Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Growing Up and Growing Old
Identity, Culture, and Self-Expression
Gender and Oppression
Suffering and Trauma
Summary
Analysis
It’s 1989. Marjane’s parents have no idea what caused Marjane’s abrupt about-face, but they’re thrilled anyway. They buy her a car to encourage her to keep trying. Marjane spends her time going to parties and attends one party at her friend Roxana’s house. She doesn’t know anyone at the party but soon makes the acquaintance of a young man named Reza. They connect over the fact that Reza’s friends attended school in Tehran with Marjane. They also discover that they’re both painters. Though Roxana tries to draw Marjane away and even warns Marjane that Reza is a “merciless seducer,” Marjane spends the entire evening with Reza.
Marjane begins to distinguish herself as a social butterfly. Going to so many parties does great things for Marjane’s outlook—she meets more people who can help her feel like a part of a community. And connecting with Reza over their shared love of painting suggests that Marjane’s defining characteristic in Tehran is no longer her stint in Vienna. She’s an Iranian painter and can connect with other Iranian painters.
Themes
Marjane is especially taken with Reza when he reveals that he fought in the war. He attempts to tell her the same joke Kia did before describing what it was like to be a tank gunner. All of this makes Marjane think that Reza is a hero—and two years later, she goes on to marry him. Roxana refuses to speak to Marjane after the party; she wanted to set Reza up with a different friend. As Marjane and Reza embark on their relationship, Marjane realizes they’re complete opposites. Reza is neat, quiet, and dreams of having a family. Marjane is messy, social, and prefers smoking to meditation. But Reza idealizes Marjane’s time in Vienna, while Marjane sees Reza as a way to connect with the war she never experienced. In this sense, they complement each other.
It’s important to Marjane to reintegrate into Iranian culture. For her, this means finding a way to connect with the war she escaped. Though Reza allows Marjane to do this, it’s also worth considering the implications of their differences. Aside from their shared love of painting, their interests and desires are wildly different, which raises serious questions about their compatibility. And moreover, neither Reza nor Marjane sees the other as a whole person—Marjane is an alluring Westerner to Reza, while Reza is a heroic soldier to Marjane.
Themes
It doesn’t take long before Marjane and Reza start talking about a future together. Reza wants to move to Europe or the U.S. and invites Marjane to come with him. Marjane doesn’t refuse, but she’s not ready to leave Iran. Reza insists that Marjane is just nostalgic for Iran—soon, she’ll be ready to leave. Getting visas is hard, so instead of planning their departure Marjane and Reza study for the National Exam. This will allow them to attend college. In June 1989, they take their exams. For the drawing portion of the exam, Marjane prepares a version of Michelangelo’s Pietà (the Virgin Mary holding Jesus’s body), but puts Mary in a veil and Jesus in an army uniform. It honors the martyrs.
Even though Marjane crafts a very pro-Iran drawing for her test, she draws on Western imagery to do so. This reflects how Marjane is figuring out how to combine her Western sensibilities with those of her home country. At this point, this works for her and makes her feel as though she can build a life in Iran. But Reza might also be correct—it’s impossible to ignore the Iranian rules (like the veil) that Marjane consider repressive.
Themes
Several weeks later, Marjane and Reza wait anxiously for the newspaper that publishes the names of accepted students. They both get in. Ecstatic, they get in Marjane’s car and Reza puts his hand on Marjane’s. This is all they can do; they can’t kiss or hug in public since they’re not married. When Marjane gets home, she tells her parents the good news. She notes 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 learn Islamic philosophy. Though Marjane tries hard to study, she eventually just prays for help.
It may not seem that different from Vienna when Marjane and Reza can’t be affectionate in public. However, it’s worth remembering that in Iran, any public displays of affection could be dangerous for them—they’re dealing with state-sanctioned Guardians of the Revolution, not just parents and landlords. The nature of the ideological test drives home how much Iran wants its young people to conform. When Marjane can’t learn enough, it suggests she may struggle to conform.
Themes
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At Marjane’s exam, the examiner asks her whether she wore a veil in Vienna and if she knows how to pray. Marjane answers truthfully: she didn’t wear a veil because she thinks God would’ve made women bald if their hair was such an issue. She also prays in Persian instead of Arabic, since God is supposed to be within everyone and she wants to understand what she’s saying. Several weeks later, she gets her acceptance letter. Later, she learns that her interviewer was impressed by her honesty. In Marjane’s opinion, he’s a “true religious man.”
Fortunately for Marjane, her budding belief that she needs to be true to herself doesn’t disqualify her from attending college. As she experiences success here, Marjane begins to suspect that she won’t have a hard time integrating into Iranian society. It may make her think that she can still flout tradition, as long as she finds people who are respectful of honesty and difference.
Themes
