Persepolis is an autobiographical graphic novel. What is the significance of this? The book is more personal (obviously) also tells a true story based on the author's point of view. What is the significance of this? According to Hayden White all narratives are a sort of autobiography because we always reflect our own personal morals and values in whatever story we tell. In Persepolis the story is overtly autobiographical.
An overtly autobiographical novel is more personable and personal, as we see with the graphic novel Epileptic. In this graphic novel, the author David B. writes about his struggles with his brother's struggle with epilepsy. The book is very personal as well as personable. With the different artwork that David B. does in the book you can feel his own anger or depression on the page. If this book was not based on his own life then it would have not been as easy to detect all the different feelings.
In Persepolis, the girl in the story has feelings that could only be explained if the author actually lived during that time and felt those things. Luckily for us as the readers, she did. At certain points in the book, you get the author's opinion loud and clear. For instance, she talks about how people changed during the Islamic Revolution and that Islam is more or less against shaving. Little things like that would not be discussed in a non auto-biographical work.
White's central argument about narratives and stories is that it is not an objective process but rather relative to the story teller. Each story teller decides what he/she wants to put in each story. In both of the graphic novels Persepolis and Epileptic the author is essentially the only one who gets to decide what is included in the book. Thus making it a purer narrative.
One of my favorite bands is a band called Brand New. (Let the criticism of my music tastes commence.) Their first cd is called Your Favorite Weapon. In the cd there is a song called "Seventy Times Seven" which is basically about the song writer's best friend stealing his girlfriend. The reason I feel it is appropriate to include here is because the song is based on true events. The whole cd is really just an autobiographical story about the loss of his friend.
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCrgIDXVL-w
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1 month ago
i've didn't notice that autobiographical had the word graphic in it until i looked at your title. that's funny. it definitely makes sense that nobody could write a truer story than one about themselves.
ReplyDeletei'll resist insulting your taste in music but as far as cds go, i think a lot of cds are essentially autobiographies. art in general, really.
I agree with you on narratives reflecting a certain point of view the writer has. No matter how separate the characters are from the one who creates them, I think a part if the writer is a part of what makes up that character.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that music does have a lot of stories to tell. How do you think classical music or other instrumental, non vocal music applies to this? Classical music can be thought of by the ultimate form of musical rebellion. Why is this so? Do you think music such as that has a story to tell as well?
i agree that no one can tell a truer story about themselves than themselves, but i think one is equally capable of telling a radically untrue story about themselves. i wondered a lot while reading where satrapi and david b. might be stretching the truth. where do you think this is most likely?
ReplyDeletei actually think we are as prone to exaggerate our vices as we are our virtues.
You have a lot of good supporting material to your blog. I really liked how you high lighted White through out your idea. Very good!
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