Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. It is the belief that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe (philosophybasics.com). For Marjane Satrapi developing a sense of individuality in a very irrational universe has been a persisting battle that even she admits that she still struggles with today. Having grown up under the harsh religious regime of Iran, individuality was marked highly unattainable and was even punishable by law. Despite the oppression Marjane has been faced with for the majority of her life, she has learned to gain control over her individuality, guided by her strong existentialist views and she …show more content…
This is where we see her faith take the drastic turn from her belief in god to existentialism. Trying to make sense of the world around her, she put her faith aside to immerse herself in the revolution. She began reading books on political theory and Karl Marx’s philosophy. She made the connection between Marx and god saying “It was funny to see how Marx and God looked like each other. Though Marx’s hair was a bit curlier.” (Satrapi 11). The more Marjane wished to be a part of the revolution, the less we saw of God in her life. Marjane’s faith in god weakens as we saw the faith within herself grow. She became extremely liberal in which she was constantly testing the boundaries of the regime and her behavior became risky as she fought to develop herself as an individual.
As she has grown into a teenager she has lost all faith in god and all interaction with him is lost. This marks crucial point in Marjane’s life in which she comes to the realization that she can control her own fate. As the novel progresses, we gain a stronger, Existentialist sense of a Marjane’s personal struggle to understand and to be true to herself. As she, her intellect, her interests, and the ways she identifies herself all change as she takes control of her life and her