HL English Lit Written Assignment Aspect

[ilyccxa]

Hi guys, I'm doing my written assignment on Persepolis, and I wanted some advice regarding my topic. Initially, I was thinking of doing something along the lines of,

 

"To what extent does conformity inhibit the people's freedom in Satrapi's Persepolis?"

 

But I'm not sure if that's literary enough

If not, do I do something like

 

"To what extent does the author use elements of a graphic novel to illustrate the effects of conformity?"

 

Or is "the elements of a graphic novel" too vague? But if I narrow it down to only symbolism, I'm not sure if that's too narrow

 

I wanted to discuss how the government enforced rules that made everyone uniform, e.g., the veil, and by making everyone the same outer appearance wise, everyone's individuality was restricted and Satrapi portrays this by facial expressions and juxtaposition etc

And my second argument was how conforming to a crowd, whether it be for a "good" cause like a revolution, or a bad one, is always detrimental because people are caught up in the heat of the moment etc 

And my last argument was how escaping all these conformities will lead to emotional and spiritual emancipation

 

But because it's a comic, I'm not sure if predominantly discussing the pictures is literary enough and I'm not sure if "conformity" is the right expression either :/

 

Sorry for my very verbose ramblings, any input would be greatly appreciated! 

Edited December 30, 2014 by ilyccxa

[Blackcurrant]

"Literary" in IB parlance, and in the new curriculum, certainly includes the use of imagery. And as you are dealing with Satrapi's graphic novel (where image has a central place) then it makes complete sense to discuss the novel in these terms. It is worth remembering, though, that image works in conjunction with written text in a graphic novel, so you should include both in your analysis.

 

Your second question is a good one. It is certainly good enough to get you on your way. Remember also that as you explore Satrapi's work you can reformulate the question to reflect a new focus etc. as you learn more about her technique.