only a phase and she grows out of it eventually. These two scenes are not from the book, but from the movie and I wanted to include because they quite literally depict this process. So as we can see these two panels are quite similar.
They have the same frame and graphic weight, with the same black silliest, which conveys that despite the distinctions between the generations, the younger generation still continues to follow the example of the elders, emulating them. The only difference is that the adults have their feet on the ground, both literally and topographically, so it also can represent their realism, calmness and stability, when the children are hover in their dance poses up above the ground, which has the completely opposite meaning.
