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Markus
Marjane’s grandmother is an important guiding force in Marjane’s life. Though she doesn’t appear in the graphic novel at all while Marjane lives in Vienna, Marjane sees her grandmother often once she returns to Tehran. Like Marjane’s parents, Marjane’s grandmother is very liberal. She’s sharp with a cutting sense of humor, and she dotes on her granddaughter. However, Marjane’s grandmother also holds tightly to her values. She’s a firm believer in integrity and honor, so when Marjane makes choices that call her integrity into question, Marjane’s grandmother is deeply disappointed. Her frank and uncensored scolding makes an impression on Marjane and encourages Marjane to make better choices in the future. She’s also pivotal in helping Marjane navigate her failing marriage with Reza. Marjane’s grandmother got a divorce 50 years ago, when divorce was very uncommon in Iran. She’s therefore able to make the case that divorce isn’t the end of the world and is actually a good thing, a viewpoint that goes against what Marjane’s friends think. Marjane’s grandmother passes away two years after Marjane leaves for Europe. In Marjane’s estimation, the price of her personal freedom was giving up proximity with her grandmother in the final years of her grandmother’s life.
Marjane’s Grandmother Quotes in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
The Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return quotes below are all either spoken by Marjane’s Grandmother or refer to Marjane’s Grandmother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Skiing Quotes
Certainly, they’d had to endure the war, but they had each other and close by. They had never known the confusion of being a third-worlder, they had always had a home! At the same time, how could they have pitied me? I was so shut off. I kept repeating to myself that I mustn’t crack up.
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The Convocation Quotes
I applied myself. Designing the “model” that would please both the administration and the interested parties wasn’t easy. I made dozens of sketches.
This was the result of my research. Though subtle, these differences meant a lot to us.
This little rebellion reconciled my grandmother and me. [...] And this is how I recovered my self-esteem and my dignity. For the first time in a long time, I was happy with myself.
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Marjane’s Grandmother Character Timeline in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
The timeline below shows where the character Marjane’s Grandmother appears in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Vegetable
...see Iran as evil and she doesn’t want that burden. However, Marjane remembers how her grandmother always told her to keep her dignity and stay true to herself.
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...wants to die of shame. Then, she realizes she redeemed herself. She understands what her grandmother meant: that if Marjane isn’t comfortable with herself, she’ll never be comfortable.
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The Veil
...accuses her of stealing a brooch. Marjane cries more, wondering where her mother, father, and grandmother are—they’re not here to comfort her. Since everything in the room reminds her of Markus,...
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The Joke
...soon grows tired of being the center of attention. When the visits taper off, Marjane’s grandmother finally visits. She’s the one person Marjane really wants to talk to. Then, Marjane’s friends...
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...to be intelligent these days. She suggests Marjane cut her friends some slack. When Marjane’s grandmother says that there must be someone Marjane wants to see, Marjane realizes there is. She...
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The Makeup
When Marjane gets home, her grandmother is there. Marjane tells her grandmother about her trick to get the man arrested and...
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The Convocation
...they show. When she gets home after her first day, Marjane is thrilled that her grandmother is there. Her grandmother gives Marjane a gift: a cotton headscarf so she doesn’t get...
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...college. Marjane’s design has a shorter headscarf and wide trousers. After this, Marjane and her grandmother make up. Marjane’s grandmother reminds Marjane that fear turns people into cowards without consciences. With...
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The End
...she doesn’t love Reza anymore and rushes home to tell him, but she visits her grandmother instead. Through tears, Marjane says she has something horrible to say and tells her grandmother...
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Marjane takes her grandmother’s advice. She gets a job as an illustrator for a magazine and adores her colleagues....
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...visits her grandfather’s grave, her Uncle Anoosh’s grave, and visits the Caspian Sea with her grandmother. Early in September, Marjane leaves Iran again. Dad cries and Mom makes Marjane promise not...
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