Marjane Satrapi, critically acclaimed graphic novelist, introduced herself last night as someone who "writes with pictures."
The room in College Hall where she spoke was overflowing with students eager to listen to the creator of Persepolis, the graphic novel about a girl growing up during the Iranian Revolution. The novel was turned into an award-winning animated film in 2007, directed by Satrapi herself.
"My story is not an autobiography," she said. "It is a biography based on my story. Autobiographies are written by those who have a problem with the people in their lives and want to tell them they hate them."
Satrapi's wit continued to delight her audience as she discussed what had inspired her to tell her story.
"I was tired of repeating my story over and over again, so I put it in a book," she said. "It's the best way to tell a story without being interrupted."
Why the graphic novel then? Satrapi said she wanted to discuss her experiences through pictures because comics are an "international language." The graphic-novel form speaks to a diverse audience because it transcends language barriers and cultural differences.
She also talked about the use of humor in her work. She described her anger when she was forced to leave Iran, but did not want her life to be influenced by the thoughts of hate and revenge that her persecutors had thrived on.
"When we laugh together, we understand each other," she said. "This is why having a sense of humor is so important."
Accordingly, mutual comprehension was the main theme of the night.
"The first time I knew that I understood Americans was when I cracked a joke and people laughed," she said.
Satrapi argued that ignorance is the main reason for culture clashes and that knowledge is what creates the understanding necessary for a peaceful world.
"Culture and education are weapons of mass construction," she said. "I believe that these are the most important ways to get rid of the ignorance and hatred in the world."
And this is perhaps what Marji, the protagonist of Persepolis, can do through her story - help the rest of the world understand her childhood, as well as why her grandmother told her she should always keep a little bit of jasmine in her brassiere.
