Marjane’s Mother/Mom Character Analysis in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

Marjane’s mother is a kind, sensible, and liberal Iranian woman. She raised Marjane to think for herself and be independent, which leads her and her husband (Marjane’s father) to send Marjane to school in Vienna. While Marjane is in Vienna, Mom and Marjane’s father don’t grasp what Marjane is going through. Mom believes that Marjane is distinguishing herself in school and doing what is expected of her. However, during Mom’s one visit to Vienna to see Marjane, she suspects that Marjane is in worse shape than Marjane lets on. At this point, Mom begins to treat Marjane like an adult by smoking cigarettes with her. Both of Marjane’s parents are mostly respectful of Marjane’s autonomy and privacy. Thus, when Marjane unexpectedly asks to come home, they agree not to ask about what happened to her in Vienna that made her want to leave. However, this does have its downsides: it means that Mom has no idea that Marjane is seriously depressed and even suicidal, and so Marjane’s parents don’t seem to question why Marjane turned herself around so quickly when she begins to act and look better. Throughout the novel, Mom is unwaveringly supportive of Marjane and her goals. The only place she ever pushes back is when Marjane announces her engagement to Reza. In Mom’s opinion, 21 is too young to get married, though she also recognizes that she doesn’t have the kind of relationship with Marjane that would allow her to stop the marriage from happening. Later, Mom is thrilled when Marjane and Reza divorce and Marjane moves back to Europe.

Marjane’s Mother/Mom 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 Mother/Mom or refer to Marjane’s Mother/Mom. 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:

The harder I tried to assimilate, the more I had the feeling that I was distancing myself from my culture, betraying my parents and my origins, that I was playing a game by somebody else’s rules. Each telephone call from my parents reminded me of my cowardice and my betrayal. I was at once happy to hear their voices and ashamed to talk to them.

[...]

If only they knew...if they knew that their daughter was made up like a punk, that she smoked joints to make a good impression, that she had seen men in their underwear while they were being bombed every day, they wouldn’t call me their dream child.

Related Characters: Marjane Satrapi (speaker), Marjane’s Mother/Mom, Julie, Momo, Marjane’s Father/Dad

Related Symbols: Makeup and the Veil

Page Number and Citation: 39

Explanation and Analysis:

“It’s amazing how you’ve grown.”

I didn’t repeat that she, too, had changed. At her age, you don’t grow up, you grow old.

Related Characters: Marjane’s Mother/Mom (speaker), Marjane Satrapi (speaker), Marjane’s Father/Dad

Page Number and Citation: 47

Explanation and Analysis:

Despite the doctor’s orders, I bought myself several cartons of cigarettes.

[...]

I think that I preferred to put myself in serious danger rather than confront my shame. My shame at not having become someone, the shame of not having made my parents proud after all the sacrifices they had made for me. The shame of having become a mediocre nihilist.

Related Characters: Marjane Satrapi (speaker), Marjane’s Father/Dad, Marjane’s Mother/Mom

Page Number and Citation: 90

Explanation and Analysis:

There were people everywhere. Each passenger was being met by a dozen people. Suddenly, amongst the crowd, I spotted my parents...

...But it wasn’t reciprocal. Of course it made sense. One changes more between the ages of fourteen and eighteen than between thirty and forty.

Related Characters: Marjane Satrapi (speaker), Marjane’s Mother/Mom, Marjane’s Father/Dad

Page Number and Citation: 92

Explanation and Analysis:

“Ah, there’s nothing like Iranian tea!”

“Oh yes, especially with a cigarette. Do you want one?”

“Mom!!”

“What? You know the proverb: ‘prosperity consists of two things: tea after a meal, and a cigarette after tea.’”

It was the first time that my mother had spoken to me in this tone: in her eyes now, I had become an adult.

Related Characters: Marjane’s Mother/Mom (speaker), Marjane Satrapi (speaker), Marjane’s Father/Dad

Page Number and Citation: 95

Explanation and Analysis:

Next to my father’s distressing report, my Viennese misadventures seemed like little anecdotes of no importance. So I decided that I would never tell them anything about my Austrian life. They had suffered enough as it was.

Related Characters: Marjane Satrapi (speaker), Marjane’s Mother/Mom, Marjane’s Father/Dad

Page Number and Citation: 103

Explanation and Analysis:

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.

Related Characters: Marjane Satrapi (speaker), Marjane’s Mother/Mom, Marjane’s Father/Dad, Marjane’s Grandmother

Page Number and Citation: 113

Explanation and Analysis:

Marjane’s Mother/Mom Character Timeline in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

The timeline below shows where the character Marjane’s Mother/Mom appears in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Identity, Culture, and Self-Expression Theme Icon

...believing that she’d escape Iran’s religious fundamentalism for an “open and secular Europe”—and that her mother’s best friend, Zozo, would take her in. This, however, isn’t what happened: Zozo recently dropped... (full context)

...school starts again, Marjane’s friends discuss someone named Bakunin. When Marjane asks who that is, Momo says imperiously that Bakunin was “the anarchist.” He then goes on to talk about how... (full context)

...rejects all authority. This is all Marjane understands of his philosophy—and she suspects that’s all Momo understands, too. Then, Marjane studies the history of the commune and reads Jean-Paul Sartre. Her... (full context)

...to understand everything. She decides to start by learning about herself, so she reads her mother’s favorite book, The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir. She then reads The Second Sex. Since... (full context)

...Julie agrees, so Marjane says goodbye to Lucia. The nuns send a letter to Marjane’s mother and father, claiming that Marjane stole a fruit yogurt and chose to leave the boarding... (full context)

...is done with her punk phase and doesn’t want to be “marginal” anymore. One day, Mom calls—she’s visiting in two weeks. Marjane’s housemates are overjoyed for her. In preparation for her... (full context)

Marjane brings Mom to stay with her at the communal house. Mom is shocked to discover that Marjane’s... (full context)

Mom gives Marjane a letter from Dad. In it, Dad writes that he’s happy about Marjane’s... (full context)

A few days later, as Mom and Marjane sit at a cafe, Mom asks for a cigarette. She knows Marjane smokes—Marjane... (full context)

Since Marjane’s lodgings are temporary, Mom finds Marjane a new apartment. When they go see it, the landlord, Frau Doctor Heller,... (full context)

...friends have left. Olivier and Thierry are back in Switzerland, Julie is in Spain, and Momo was expelled. Marjane now has a boyfriend: 20-year-old Enrique is half-Austrian, half-Spanish, and knows real... (full context)

...contacts. With this, Marjane becomes her school’s official drug dealer. She figures that she’s following Mom’s advice to be the best at something, and she gives dealing her best effort. (full context)

...her in a dream and tells her the subject of the upcoming test. Marjane calls Mom, who calls God, who tells the examiner what to ask Marjane. Marjane gets the best... (full context)

...class. She knows she’s a vegetable and is disappointed in what she’s become. Thanks to Mom’s prayers, though, Marjane manages to graduate. (full context)

...steps in and 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... (full context)

When the doctor declares Marjane healthy, Marjane remembers Mom saying that Zozo owes her money. Marjane decides to pursue that money—it’s her only chance.... (full context)

...for a Kim Wild tape to listen to, she can’t find one. In the kitchen, Mom offers Marjane breakfast. They giggle about Frau Doctor Heller’s disgusting tea and Mom says she’d... (full context)

Several hours later, Marjane hears Mom on the phone with one of Marjane’s childhood friends. Marjane shushes Mom; she doesn’t want... (full context)

...that night. Over dinner, he explains that they have to rebuild everything in the city. Mom adds that they rebuild just to prepare for the next war, which she says will... (full context)

Marjane notes that on TV, she also saw mothers who were “overjoyed” that their children died. Dad explains that the state has convinced people... (full context)

...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... (full context)

About a week later, Marjane moans to Mom that all her friends are unbearable. Mom points out that no one is asking young... (full context)

...from friends or family, and watching TV. Finally, Marjane’s friends insist on taking her skiing. Mom forces Marjane to go against her will. Instead of skiing, Marjane sits outside and smokes.... (full context)

When Marjane gets back home, she’s even more depressed than before. Mom finally suggests that Marjane find a counselor. Marjane sees several and tells them about her... (full context)

...that she still has to take the ideological test, but she thinks it’ll be easy. Mom and Dad, however, set Marjane straight: she has to learn to pray in Arabic and... (full context)

...ready. Marjane asks for time to think and goes home to talk to Dad, since Mom is away. Dad points out that the only way for Marjane to get to know... (full context)

After this, Marjane calls Mom, who’s visiting a sibling in Vancouver. Unlike Dad, Mom is aghast and insists they’ll revisit... (full context)

...by sucking honey off of each other’s fingers. Next, they open gifts. Marjane notices that Mom is absent from the festivities and finally finds her crying in the bathroom. Mom sobs... (full context)

Mom walks in as Dad and Marjane laugh. Marjane explains what they saw on the news,... (full context)

...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... (full context)

Marjane takes her grandmother’s advice. She gets a job as an illustrator for a magazine and adores her colleagues.... (full context)

...France—alone. Dad says he knew all along that Marjane and Reza would divorce. This annoys Mom, but Dad says Marjane had to make the mistakes herself. (full context)

Dad tells Marjane that he and Mom are very happy for her. He insists Marjane can’t live in Iran. The country has... (full context)

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

Marjane’s Mother/Mom Character Analysis

Marjane’s Mother/Mom Quotes in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

The Vegetable Quotes

The Horse Quotes

The Veil Quotes

The Return Quotes

Skiing Quotes

Marjane’s Mother/Mom Character Timeline in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return