Within It seems as though each and every year that slowly slips into the past leaves us even

more strained by the morality-based double vision that begins to blur the once-neat lines that so orderly separated the boundaries between the choices that we encounter throughout life. The grey-shaded moments, decisions, and disasters that we as humans encounter and attempt to overcome are oftentimes direct results of the imperfect foundation upon which we have built our society: the human condition. This means that the flaws and downfalls that encase many of the pivotal situations in which we find ourselves lay not in chance or in the choices given, but within ourselves. In The Complete Persepolis Satrapi finds herself amidst many of lifes grey areas, and generally the options that she must consider are excellent examples of just how difficult life can easily become under the rule of the human psyche and all of its flaws. If we are to aim for making the most educated and logical decisions we must first attempt to alienate, and identify the human flaws in which the problems may, in fact, be rooted, and then overcome. One logically flawed quality of humanity is the constant search and need for displayed individuality. Sometimes it seems that as we progress through the different social, cultural, and psychological phases of our lives, we are constantly on a quest to carve our names in this earth and to maintain a completely unique place on it regardless of the cost. This cost comes in many shapes. In Persepolis a young Satrapi faces a society that attempts to muffle almost all forms of individuality, and she chooses to visually and verbally rebel, even though the repercussions for such actions are extremely dangerous. If we confront this need for displayed or announced identity logically, would it not be a safer decision to display ones personality in more secluded environments when facing such cruel punishments for individuality? Satrapis own experiences with the decision of how best balance ones uniqueness with the constraints of a constricting

society led her to outwardly rebel and defy the social norms. This choice, as brave as it was, often put her in situations that may have even threatened her life. In one such experience, Satrapi was verbally assaulted by two Guardians of the Revolution for wearing a jean jacket and Nike shoes. Marjane came only inches from being forcibly taken to a committee, which could have ultimately meant the end of her life. Surely a jean jacket and Nike shoes were not worthy causes for her untimely death. This event clearly displays a common inability to logically prioritize our actions and desires when we are asked to hide the individuality that we want so bad to show. The fact is that our ideas, interests, goals and beliefs can be hidden, but not destroyed. So Marjanes risk was on a completely social level, and the stakes were nothing less than her life. Our instincts communicate to us to protect our lives above all else, and in the face of this natural goal, the public display of the self simply cannot compare. When Satrapi was faced with the decision of rebellion or feigned conformity, looking within herself and her influences to rebel may have led her to realize that a life lived in secret is still a much better option than losing it all. While Marjane is living in Austria she meets several individuals from several corners of the social map. She attempts to find herself in the groups she joins, and ultimately she is faced with a decision. Will she stay true to her cultural beliefs and structure, or will she allow herself to transform to better fit the friends with whom she aims to surround herself. This is the age-old battle that every teen, including myself, fights when they arrive in a large place filled with many different social groups and norms such as school. Throughout the beginning of my high school experience I found myself constantly behaving in socially pleasing ways in order to better fit with the teens who surrounded me. I call this my time of darkness. In her time of darkness Marjane chooses to try on several personalities and to experience new things such as drugs. Even in the novel itself she admits to doing drugs out of loneliness rather than general

interest. She says, I didnt like to smoke, but I did it out of solidarity. (192 The Complete Persepolis) This regrettable time of defeat can be rooted in the clashing of the human addiction to companionship and the ease at which we can find ourselves doubting exactly who we are, which is an easily identifiable inner-war for me, and the human beings that surround me. When Satrapi made her decision to conform to the social groups she found herself stuck between, she made a mistake hinged in these human flaws. The unfairness of the life that Satrapi inherited was caused by radical people who had gained the power to dictate the lives of other based on a flawed system of beliefs and laws. She often responded to her social constraints through public rebellion, which could have been a mistake as well. Many times in this story there is no designated right and wrong, and the worst outcomes are caused by a mixture of several mistakes and flaws by several parties. It is within ourselves that we must turn when we are trying to make the difficult decisions in life, because it is crucial to question exactly what it is to be human and how we have programmed the world around us, and within us, to function as a whole. Only when we consider the subconscious flaws that may have played into the foundation of our hazy situations can we expect to make the best possible decision.