Persepolis shows a different type of postcolonial mindset than is regularly seen in North America. In Canada, the focus of postcolonialism is breaking away from European colonization and moving back into celebrating all cultures and recognizing the original cultures of this land. In Persepolis there is a different type of power struggle. Readers can see that Marji lives in a colonized country as the influence of Westernized society is evident. When Mari’s parents go on a trip, all she wants them to bring back are Western musician’s posters and a denim jacket; this shows how Western culture had a huge influence on Iran at that time (pg. 126). However, the difference with Persepolis is that the Western culture is almost seen as a form of liberation at the time. During Marjane’s childhood growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, there were very oppressive forms of government in place. The government tried to suppress its people and keep them compliant. This government was backed by Britain, which is where the colonialism of Iran at the time stems from. However, the “radicals” who fought back against the oppressive authorities were often marked as being very Westernized. This can be seen with Marji’s encounter with the Guardians of the Revolution where they threaten to bring her in for dressing “punk” (pg. 132-133). This is not to say that people completely accepted the forcing of Western ideals; however, they were being oppressed by a harsh government, and Western societies symbolized freedom, particularly for women at the time.

People wanted to be able to celebrate their own culture while also enjoying in other cultures (Western culture). The key is that they wanted to freedom to embrace other cultures while also practicing their own culture, but the government was forcing old-fashioned, oppressive laws on the people of Iran. As the story is in the form of a graphic novel, it is easier for the author to show a separation of the “other”. One particular image from the novel that shows a clear distinction between cultural mindsets is when Satrapi is discussing the demonstrations between those who believed women should always wear the veil, and those who wanted freedom to choose. The image shows two groups of women in opposition to each other, one cheering for the veil, and one cheering for freedom (pg. 5). The novel displays how Iran at the time was split into two separate cultural mindsets. Though in most postcolonial texts the “other” can be seen as a distinct minority group, in the case of this novel, the “other” is a distinct group within the main cultural group of Iran. The different cultural groups within Iran at the time are not clarified in the text, rather the country is divided by political ideologies. I believe this text is important because it changes the ways we look at postcolonial texts; we are no longer only focused on visible cultural differences but also on different ideologies within a cultural group that creates an “other”.