How Graphic Novels Work: A Visual

and Verbal Reading of

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Eman Mohammed Abdel-Hamid Ibrahim

Ph.D. Researcher
Department of English, Faculty of Arts - Minia University

Abstract
Reading a graphic novel is a skill that not many readers master.
Thus, this paper analyses the tools that graphic novels use to
convey meaning, so as to guarantee the utmost grasping of the
reader to the intended message. The popularity of graphic novels as
powerful forums of communication encourages researchers to
conduct studies on them. Yet, less attention is directed to the study
of form and style of graphic novels. Thus, this paper uses the
formalist theory to approach the graphic medium, so as to offer an
insight into how worlds are created in this unique medium of
literature through the multi visual and textual angles of it. This
approach requires an application to dive deeper in the unknown
world of graphic novels and to decode its secrets. In this respect,
the graphic novel Persepolis (2007) by the Iranian writer, Marjane
Satrapi will be discussed. This formalist analysis aims to establish
the graphic novel as a medium with a literary value and to
destabilize the views that question the potential and value of this
medium in literature. The major formalist theorists of graphic
novels whom my analysis shall follow are Will Eisner (1917-2005)
and Scott McCloud (1960), since their works offer explicit
explanations of graphic novels’ mechanism in delivering the
message. Their theoretical works can back up the argument to be
made in this paper; that graphic novels have their own
visual-verbal language in expressing ideas and thoughts.
Keywords: Graphic Novel, Formalist Theory, Persepolis,
Marjane Satrapi
Introduction
Graphic Novels have been evolved from comic strips and
books. Comics has traditionally been considered a light and
funny medium of art. Thus, comics has not received much
critical or theoretical attention. Gradually, some prominent
figures such as, Will Eisner and Scott McCloud begin to theorize
on the topic. Scott McCloud defines comics as, “juxtaposed

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pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to
convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in
the viewer” (9). Will Eisner, on the other hand, considers comics
as a form of “sequential art”. For Eisner, comics can be seen as,
“means of creative expression, a distinct discipline, an art and
literary form that deal with the arrangements of pictures or
images and words to narrate a story or dramatize an idea” (5). As
McCloud illustrated, comics is a word that is plural in form, but
takes a singular verb (9). He means that when the term comics”
is used to refer to the medium itself, it becomes singular. For
instance, comics offers an amazing world to the reader.
However, when the term is used to describe a noun such as
comic book/ comic strip, it depends on what follows it. For
instance, any comic book has a vivid visual and verbal language/
Comic Strips convey meaning in a simple way.
The term “graphic novel” passed by different evolutions until
it becomes a well-known term. Some critics prefer to abandon
the term “comics” since it links the medium to funny and
superficial content. Rather than the term “comics”, they prefer
the term “graphic novel” especially that it adds more depth to the
medium. Chute illustrated in her article “Comics as Literature?”
that, “the first public use of the phrase, by Richard Kyle, was in a
1964 newsletter circulated to members of the Amateur Press
Association, and the term was subsequently borrowed by Bill
Spicer in his fanzine Graphic Story World” (453). Though Will
Eisner did not coin the term “graphic novel” himself, he was the
first to use it on a commercial scale, making it popular. Will
Eisner, “is often credited with fathering the graphic novel, and
for this reason, among his many other contributions to comics,
the American industry’s highest award is named for him” (Van
Lente and Dunlavey 163). The term “graphic novel” appeared on
the cover of Eisner’s work A Contract with God and Other
Tenement Stories (1978). Then, the term continues its popularity
with the release of Maus (serialized from 1980 to 1991) by Art
Spiegelman and Watchmen (serialized in 1986 and 1987, and
collected in 1987) by Alan Moore; the writer and Dave Gibbons;
the artist. Gradually, authors begin to trust the graphic medium to
tackle profound issues. Thus, graphic memoirs (e.g. Stitches:
A Memoir (2009) by David Small), graphic journalism (e.g.
Palestine (2001) by Joe Sacco), and graphic historical novels
(e.g. In the Shadow of No Towers (2002-2004) by
Art Spiegelman); to name a few, begin to emerge. This
expansion in the capacity of graphic novels is supported by,

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“booksellers, newspaper and magazine editors, film directors . . .
librarians, and academics” (Uchmanowicz 363).
Reading graphic novels requires discovering relationship
between two forms of language that produce meaning. These
visual-verbal forms serve as a challenge to the reader. Using the
formalist ideas of McCloud and Eisner in approaching the
graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi proves that graphic
novels follow certain criteria in manipulating meaning. Unlike
the ordinary formalist analysis of literature that offers mere
textual analysis, the formalist analysis of graphic novels pays
attention to the graphic novel, as a hybrid of text and image
together. It offers both a verbal narrative line—the text—and a
visual narrative line—the image. Prior to discussing the
text-image forms of graphic novels, a closer look is paid at
Marjane Satrapi' Persepolis.
Marjane Satrapi (22 November 1969) is an Iranian graphic
novelist, film director, and a cartoonist. She was born in Rasht,
Iran, but she grew up in Tehran; in a middle-class Iranian family.
The title Persepolis is a reference to the name of the ancient
capital of the Persian Empire. Persepolis traces the life of Satrapi
herself: both as a child and as an adult, during the Islamic
revolution (1979) and the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). This
graphic novel sheds light on the transformation that Satrapi
undergoes, as a result of being caught in this state of political
unrest. It narrates the continuous struggle of Marjane, her family,
and the Iranian people against the Shah’s rule at first and against
the Islamic regime later.
The graphic medium provides Satrapi with flexibility in the
delivering of meaning. The use of the graphic novel, “deploys
significant ideological meaning, in the manner in which it
combines words and pictures” (Davis 266). Both words joined
by images offer the reader a real depiction of a period of history
that may be too hidden to be realized or imagined. When
Marjane Satrapi was asked about the reasons behind choosing
the graphic medium to narrate her story, she answered:
People always ask me, "Why didn't you write a book?"
But that's what Persepolis is. To me, a book is pages
related to something that has a cover. Graphic novels
are not traditional literature, but that does not mean
they are second-rate. Images are a way of writing.
When you have the talent to be able to write and to
draw it seems a shame to choose one. I think it's better
to do both. (“On Writing Persepolis” 1)

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 Tracing the visual and verbal forms that Satrapi uses requires
having a closer look at the theoretical formalist methods of
graphic novels, in general.
Theory
The popularity of graphic novels paves the way before
researches to study their visual-verbal features. Such studies
reserve a seat within academic circles for graphic novels to be
examined on a wider scale, so as to identify the techniques of
writing and reading them. Hence, the literary value of graphic
novels begins to be emphasized. While some studies focus, “on
the medium’s sociological and aesthetic aspects” (Uchmanowicz
364), the graphic novel’s form receives less attention. In the
absence of organized theoretical research on graphic novels'
form, some theorists begin to present theoretical studies on the
mechanism of graphic novels in delivering meaning.
The most influential theorists include: Will Eisner and his book
Comics and Sequential Art (1985) which has great influence on
comics’ scholarship. There is also Scott McCloud and his
masterpiece Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art (1993)
which is written in a graphic format. It is considered one of the
bestselling books on comic theory and a popular choice by
readers and writers of comics. Their formalist studies help in
diving deeper in the visual-verbal sides of graphic novels, and to
recognize, “the graphic system’s rhetorical complexity”
(Uchmanowicz 364). The formalist approach to graphic novels is
essential for reflecting the real potential of graphic novels and to
map their position as visual-verbal art forms in literature.
Formalism is considered one of the critical methods of
approaching literary texts:
[Formalism] entails considerations not only of what
literature says, means, and does, but of how . . . [It]
insists on attention to the shape and composition of the
text as container and the impact they may have on the
meaning and function of content. (qtd. in
Uchmanowicz 364-65)
The works of Scott McCloud and Will Eisner follow this
formalist criterion in analyzing graphic novels. They focus on the
iconic feature of this medium, along with the mental role of the
reader in interpreting it, and the significance of panels and gutter,
in response to other elements. This paper launches an exploration
of how methods that graphic novels in general and Persepolis in
particular use to manipulate meaning. The (how) question is
concerned with the mechanism used to deliver and express ideas.

952
 Reading a graphic novel is not an easy task. McCloud believes
that graphic novels, “command audience involvement” (59).
Will Eisner, on the other hand, states that a graphic novel is a,
“montage of both word and image, and the reader is thus
required to exercise both visual and verbal interpretive skills”
(8). This combination of text and image forms the narrative in a
graphic novel. Thus, it is essential to shed on the tools that
graphic novels use to convey meaning. The most important
elements of form in graphic novels include: the panel, the gutter,
typography or font, the style used in drawing, colors, speech
balloon, and caption (i.e. text box) (see fig. 1). This paper
analyses these elements and applies them to Persepolis. This
application aims to prove that graphic novels are sophisticated
narratives that follow certain forms to deliver meaning.

Fig.1 The basic elements of a graphic novel from “Writing about Comics and
Graphic Novels,” handout, Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy Series, Duke
Writing Studio, Durham, North Caroline, n.d. <http://uwp.duke.edu/writing-studio>.

Panels and Frames

Panels are the borders or frames that structure a graphic story.
They are blocks placed in a sequence. McCloud believes that
panels are, “comics’ most important icon” (98). The size, shape,
and length of panels can convey different meanings. Eisner
summarizes the panels’ important mission which is conveying
time, saying:
The number and size of the panels also contribute to
the story rhythm and passage of time. For example,
when there is a need to compress time, a greater
number of panels is used. The action then becomes
more segmented, unlike the action that occurs in the
larger, more conventional panels. By placing the panels
closer together, we deal with the ʻrateʼ of elapsed time
in its narrowest sense. (30)

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 Persepolis shows the passage of time through the number of
panels, placed in a sequence. For instance, when Satrapi depicts a
party that was attacked by the Guardians of Revolution- fanatic
groups responsible for punishing those who astray from the path
of Islam- she shows the impact of this raid on people participated
in this party. Panic causes people to flee in a frenzy way. This
attempt of escape costs one man his life. While jumping from one
roof to another, he falls. The number of panels depicts the stages
of this action (see fig. 2). This kind of panels, as McCloud
argues, shows "transitions featuring . . . Action to Action
progressions" (70). The reader moves with his eyes from one
panel to another to experience this event that happens so quickly.
The absence of text, in these panels, is on purpose. Eighan says,
“wordless sequences effectively transfer the power of creating a
narrative temporality to the reader-viewer, himself. He is no
longer hindered by the sequential nature of the verbal mode”
(39). Satrapi does not want to slow down the reader and distract
his attention. She wants him to perceive the action as quickly as it
happens.

Fig. 2. Temporality within panels from Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis,
New York, Pantheon Books, 2007, 312.

The size of panels shows the duration of a certain situation. The

wider a panel is, the longer a situation is and vice versa. In
Persepolis, Satrapi uses this form of panels in different situations.
For instance, when Satrapi wants to depict the “2500 years of
tyranny and submission” (15) that Iran witnessed, she draws a
panel nearly more than half of the page's size (see fig. 3). This
large and wide panel reflects the long history of Iran. The panel is
divided into four parts; each of which traces a different stage in
that history.

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 Fig. 3. The size of panel from Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis, New York,
Pantheon Books, 2007, 15.

The length of panels indicates both duration and space. For

example, longer panels in a sequence show that a certain situation
happens so quickly. Long panels also indicate space. If a graphic
artist, for instance, wants to draw a person who jumps from a
mountain, he would rather draw this image in a vertically long
panel, so as to reflect the great height of this mountain and the
great distance of the jump. In Persepolis, the following panel
depicts people running downstairs to the basement, when there is
a raid. The panel is drawn in a vertical long way to show
figuratively how the Iranians are descending deeper into chaos
and anarchy due to the war. As they step down, they become
more implicated in the war.

.
Fig. 4. Long panel from Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis, New York, Pantheon Books,
2007, 107.

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 The frames of a panel can even be used as narrative devices in
a graphic novel. Some panels can have borders or frames, but
other panels can have no borders at all. Both cases can deliver
variety of meanings and add to the general atmosphere in a
graphic story. They give hints to the reader, so as to perceive the
action properly, as intended by the graphic artist. This is obvious
in the following two examples.
In this figure, the image of the
monster appears to be popped out
from the assigned frames of the
panel. This adds a sense of control,
power, and domination.
Fig. 5. An image popping out from the panel’s
borders from Will Eisner, Comics & Sequential
Art, New York, Poorhouse P, 1985, 46.

In this figure, it is noticeable that

there are no borders for this panel.
Here, the graphic artist wants the
reader to feel the wide and
unlimited scope and atmosphere of
the sea.

Fig. 6. The absence of borders in a panel from Will Eisner,

Sequential Art, New York, Poorhouse P, 1985, 47.

Satrapi employs the frames of her panels in a unique way to

express her ideas effectively. The absence of frames from some
panels in Persepolis is used for a reason. For instance, when
Marji reads about the execution of her beloved uncle, Anoosh
who was accused of being a Russian spy and was executed
falsely, frames are used effectively in this scene. The newspaper
that depicts his execution is drawn with no frames at all and with
white background and two swans (see fig. 7). This absence of
frames can be read as way to set the soul of her uncle free after a
long struggle. Now, his soul can rest in peace. The white
background reflects his innocent nature and his kindness to Marji.
The presence of the two swans is effective, since her uncle used
to make bread swans for her: he offers Marji two swans before.
When Anoosh gives Marji the second swan, he tells Marji,
“it’s the uncle of the first one” (73). Now, she will lose the source
of joy in her life.

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 Fig.7. The panel that depicts uncle Anoosh’s execution from Marjane Satrapi,
The Complete Persepolis, New York, Pantheon Books, 2007, 74.

The excessive use of mirrors in Persepolis is obvious. The

frames of mirrors serve as additional frames within the primary
frames of panels to show some problematic issues. For instance,
mirrors are used in Persepolis to confront ideological restrictions
imposed upon Marji’s mother by the tyrant regime. When
Marji’s mother goes in a demonstration against the compulsory
decision of wearing the veil, a German journalist takes a photo of
the mother and publishes it in most of the European newspapers.
Since the photo appears in one Iranian magazine, the mother
becomes in a real danger. She can be arrested at any time.
Consequently, she has no option, but to disguise herself by
dyeing her hair, turning up the collar of her coat, and wearing
dark glasses for a long time (see fig. 8). Marji’s mother, who
becomes now blonde, appears staring at her new appearance in
the mirror and seems upset and sad. The mirror, in this example,
has “a double perception namely the perception of the reader and
the perception of [the character] looking at herself in the mirror”
(Bruijn 19). To the reader, it is a mere outside disguise, but for
the mother, it is a sort of masking of her beliefs and ideologies.
The new hair color, “lightened to disguise her chosen identity”
(Elahi 320).

Fig. 8. The mirror and the disguise of identity from Marjane Satrapi, The Complete
Persepolis, New York, Pantheon Books, 2007, 9.

The Gutter and the Closure

After panels, there is the gutter which is the black area that
separates panels. It is this empty space between two panels. The
gutter, “plays host to much of the magic and mystery that are at
the very heart of comics! . . . the gutter . . . takes two separate

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images and transforms them into a single idea” (McCloud 66). The
real value of graphic novels lies in the hidden side (i.e. the gutter)
and this is why McCloud calls comics the invisible art in his book
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. It is up to the reader to
invest the gutter efficiently to get a spontaneous transition between
panels, as well as to make sense of and to give motion to the
image. Otherwise, comics will be meaningless and motionless.
McCloud introduces the term “closure” to describe the reader’s
mental mission in completing the incomplete or missing parts to
get the intended meaning. He defines closure as the “phenomenon
of observing the parts but perceiving the whole” (63).This closure
is, “a silent secret contract between creator and audience”
(McCloud 69). The following example serves as a good
illustration of the gutter and the closure:

If the reader sees the previous two panels in a graphic novel, he

will realize; through previous experience, that since they describe
a peek-a-boo game (i.e. a game played usually with a baby in
which the player hides his face, then pops back, saying peek-a-
boo), this means that in the gutter between the two panels, the
player hides his face. Though there is nothing between the two
previous panels, “experience tells you something must be there”
(McCloud 67). Thus, the reader should interpret the gutter between
these two panels to get the message and to comprehend the image
(i.e. the closure). The reader should read the previous example, as
follows:

Fig. 9. The gutter and the closure from Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics:
The Invisible Art, New York, Harper Perennial, 1994, 67. Print.

Satrapi uses the gutter in an exceptional way. This is obvious in

the first page of Persepolis (see fig. 10). In this page, two panels
are included. The first one shows a picture of Marji with the
caption, “this is me when I was 10-years old. This was in 1980”
(7). The subsequent panel depicts a class photo of Marji’s friends

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 and a part of Marji’s image. The caption of this panel says,
“and this is a class photo. I’m sitting on the far left so you don’t
see me . . .” (7). In this second panel, the veiled girls are dressed
and sit in the same way, only their facial expressions and their
bangs differentiate them. In this panel too, one can only see parts
of Marji’s elbow and her veil. The gutter that separates these two
panels gives sense to them. The reader is invited to complete the
missing parts of Marji’s photo (i.e. closure). Marji separates
herself from the beginning to assert her independent nature.
Unlike her Iranian friends, Marji is different from the rest of them
in her identity struggle, her views, and her behaviors. This
separation is located at the beginning to clarify what follows.

Fig. 10. The special use of the gutter from Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis,
New York, Pantheon Books, 2007, 7.

Typography
Typography is another unit that is essential in a graphic novel. In
graphic novels, the text supports the image and works side by side
with it. Eisner says, "lettering, treated graphically and in the
service of the story, functions as an extension of the imagery . . . it
provides the mood, a narrative bridge" (10). Sometimes, the
graphic artist can add artistic effect to the handwriting to
contribute to the general mood and atmosphere of the depicted
scene (see fig. 11). In this example, the text is mixed with art to
influence the way of reading it. Here, the lettering style, mixed
with blood, is used in a way to generate the feeling of horror and
terror.

Fig.11. Adding artistic effect to typography from Will Eisner, Comics & Sequential Art.
New York, Poorhouse Press, 1985, 12.

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 In Persepolis, Satrapi does not maintain the same font
throughout her novel. She uses different fonts to serve her idea and
to suit the context of her depiction. Using various styles of
handwriting makes the reader, “urged to feel a more personal
connection to the text” (La Cour 52). One clear example appears
when she suffers a state of hallucination after taking anti-
depressive pills. As a result of these pills, she imagines herself
talking to two white ghosts who appear later to be her parents. The
good part appears in the handwriting that Satrapi used to depict the
conversation between Marji and her parents (see fig. 12). It
appears fuzzy and cursive to suit her dizzy and instable state of
mind due to the pills.

Fig. 12. Using cursive handwriting to express a certain state of mind from Marjane Satrapi,
The Complete Persepolis, New York, Pantheon Books, 2007, 275.

The Style of drawing

The style of drawing characters is a feature that distinguishes a
graphic novel. It could be, according to McCloud, either iconic or
realistic (54). Iconic means cartoony style with characters usually
drawn in a simple manner and cartoony anatomy. The realistic one
tends to depict characters in a way that tends to be as close to
reality as possible. The iconic depiction is more effective than the
realistic one in encouraging the identification of the reader with
the character depicted. McCLoud says that we “don’t just observe
the cartoon; we become it” (36). This may justify the obsession of
children with cartoons and how they imagine themselves in the
shoes of the heroes presented in these cartoons. The cartoony
feature of graphic novels gives it more appeal to readers from
different ages and cultures. Through the drawings, the story
becomes more general; “the more cartoony a face is, for instance,
the more people it could be said to describe” (McCloud 31). The
cartoony depiction makes the character appears as an ordinary

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person with no specific details that differentiate people in reality;
thus it becomes closer to more readers. This feature is what
McCLoud calls, “universality” (31).
In Persepolis, Satrapi chooses to draw her characters in iconic
or cartoony style to increase the degree of universality and
identification between her characters and her readers. Contrary to
expectations, the cartoony style depicts pain, not humor. Davis
says that Persepolis’s iconic style, “eloquently convey[s] both
childhood innocence and indescribable pain” (271). The use of
cartoony drawing can be seen as closely related to Satrapi’s
childhood, especially that a long part of Persepolis is written from
young Marji’s perspective. Satrapi continues using these cartoony
drawings, even after growing up to reflect the depth of events.
McCloud says, “by stripping down an image to its essential
meaning, an artist can amplify that meaning in a way realistic art
can’t” (30). This means that simplicity is the best policy in
depicting the core of something and expanding the reader’s
imagination, whereas the realistic depiction requires full details
and minimum imagination.
While Persepolis is drawn in a cartoony style, some drawings
appear so childish and unreal. This is obvious in depicting a
massacre perpetrated against Iranians. This massacre, which took
place on 18 August 1978 in the Rex cinema, “was one of the most
painful and still unresolved events in the history of Iran”
(Abedinifard 100). The door of the cinema is locked from outside
before the beginning of the fire. The police officers, who are
supposed to save people, hinder the rescue process by attacking
those who try to save people locked inside the cinema. Even the
firemen reach the site forty minutes later. Upon hearing this story
from her parents, the young Marji imagines the state of these
innocent people who are trapped inside the cinema and are burned
alive. The panel (see fig. 13) shows the ghosts of the people flying
from their seats. Their mouths are open due to the shock and the
pain of the burning. Though the image seems childish, it is so
expressive. Chute says that such depictions assert, “both the
uncontainability of trauma and also the fleeting, uncategorizable
images running through Marji’s imagination” (“The Texture of
Retracing” 101). The caption, at the top of the panel, describes the
BBC report concerning the incident: “the BBC said there were 400
victims. The Shah said that a group of religious fanatics
perpetrated the massacre. But the people knew that it was the
Shah’s fault!!!” (Pesepolis 19). The caption is ended with three
exclamation marks to indicate the deceit of the Shah; he is the one
to be blamed.

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 Fig. 13. The burning of the Rex cinema from Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis,
New York, Pantheon Books, 2007, 19.
Colors
An additional formalist feature of graphic novels has something
to do with colors used. Graphic novels can be black-and-white,
shaded, or colored either in flat colors or in expressive colors.
Colors play a crucial role, they, “express a dominant mood. Tones
and modeling could add depth. Whole scenes could be virtually
about color!” (McCloud 190). It is up to the graphic artist to use
the colors that serve his message and satisfy his need.
Satrapi draws Persepolis in black and white on purpose. She
wants to put the reader in the picture by making him feel the state
of dictatorship, oppression, frustration, depression, and alienation
that prevails the Iranian society. This gloomy and somber
atmosphere cannot be expressed in any other colors, but in black
and white, since both colors call attention to the depth of trauma
and the horror of history. Black and white is, “a language to
communicate tension and tragedy” (Dallacqua 16). Like her
graphic novel, Satrapi’s real life is black and white; full of ups and
downs, failures and triumphs. The dominance of black over white
in some panels reflects that the dark side is the prevailing one.
McCloud says that through, “black and white, the ideas behind the
art are communicated more directly. Meaning transcends form. Art
approaches language” (192). The lack of vibrant colors invites the
reader to focus solely and mainly on the meaning without being
distracted by art. Satrapi explains the motivation behind her choice
of black and white in Persepolis, saying:
I write a lot about the Middle East, so I write about
violence. Violence today has become so normal, so
banal – that is to say everybody thinks it’s normal. But
it’s not normal. To draw it and put it in color – the
color of flesh and the red of blood, and so forth –
reduced it by making it realistic. (qtd. in Chute
“The Texture of Retracing” 99)

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She means that the realistic depiction of violence with its realistic
colors normalizes our view and perception of it and makes the eye
used to see it. Thus, she tries to prove otherwise by using black
and white.
Besides the black and white colors, Satrapi uses in Persepolis
entirely black panels to represent the traumatized memory and the
unbearable pain. When Marji depicts her reaction after the death of
her friend due to the bombing of her house during the Iran-Iraq
war, she asserts that it is impossible to visually express her
feelings after this awful trauma. She draws herself in one panel
(see fig. 14) with her hands covering her eyes and this reflects her
shock. This panel is followed by another black panel and the
caption, “no scream in the world could have relieved my suffering
and my anger” (146). The panel is not only black, but also empty.
Kate Flint argues that the act of remembering, “may be elicited by
the depiction of deliberately empty spaces, inviting the projection
of that which can only be seen in the mind’s eye on to an inviting
vacancy” (530). Thus, the lack of extra details reflects the
psychological impact of this traumatic event on Marji. No words
can better translate her profound wound precisely.

Fig. 14. Using a black panel to represent a traumatic experience from Marjane Satrapi,
The Complete Persepolis, New York, Pantheon Books, 2007, 146.
Speech balloons
They indicate the direct speech or thoughts of characters.
Regarding speech balloons, Eisner explains, “the balloon is a
desperation device. It attempts to capture and make visible an
ethereal element: sound” (26). Speech balloons contribute to
describing sound in this mute medium of art. Since graphic novels
do not have the merit of assigning certain quotation to its speaker
(e.g. he/she said), it is up to the tail of the speech balloon to
indicate who the speaker is. The difference in the shape of a
speech balloon (see fig. 15) adds different meaning and conveys
different sounds. These forms are used in Persepolis. The normal
speech balloon is used in most parts. Thought balloons are clear in
several examples (e.g. Persepolis 49), so are sound speech balloon
(e.g. Persepolis 69).

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Fig.1. 1. The various shapes of speech balloons from Will Eisner, Comics & Sequential
Art, New York, Poorhouse Press, 1985, 27.

In addition, since graphic novels do not include the advantage

of describing the feeling of a certain character when uttering
something (e.g. happy, sad, angry); it is up to the shape of the
speech balloons' borders to denote how words inside them have
been uttered by the speaker. For example, if the borders of a
speech balloon are drawn in thick bold, this may indicate that the
tone of uttering them is an angry one (Rogers 63). In the following
example of Persepolis, the shape of the left speech balloon shows
a normal speech. Unlike this left balloon, the borders of the speech
balloon, on the right, appears jagged to reflect the crying voice of
Marji when uttering it.

Fig. 16. Different speech balloons from Marjane Satrapi, The Complete Persepolis,
New York, Pantheon Books, 2007, 41.
Captions
They are text boxes in the corner of panels that include some
notes by the author to enrich his narration and to guide the reader
in his reading process. In a graphic novel, the word works side by
side with the image. Eisner suggests that, “in comics, no one really
knows for certain whether the words are read before or after
viewing the picture . . . But in any event, the image and the
dialogue give meaning to each other—a vital element in graphic
storytelling” (59). Thus, the presence of text, in a graphic novel,
supports the image and shapes the whole story. Depending on one
element solely is worthless, since both the text and the image
elaborate, enhance, and comment on each other.
In Persepolis, the extensive use of captions suits the
autobiographical nature of this graphic novel. These captions are

964
used to either clarify or comment on the memories being recalled
within the events of the story. They signify the external voice of
the narrator besides the inner voices of the characters. Captions
reflect, “the distinction between a subjective account based on the
selective memory of an individual and an objective historical
account of past events” (Beckler 49-50). Speech balloons inside
panels express history objectively, as it happened, but captions
offer the subjective commentary of the narrator on these historical
memories. This explanation may justify the use of the past tense in
captions, since they are comments on past events; commentaries
on memories. However, the text inside speech balloons is written
in the present tense, as it depicts the original action. Thus, it is
recalled according to its real context; the present.
Conclusion
Graphic novels are appealing mediums of literature, yet little is
known about their methods in conveying meaning. This paper is an
attempt to formalize the study of graphic novels by applying the
studies of two leading graphic formalists: Scott McCloud and Will
Eisner to the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. This
paper ends with concluding that the dual formalism of textual and
visual blending offers an extended ability to express vividly what
words alone fail to articulate. This duality combines the visual
elements of movies, the textual feature of literature, and the
appealing and entertaining sides of both in one medium. Thus,
graphic novels prove themselves to be excellent means of
communication. The formalist approach can enhance establishing
the graphic novel, as a profound medium of literature and can help
constructing literary meaning within this medium.
Graphic novels are chosen rather than any other form of
literature for several reasons. Visual texts are important sources of
information. They enable readers of different cultures who struggle
with unfamiliar content to make sense of texts. Both the images
and words work together to simplify complex concepts and to
offer a better understanding. This combination allows more
flexibility in the manipulation of meaning. In addition, though the
medium itself represents an important part of the heritage of many
cultures, there is not so much interest in critical literature exploring
the mechanism of graphic novels. This paper aims at becoming a
small step in honoring this incredible medium of art by giving the
reader a closer look at this medium through highlighting,
reviewing, and explaining the formalist devices of graphic novels
(e.g. panels, gutter, colors, typography, cartoony drawings,
captions, speech balloons).

965
 Further research is needed to have a comprehensive perception
of graphic novels and the way they function. This paper only
discusses one specific example of graphic novels (i.e. Persepolis).
Future researchers can broaden the area of study by analyzing
full-color graphic novels, as well as the different forms of comics
(e.g. comic strips, comic books, web comics). The increase in the
cumulative pieces of research that analyze graphic novels in
particular and comics in general can help in shedding light on
theses mediums of literature, on a wider scale. As a result, they can
gain more acclaim, acceptance, and appreciation within literary
forums.
References
Abedinifard, Mostafa. “Graphic Memories Dialogues with Self
and Other in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis and Persepolis 2.”
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Literature. Ed. Manijeh MAnnani and Veronica Thompson.
Canada: U of British Columbia P, 2015. 83-109. Print.

Beckler, Hannah.“The Comic Book as Complex Narrative:

Discursive Construction of Referential Truth in Art
Spiegelman's Maus and Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis.” Diss.
U of Colorado. 2014. Print.

Bruijn, Melanie. “Trauma in Graphic Memoirs: The

Representation and Visualization of the Tension Between
Personal and Collective Trauma in Graphic Memoirs about
War.” Diss. Radbound U, 2015. Print.

Chute, Hillary. “Comics as Literature? Reading Graphic

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---. “The Texture of Retracing in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.”

Women’s Studies Quarterly 36: 1-2 (2008): 92-110. Print.

Dallacqua, Ashleyk. “Students as Critics: Exploring Readerly

Alignments and Theoretical Tensions in Satrapi’s Persepolis.”
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Davis, Rocio. “A Graphic Self: Comics as Autobiography in

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Eighan, Erin. “The Silent Partner: A Cognitive Approach to Text
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Elahi, Babak. “Frames and Mirrors in Marjane Satrapi’s

Persepolis.” Symploke 15.1-2 (2007): 312-25. Print.

Flint, Kate. “Painting Memory.” Textual Practice 17.3 (2003):

527-542. Print.

La Cour, Erin. “Presentation of Truth and Trauma in Personal

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McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art.

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Rogers, Aimee Ann. “Intermediate Grade Readers Making

Meaning With a Graphic Novel: A Case Study.” Diss.
Minnesota U, 2014. Print.

Satrapi, Marjane. “On Writing Persepolis.” Pantheon Graphic

Novels. N. p., 11 April 2008. Web. 4 April 2017.
<http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphic
novels/satrapi2.html. >.

---, writer and artist. The Complete Persepolis. Trans. Mattias Ripa and
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Uchmanowicz, Pauline. “Graphic Novel Decoded: Towards a

Poetics of Comics.” International Journal of Comic Art 11.1
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Van Lente, Fred, and Ryan Dunlavey. The comic book history of
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“Writing about Comics and Graphic Novels.” Handout. Visual

Rhetoric/Visual Literacy Series. Duke Writing Studio.
Durham, North Caroline, n.d. Web. 2 May 2017.
<http://uwp.duke.edu/writing-studio>.

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‫"آﻟﯿﺎت اﻟﺮواﯾﺔ اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة‪ :‬ﺗﻨﺎول ﻣﺮﺋﻲ وﻧﺼﻲ ﻟﺒﺮﺳﺒﻮﻟﯿﺲ ﻟﻠﻜﺎﺗﺒﺔ ﻣﺮﺟﺎن ﺳﺎﺗﺮاﺑﻲ"‬

‫اﻟﺒﺎﺣﺜﺔ‪ /‬إﯾﻤﺎن ﷴ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺤﻤﯿﺪ إﺑﺮاھﯿﻢ‬

‫ﻣﻠﺨﺺ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ ‪-:‬‬

‫ﺗﻌﺪ ﻗﺮاءة اﻟﺮواﯾﺔ اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة ﻣﮭﺎرة ﻻ ﯾﺠﯿﺪھﺎ اﻟﻌﺪﯾﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﺮاء‪ .‬وﻣﻦ ھﻨﺎ‪،‬‬
‫ﯾﺘﻄﺮق ھﺬا اﻟﺒﺤﺚ إﻟﻰ ﺗﺤﻠﯿﻞ اﻻدوات واﻵﻟﯿﺎت اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﮭﺎ اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة‬
‫ﻟﻨﻘﻞ اﻟﻤﻌﻨﻰ‪ ،‬وذﻟﻚ ﻟﻀﻤﺎن أﻓﻀﻞ اﺳﺘﯿﻌﺎب ﻟﻠﺮﺳﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﻤﻘﺼﻮدة ﻣﻦ ﻗﺒﻞ اﻟﻘﺎرئ‪.‬‬
‫وﺣﯿﺚ أن اﻻھﺘﻤﺎم اﻻﻛﺒﺮ ﻟﻠﺪراﺳﺎت اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻨﺎوﻟﺖ اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة ﻛﺎن ﻣﻨﺼﺒﺎ ً‬
‫ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﻮﺿﻮﻋﺎت اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻨﺎوﻟﺘﮭﺎ ھﺬه اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت‪ ،‬دون اﻟﻨﻈﺮ إﻟﻰ اﻟﺒﻨﺎء واﻟﺘﻜﻮﯾﻦ‬
‫اﻟﺬي ﺗﻌﻤﺪ اﻟﯿﮫ اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة ﻻﯾﺼﺎل اﻟﺮﺳﺎﻟﺔ ﻟﻠﻘﺎرئ‪ ،‬ﻋﻤﺪ ھﺬا اﻟﺒﺤﺚ إﻟﻰ‬
‫ﺗﻨﺎول ﻧﻈﺮﯾﺔ اﻟﺘﻜﻮﯾﻦ اﻟﺒﻨﺎﺋﻲ ﻟﺘﻘﺪﯾﻢ ﻧﻈﺮة ﺛﺎﻗﺒﺔ ﻋﻦ اﻻﺑﻌﺎد اﻟﻤﺮﺋﯿﺔ واﻟﻨﺼﯿﺔ ﻟﻠﺮواﯾﺔ‬
‫اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة‪ .‬وﯾﮭﺪف ھﺬا اﻟﺘﺤﻠﯿﻞ اﻟﺒﻨﺎﺋﻲ إﻟﻰ ﺗﻌﺰﯾﺰ اﻟﻘﯿﻤﺔ اﻻدﺑﯿﺔ ﻟﻠﺮواﯾﺔ اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة‪،‬‬
‫وزﻋﺰﻋﺔ اﻵراء اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺸﻜﻚ ﻓﻲ إﻣﻜﺎﻧﯿﺎت اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة‪ .‬وﻣﻦ ﺑﯿﻦ أھﻢ‬
‫ﻣﻦ ﻗﺪﻣﻮا دراﺳﺎت ﻋﻦ اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة وﺑﻨﺎﺋﮭﺎ وﯾﻞ إﯾﺴﻨﺮ )‪(٢٠٠٥-١٩١٧‬‬
‫وﺳﻜﻮت ﻣﻜﻠﻮد )‪ .(١٩٦٠‬وﻗﺪ اﻋﺘﻤﺪ ھﺬا اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﻋﻠﻰ آراﺋﮭﻤﺎ ﻻن أﻋﻤﺎﻟﮭﻤﺎ ﺗﻘﺪم‬
‫ﺗﻔﺴﯿﺮات واﺿﺤﺔ ﻵﻟﯿﺔ اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة ﻓﻲ ﺗﻮﺻﯿﻞ اﻟﻤﻌﻨﻰ‪ .‬واﻻﻋﺘﻤﺎد ﻋﻠﻰ‬
‫ھﺬﯾﻦ اﻟﻤﻔﻜﺮﯾﻦ ﻣﻦ ﺷﺄﻧﮫ أن ﯾﺪﻋﻢ اﻟﺤﺠﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﯾﺘﺒﻨﺎھﺎ ھﺬا اﻟﺒﺤﺚ‪ :‬اﻻ وھﻲ أن‬
‫اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة ﻟﮭﺎ ﻟﻐﺘﮭﺎ اﻟﺨﺎﺻﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﻌﺒﯿﺮ‪.‬‬
‫وﺗﻘﺴﻢ اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة طﺒﻘﺎ ً ﻟﻄﺮﯾﻘﺔ رﺳﻢ ﺷﺨﺼﯿﺎﺗﮭﺎ‪ .‬ﻓﯿﻤﻜﻦ أن ﺗﻜﻮن‬
‫اﻟﺸﺨﺼﯿﺎت ﻣﺮﺳﻮﻣﺔ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻛﺎرﺗﻮﻧﻲ‪ .‬وﻣﻦ ﻧﺎﺣﯿﺔ أﺧﺮى‪ ،‬ﯾﻤﻜﻦ أن ﺗﻤﯿﻞ‬
‫اﻟﺮﺳﻮﻣﺎت إﻟﻰ اﻟﻮاﻗﻌﯿﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﺼﻮﯾﺮ‪ .‬ﻛﻤﺎ ﺗﻠﻌﺐ اﻷﻟﻮان اﻟﻤﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺮواﯾﺔ‬
‫اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة دورا ً ﻓﻌﺎﻻ ً‪ .‬ﻓﯿﻤﻜﻦ ﻟﺒﻌﺾ ھﺬه اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة أن ﺗﻜﻮن ﺑﺎﻻﺑﯿﺾ‬
‫واﻷﺳﻮد‪ ،‬أوﻣﻈﻠﻠﺔ‪ ،‬أو ﻣﻠﻮﻧﺔ ﺑﺄﻟﻮان زاھﯿﺔ وﺑﺮاﻗﺔ‪ .‬وﯾﻈﮭﺮ اﻟﻨﺺ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘﺼﺺ‬
‫اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة ﻓﻲ ﺷﻜﻞ ﺑﺎﻟﻮﻧﺎت‪ .‬وﻓﻲ ھﺬا اﻟﺼﺪد‪ ،‬ﺗﻢ ﺗﺘﺒﻊ اﺳﺘﺨﺪام ھﺬه اﻵﻟﯿﺎت ﻓﻲ‬
‫اﻟﺮواﯾﺔ اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة ﺑﺮﺳﺒﻮﻟﯿﺲ )‪ (٢٠٠٧‬ﻟﻠﻜﺎﺗﺒﺔ اﻹﯾﺮاﻧﯿﺔ ﻣﺮﺟﺎن ﺳﺎﺗﺮاﺑﻲ‪ .‬وﯾﻈﮭﺮ‬
‫اﻟﺒﺤﺚ أن ﺳﺎﺗﺮاﺑﻲ اﺳﺘﺨﺪﻣﺖ ﻋﻨﺎﺻﺮ اﻟﺮواﯾﺔ اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة ﻛﺎﻟﺨﻄﻮط‪ ،‬واﻹطﺎرات‪،‬‬
‫واﻟﻤﺮاﯾﺎ‪ ،‬واﻻﻟﻮان اﻻﺑﯿﺾ واﻻﺳﻮد ﻹﻋﻄﺎء اﻟﻘﺎرئ ﺻﻮرة أﻗﺮب ﻟﻠﻮاﻗﻊ اﻟﺬي‬
‫ﺗﻌﯿﺸﮫ اﯾﺮان ﺑﻮﺟﮫ اﻟﻌﻤﻮم وھﻲ ﻋﻠﻰ وﺟﮫ اﻟﺨﺼﻮص‪.‬‬
‫واﻧﺘﮭﻰ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ إﻟﻰ اﺳﺘﻨﺘﺎج أن اﻟﺼﯿﻐﺔ اﻟﻤﺰدوﺟﺔ ﻟﻠﺘﻌﺒﯿﺮ اﻟﻨﺼﻲ واﻟﻤﺮﺋﻲ ﺗﻮﻓﺮ‬
‫ﻣﺴﺎﺣﺔ اﻓﻀﻞ ﻟﻠﺘﻌﺒﯿﺮ ﺑﻮﺿﻮح ﻋﻤﺎ ﺗﻌﺠﺰ اﻟﻜﻠﻤﺎت ﻋﻦ وﺻﻔﮫ‪ .‬ﻛﻤﺎ ان ھﺬه اﻻﻟﺘﻘﺎء‬
‫اﻟﻨﺼﻲ اﻟﻤﺮﺋﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺮواﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﻮرة ﺟﻌﻠﮭﺎ ﻓﺮﯾﺪة ﻣﻦ ﻧﻮﻋﮭﺎ‪ ،‬ﻓﮭﻲ ﺗﺠﻤﻊ ﺑﯿﻦ‬
‫اﻟﻌﻨﺎﺻﺮ اﻟﻤﺮﺋﯿﺔ ﻟﻸﻓﻼم‪ ،‬واﻟﺴﻤﺎت اﻟﻨﺼﯿﺔ ﻟﻸدب‪ ،‬واﻟﻌﻨﺎﺻﺮ اﻟﺘﺮﻓﯿﮭﯿﺔ ﻟﻜﻼھﻤﺎ‬
‫ﻓﻲ ﻗﺼﺔ واﺣﺪة‪.‬‬

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