Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

Marjane describes Markus as “the first great love of [her] life.” He’s a charming blonde boy about a year older than she is. They meet in Vienna when Marjane is 16, at a time when Marjane sees no point anymore in going out of her way to try to impress boys. But Markus insists he’s blown away by her nonchalant, uncaring attitude and rebelliousness. Though their relationship is intense, they soon begin experiencing problems when Markus’s mother expresses racist, anti-immigrant sentiments about Marjane. But as this happens, Marjane notices that Markus doesn’t stand up to his mother. He also knowingly puts Marjane in potentially dangerous situations, as when he sends her to purchase drugs from a notorious cafe. Eventually, as Markus begins to study theater, the couple grows further apart. Markus ignores the political turmoil going on around him and insists that he protests by writing his play, an attitude that Marjane considers privileged, misguided, and naïve. They break up when Marjane finds Markus in bed with another woman, and they never see each other again. In retrospect, Marjane understands that she expected too much from Markus—she expected a 19-year-old boy to be able to be everything to her, from a parental figure to a friend to a lover.