Lexi Webster
Marjane Satrapi, born in 1969 in Rasht, Iran, is a French-Iranian graphic novelist, cartoonist, illustrator, film director, and children's book author. She is best known for her graphic novel 'Persepolis' and its film adaptation. In 1983, at the age of 14, Satrapi moved to Vienna, Austria, to complete her studies in safety and freedom, away from the Iran-Iraq war and the repressive fundamentalist Islamic regime.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year Marjane went to Austria | 1984 |
| Marjane's age when she went to Austria | 14 |
| Marjane's school in Austria | Lycee Francais |
| Marjane's reason for going to Austria | To escape the Iranian Revolution and its aftermath |
| Marjane's experience in Austria | A downward spiral that left her homeless and using drugs |
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What You'll Learn
- Marjane Satrapi's parents sent her to Austria to study in safety and freedom
- Satrapi's friend's mother, Zozo, did not want her in her home
- Satrapi lived in a Vienna boarding house run by nuns
- Satrapi's parents were politically active and supported leftist causes
- Satrapi returned to Iran at 18 and studied visual communication
Marjane Satrapi's parents sent her to Austria to study in safety and freedom
Marjane Satrapi, born in 1969 in Rasht, Iran, was raised as the only child in a very "westernized" and upper-middle-class family. Her parents were politically active and supported leftist causes against the monarchy of the last Shah.
In 1979, when Satrapi turned ten, Iran's Islamic Revolution against the Shah took place. Satrapi's parents, who were against the regime, happily joined the first protests that helped depose him. However, as the country moved towards a religious rule, Satrapi's parents became concerned about her safety and freedom. They had taught her to think freely and not believe the government propaganda that teachers were required to teach. When Satrapi began to openly question her teachers, her parents feared that their rebellious daughter would not be safe in Iran due to her western lifestyle and the oppressive scrutiny of the Iranian Republic.
Therefore, in 1983, when Satrapi was fourteen, her parents made the painful decision to send her to Austria to complete her studies in safety and freedom. They arranged for her to live with a family friend, Zozo, and attend the Lycée Français de Vienne in Vienna. However, when Satrapi arrived, Zozo did not want her in her home, so she was sent to live in a convent. Satrapi left the convent after experiencing ethnic slurs from one of the nuns and faced various difficulties during her time in Austria, including feelings of homesickness, isolation, and drug use. Despite these challenges, she persevered and eventually returned to Iran after completing her high school years in Vienna.
Satrapi's experiences in Austria and her subsequent return to Iran at the age of eighteen are chronicled in her autobiographical graphic novels, "Persepolis" and "Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return." These novels provide a unique perspective on growing up during a tumultuous time in Iranian history and navigating the challenges of adolescence in a foreign country.
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Satrapi's friend's mother, Zozo, did not want her in her home
In 1983, at the age of fourteen, Marjane "Marji" Satrapi left her home in Tehran, Iran, for Vienna, Austria. Her parents, fearing for her safety amidst the ongoing Iran-Iraq War and the repressive fundamentalist Islamic regime, made the painful decision to send her abroad. Satrapi was supposed to stay with Zozo, her mother's best friend, and her family. However, it became apparent that Zozo did not want Satrapi in her home.
Zozo, whose full name is unknown, was a friend of Satrapi's mother. She had lived in Tehran, where she had been her husband Houshang's secretary. In Vienna, she worked as a hairdresser. Zozo's daughter, Shirin, was also a childhood friend of Satrapi.
Satrapi's stay with Zozo's family was short-lived and marked by tension. From the moment Zozo and Shirin picked her up at the airport, Satrapi sensed that Zozo was not pleased to see her. This unease was compounded by the constant arguing between Zozo and Houshang, as well as Satrapi's inability to relate to Shirin. The family dynamics were a stark contrast to the warmth and intellectual curiosity of Satrapi's family home in Tehran.
After just ten or eleven days, Zozo took Satrapi to a boarding house run by nuns. This abrupt change in living arrangements left Satrapi feeling disconnected and struggling to find a sense of belonging in her new environment. The language barrier further compounded her challenges, making it difficult for her to connect with her roommate, Lucia, and the other residents of the boarding house. Satrapi's expectations of a secular paradise and the support of a friend's mother were quickly shattered.
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Satrapi lived in a Vienna boarding house run by nuns
In 1984, Marjane Satrapi's parents sent her to Vienna, Austria, to complete her studies in safety and freedom. They were liberals who lived under constant threat from the Iranian regime but were determined not to leave their country. However, they felt their daughter would not be safe in Iran due to her western lifestyle.
Satrapi's parents originally intended for her to live with a friend of theirs in Vienna. However, the friend decided she did not want Satrapi with her any longer, so she sent the young woman to live in a convent, or boarding house, run by nuns. Satrapi left the convent when one of the nuns used ethnic slurs while yelling at her.
Satrapi's time in the boarding house run by nuns marked the beginning of a downward spiral that left her homeless and using drugs. She threw herself into life as a western teenager, befriending punks and anarchists and embracing romantic relationships and drug use. She found various temporary homes until she ultimately ended up homeless in winter and woke up in a hospital.
Satrapi's experiences in Austria, including her time in the boarding house, were documented in her autobiographical graphic novels, Persepolis and Persepolis 2. The books detail her life as a child growing up in revolutionary Iran, her school years in Austria, and her eventual return to Tehran and subsequent travel to France to study art.
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![[The Complete Persepolis] [By: Satrapi, Marjane] [October, 2007]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41eoamxRilL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Satrapi's parents were politically active and supported leftist causes
Marjane Satrapi was born in Rasht, Iran, in 1969. She was raised as an only child in a very "westernized" family during the pre-revolutionary years of Iran. Her family moved to the capital, Tehran, shortly before the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79.
During the revolution, the Guardians of the Revolution overthrew the Shah and established the new Iranian Republic. Satrapi and her family faced ostracisation due to their westernised lifestyle, which included Marjane dressing in western attire and listening to western music. As a result, her parents felt that she would not be safe in Iran, and by 1984, they decided to send her to Austria to attend school.
Satrapi's time in Austria is documented in her graphic memoir, "The Complete Persepolis," which details her experiences growing up in Iran and Europe. The memoir includes her personal reflections on the Iranian Revolution and the impact it had on her family. It also explores how people outside of Iran viewed Iranians and their country.
In addition to their political activism, Satrapi's parents also encouraged her artistic pursuits. After her time in Austria, Satrapi returned to Tehran at age 19 and studied art. She later moved back to Europe in 1993, settling in France, where she earned a degree in art and eventually made her home in Paris.
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Satrapi returned to Iran at 18 and studied visual communication
Marjane Satrapi, born in 1969 in Rasht, Iran, was sent to Vienna, Austria, in 1983 at the age of fourteen. Her politically active parents supported leftist causes and were concerned about her safety in Iran due to the ongoing Iran-Iraq War and the repressive fundamentalist Islamic regime. They wanted their daughter to experience a freer society, so they arranged for her to live with a family friend, Zozo, and continue her studies.
Satrapi attended the Lycée Français de Vienne in Vienna, where she struggled to adjust to her new life. She faced challenges with language barriers, making friends, and feeling homesick. She eventually left Zozo's home and lived in various temporary residences, including a convent and friends' homes. Despite these difficulties, Satrapi embraced her life as a Western teenager, making friends with punks and anarchists and experimenting with romantic relationships and drug use. Unfortunately, these experiences also took a toll on her schooling, and she ultimately found herself homeless and living on the streets.
Satrapi's time on the streets came to an end when she was hospitalized for a severe case of bronchitis. After recovering, she returned to Iran at the age of eighteen. There, she enrolled at the university to study art, even passing the ideological test, and obtained a master's degree in visual communication from Islamic Azad University in Tehran. During her time in Iran, she also experienced the suffering caused by the war with Iraq and the struggles of living under a fundamentalist regime.
Satrapi's return to Iran and her studies in visual communication marked a new phase in her life. Her experiences in Austria shaped her perspective and influenced how she navigated life back in her home country. Despite the challenges she faced, she persevered and continued to pursue her passions. Satrapi's time in Iran provided her with a unique viewpoint, which she later incorporated into her artistic work.
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Frequently asked questions
Marjane Satrapi went to Austria in 1984 when she was 14 years old.
Marjane's parents sent her to Austria to study and complete her schooling in safety and freedom. The family's Western way of life had drawn the attention of Iranian authorities.
Yes, she returned to Iran at the age of 18 or 19. She later moved back to Europe in 1993 and settled in Paris, France.
