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The Joke
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Growing Up and Growing Old
Identity, Culture, and Self-Expression
Gender and Oppression
Suffering and Trauma
Summary
Analysis
Marjane is in a depressive funk and can’t shake it. Over the next few weeks, her friends and family make lots of suggestions for how to feel better. They suggest joining a gym, getting married, and starting school, but all Marjane wants to do is tell them what happened in Vienna. She wants them to feel sorry for her, show her compassion, and say they understand. Marjane reasons that they always had a home and family nearby, even if they did endure the war. She, meanwhile, felt like a “third-worlder” the entire time she was in Vienna. But since Marjane refuses to talk, no one gives her what she wants. Marjane tries to keep it together but soon becomes depressed. She thought that coming to Iran would fix everything, but she can’t escape her past.
Marjane recognizes that the only way to deal with her trauma is to talk about it. However, because she feels like her trauma isn’t as valid as what Iranians experienced, she can’t bring herself to speak up. Given that Marjane becomes depressed because of this, the novel implies that comparing one’s trauma to others’ is unhelpful and unhealthy. And, for that matter, trying so hard to be okay is also damaging.
Themes
Marjane spends her time smoking, refusing invitations from friends or family, and watching TV. Finally, Marjane’s friends insist on taking her skiing. Mom forces Marjane to go against her will. Instead of skiing, Marjane sits outside and smokes. To her surprise, the fresh air and time away does help her feel better. But that first night, as Marjane and her friends talk about boys, one friend asks if Marjane has had sex and what it feels like. When Marjane notes that it depends on one’s partner, one friend asks if Marjane is any different from a whore. Marjane is shocked, but she realizes that her friends are traditionalists under their Western-style makeup. In their eyes, Marjane is a “decadent Western woman.”
Even if Marjane’s friends are intrigued by glittery images of Vienna’s nightclubs and Western beauty standards, they’re struggling just like Marjane to reconcile their traditional upbringings with more liberal Western standards. This doesn’t make the comment about Marjane any less rude, but by contextualizing the comment, Marjane is able to sympathize a bit more with her friends. Nevertheless, having her sexual history defined in such crude and offensive terms makes Marjane feel like she doesn’t fit in.
Themes
When Marjane gets back home, she’s even more depressed than before. Mom finally suggests that Marjane find a counselor. Marjane sees several and tells them about her shame, her secrecy, and her poor self-esteem. Many don’t know what to do with her, but one finally prescribes medication. The pills make Marjane feel well, but they also put her in a sort of trance. And as soon as they wear off, Marjane’s feelings of worthlessness return. She feels like a Westerner in Iran and an Iranian in the West. This dysphoria makes Marjane wonder why she’s even living. She decides to kill herself.
The fact that simply talking about her trauma with counselors doesn’t seem to help much suggests that Marjane needs more than talking. She needs to feel at home and understood, but this feels impossible. Marjane decides that since she doesn’t fit in anywhere, it’s no use even trying—hence her choice to commit suicide.
Themes
When Marjane’s parents take a 10-day trip to the Caspian Sea, Marjane stays home. She recently saw a film in which a woman slit her wrists after drinking a lot. Marjane downs half of a bottle of vodka in preparation, but she’s squeamish and only nicks her wrist. After this, she takes all her antidepressants. Marjane goes to sleep, expecting to die—but she wakes up three days later. Following this failure, Marjane seeks out her therapist. He’s surprised she survived swallowing so many pills and suggests she’s alive thanks to a divine intervention. After this, Marjane decides she isn’t supposed to die and vows to get herself under control.
In reframing her situation, Marjane finds that she can begin to find meaning and purpose in her life. It’s comforting, in this instance, for her to feel like she’s not in control of her life—some outside force or higher power wants her to survive. This allows her to feel less responsible for her negative experiences in Vienna and instead, “get herself under control.”
Themes
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Marjane throws herself into self-improvement. She removes a lot of her body hair, buys a new wardrobe, and cuts her hair. After some more shopping and some new makeup, Marjane looks like a sophisticated woman. She begins exercising frequently and becomes an aerobics instructor. Marjane feels strong, invincible, and ready to meet her destiny.
In some ways, Marjane’s new persona is yet another mask. Just like her heavy eyeliner in Vienna or her veil in Iran, her new makeup, clothes, and hobbies give her something to hide behind. It’s worth noting, though, that this persona seems healthier than her previous ones. Marjane may finally be moving past her trauma.
Themes
