When I first started reading the graphic novel, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, Marjane Satrapi, I was immediately fascinated at the maturity of the lead character at such a young age, yet, she could still maintain a child like innocence. She had early dreams of being a prophet. In fact, she developed a list of rules that tells you all you need to know about her ambitious and zealous desire to be the savior of her people. At age six. As she describes on pages six through seven her reasons and her book and rules, I learned that she is a child with an old soul.
"At the age of six I was already sure I was the last prophet." This is where she describes the reasons why she wants this, "I wanted to be a prophet...because, my father had a Cadillac. And, above all, because my Grandmother's knees always ached." The two reasons indicate that she is simultaneously materialistic yet very aware of the suffering of her beloved Grandma.
Her holy book consisted of rules, just like all religious scriptures, to live by. They range from rules taken from other books, filed with moral instructions, to the absurd rule number six, everybody should have a car, to the sympathetic, no old person should suffer.
Hey David, I am very glad that you bought this up, as I was reading the book, I was also thinking along the same lines that Marjane as child is so concious and caring of whats going on around her which shows that elevated level of thinking that you usually dont find in kids that age, but she also shows her childish innocence by the rule you mentioned she would ordain if she were prophet. Very nice post
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteI to was surprised that a child so young in age had the mind of a much older child. Now a days children do not run around the home or at school saying that they are going to be the last prophet
Sheila S