Persepolis written by Marjane Satrapi tells a tale of a young daughter being raised in a society that she is not fond of. The main character in the novel, Marjane, is forced to adapt the lifestyle that her community enforces. She is told to wear clothing that she does not find fashionable, forced to be obedient to her parents, and following society’s standards for females.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, is a novel about an illiterate boy named Huck Finn who helps free his personal slave. Even though on the surface this might seem as an act of kindness, it is a rebellious movement against what his society tells him. Huck Finn takes place during the slave movement and the Jim Crow laws. These laws stated if any slave was found without their master, they must be returned. Slaves were considered property, and as a result, disobeying the laws would be considered stealing. Both Marjane and Huck Finn are rebels to their society.
Huck Finn leads Jim to freedom, which is a sign of rebellion against their society. At times in the novel, Huck debates if saving Jim was the correct action to take. He is contemplating saving his friend due to what the others would think of this action. During the slave movement, an act similar to helping a slave However with thinking over all of the possible outcomes, he realizes that he has to save him. He helps Jim become a freed man oblivious to the fact that it is against society. He hides him in places to prevent him from being spotted, help him find routes and treats him as a human being. Huck understands that there is severe punishment for helping Jim to become a free man, but he still helps him find freedom. This makes Huck Finn a rebel to society.
Marjane is a rebel to the ideal female in her society. Women in Persepolis would wear hijabs that covered their hair and they would be obedient to their parents. Marjane rebels against the society by refusing to wear the hijab and wears jeans. In one scene, Marjane gets scolded for wearing this attire by a teacher. She was astonished by seeing the westernized dress code that Marjane was wearing in public.
Marjane was wearing these clothes in order to be an individualist in her community. She also is disobedient to her parents. She steals a cigarette from her Uncle and then proceeds to smoke it without her parents aware. Marjane smokes in order to be disobedient to her parents. It was unheard of a daughter ignoring her parents’ authority. Marjane therefore acts rebellious in the novel,
Both Marjane and Huck Finn rebel against society’s stereotypes of “proper” and “well mannered” human beings. They both are individuals and express it with their actions. Marjane dresses differently than the others in order to rebel against society. Huck Finn saves Jim out of kindness and rebellion against the Jim Crow laws. Huck Finn does not agree with the beliefs that slaves are not real human beings, therefore he turns against this law. When Marjane does not agree witht the stereotypes that the women are forced to follow, she begins to become an individual and dresses and acts the way she pleases. Both The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Persepolis are about rebels to society in adolescent children.
