Persepolis and Lost Culture

In the other books we have read, we have discussed how a person can feel like an "other" within the culture they live in. Usually, this sense of isolation is due to differences in ethnicities and race and the attempts made to assimulate to the mainstream culture. Though race is not as much of an issue in this text, there is still a sense of being an "other." Even in her own country, amidst her neighbors and the people she grew up with, Marjane and her family never accept the culture forced upon them by the government. Thus, while the women wear the veils and the father stops wearing western clothes, the notion that they are part of the new Iranian culture is only for appearances.
This idea of being an "other" is further evident in Marjane. In her adolescence, Marjane loves wearing the western punk clothes that she feels represents her identity. Yet, this is not accepted. Like the other protagonists we have read about, Marjane's true expressions of identity are repressed because they are not accepted by the dominant culture.