In the novels Arabesques by Anton Shammas and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, autobiographical narrative is created through the use of unconventional writing styles. Shammas' use of the novel as the platform in which his autobiography is told goes against all preconceptions of how an autobiography is normally written. As Rachel Brenner points out, “Shammas's arabesque search for his double, synthesized in the metaphor of multiple self-reflections, ironically comments on the human tendency to shape one's worldview according to territorial, theological, and linguistic boundaries and zones” (Brenner 443) . An interesting result of using this format is that several parallels develop within the plot, blurring the distinction between truth and farce for the reader. Instead, Satrapi reveals her childhood in the form of a graphic novel, a revolutionary medium of autobiographical storytelling, especially in the Middle East, where it had never before been used as such, and especially not by a woman. In this format, the illustrations work alongside the text to convey the impact of the situation. Nima Naghibi and Andrew O'Malley state that “Persepolis succeeds in challenging the reader's expectations of the medium” (Naghibi & O'Malley 245). While in Arabesques stories from the past help form the narrator's identity, Persepolis employs a more direct and linear account of the people and events around her to create her sense of self. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the preface to his novel, Shammas quotes Australian author Clive James stating that "most early novels are autobiographies in disguise, [but] this autobiography is a novel in disguise. In saying this, Shammas reveals that Arabesques is above all an autobiography, but still contains novel-like elements in that parts of it can be fictionalized Through the countless stories of the narrator's beloved Uncle Yusef and the history and adventures of the Shammas family, the personality of Shammas (the narrator). Uncle Yusuf's stories are the most revered by Shammas, evident in the way he describes them as "flow[ing] around him in a swirling current of illusion that linked the beginning to the end... reality to tale" (Shammas 226). Each version of each story told by Shammas is connected to Shammas' entire story, serving to establish his own separate identity. Unlike the more abstract nature of Arabesques, Persepolis uses a very different form of storytelling but equally complex in that the nuances in the graphic images that accompany the text are quite profound and symbolic of something more than initially seen on the surface. The text focuses on the key issues of Iran in the period immediately following the dethronement of the Shah, but the graphic images paint a picture in the reader's mind of exactly what the narrator thinks, making it easier to identify with his thoughts. In this way, Westerners can enjoy reading this book and understand it quite well even if the problems are not typical of the American experience because the way it is written is a relatively common medium of writing in the West. Naghibi and O'Malley make this claim that, “while Persepolis provides a perspective on events unfamiliar to the Western reader, the comic book form it takes is itself automatically familiar” (Naghibi & O'Malley 232). Marji's character and her struggle to form her identity become more relatable to the average American because they don't have to imagine and imagine the people whoshe encounters, the events she goes through and the actions she commits or that others commit against her; are all illustrated, so this difficulty in relating to the character practically disappears, and instead focuses on his struggle to find his own political and religious points of view (Satrapi 96). definition of arabesque is a circle of events that never progress from a starting point to a distinct final destination (Brenner 440). Due to the “arabesque” nature of Shammas' autobiography, which is evident in his elaborate but disjointed stories, the ambiguity becomes very difficult for the reader to follow and accept everything as true, which is what an autobiography is theoretically supposed to do . This quality therefore changes one's entire perception of the autobiography, making it – as Shammas emphasized from the beginning – a fictionalized autobiography. Perhaps the fact that the story is told in Hebrew contributes to this fictionalization of the entire novel. “Hebrew is central to the 'm?tissage' or 'crossover,' as the languages ​​'intertwine' or interconnect [Shammas's] formative self and his evolving Western self” (Brenner 433). As a Palestinian Christian living in Israel, Shammas feels torn and divided about which “side” he belongs to and where he stands amidst all the tension. Through the use of the language of the "enemy", the Jew, Shammas expresses how he searches for his identity. In contrast to the fiction of autobiography in Arabesques, Persepolis's use of illustrations draws readers to the narrator more closely because they have less difficulty understanding the political and religious aspects of the plot. It is not easy for most Westerners to imagine a country filled with so many religion-based rules and so much political oppression, revolution and violence. Professors Naghibi and O'Malley state that "the 'cartoony' of [Satrapis'] drawings encourages the reader to see himself in Marji, to see himself in the other, to erase all differences in a gesture of 'cultural understanding '” (Naghibi and O'Malley 238). Although there is a separation of church and state in this country because Marji is an innocent child who is still forming her own opinions while living in a country where everyone is oppressed both politically and religiously, the reader can still understand her and connect with her. has previously pointed out that by writing in the language of the enemy, Shammas is trying to find his own identity as a Palestinian living in Israel. However, in doing so, he is also bridging the divide between the two ethnicities, proving that the two can coexist peacefully as friends. By telling the Arab story in the language of his enemy, Shammas not only creates controversy, but also instills the idea that a connection between the two is possible. Brenner argues that “language begins to heal conflict by mediating between the dominant majority and the dominated minority” (Brenner 435). In his view, Israelis (the “dominant majority”) and Palestinians (the “dominated minority”) can find a middle ground to end the tension between them, and this happens through language. This idea of ​​common domain is crucial to reduce the gap between them and bring them closer on a common basis. By using Hebrew, Shammas helps ease the tension that has divided Arabs and Israelis for two-thirds of a century. However, by using the rival language, Shammas is shedding light on the peaceful nature of the Arabs, nullifying all Western views that Israel is the only peaceful nation in the Middle East. Shammas' sense of identity is created by reflecting on the peaceful nature in which the two ethnicities can coexist, even as he strives to find his place in a country ruled by "the other." Through the use of language, the reader experiences the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict as they doShammas, and thus gains a better understanding of the relationship between the two nations and the possibility of friendship between them. Unlike Arabesques, Persepolis provides all information directly to the reader, and does not require the reader to analyze and interpret for themselves the meaning of each event presented in the narrative. Although the graphic novel format of autobiography seems like a very basic form of writing, it actually increases the reader's understanding of the novel. It's much more complex than it seems. For example, at the top of page 5, an image of veiled and unveiled women is shown, representing those for and against the subsequent revolution of 1979. This panel is very powerful in the way the women are illustrated. The veiled women have their heads held straight and their eyes closed, suggesting either that they don't know what is happening to them or that they think they are better than the unveiled women. The unveiled women, however, look quite angry as they sing “freedom,” a step forward in the push for women's rights, which have been virtually neglected since the Revolution. In a way, this image could be seen as an example of Marji's search for her own religious identity which she tries to form throughout the novel. Another example of a powerful image that Satrapi uses to develop her individuality is that of Karl Marx compared to God on page 13. The image itself is actually quite comical, but it is a good representation of Marji's search for own political identity. Without the use of these images, the text alone would not have been sufficient for the comparison between the two men; with images, however, Marji's struggle to find herself becomes more easily interpretable by the reader. By using images, Persepolis helps the reader see what the author sees and know what he knows. Therefore, the format of the novel contains an element of universality that does not exclude anyone from understanding its meaning and the author's experiences, making it, in other words, a true autobiography. While the graphic novel format of Persepolis is unique and makes it easier for readers to understand many of the novel's recurring events and themes, there are other factors that make it appealing to Western audiences. An example of this is that Westerners, especially Americans, love to hear first-hand accounts of the political and religious situations of different parts of the world, especially the Middle East. Naghibi and O'Malley agree that this is true; however, they also argue that Americans especially love listening to individuals who come from countries belonging to the so-called “Axis of Evil,” “especially in an autobiographical form that promises to reveal the intimate secrets of an exotic other” (Naghibi 225 ). Since Satrapi's story is an autobiography set in Iran during the Islamic Revolution of 1979, there is greater interest in the subject matter itself, and the first-hand account it provides the Western reader of the political and religious conflicts that occur in the country is extraordinary and fulfilling. Another reason why the novel appeals to Westerners may be that although Marji does not take sides in the debate about which lifestyle is better (Western versus Eastern), she shares many Western ideologies and views on some topics, the most predominant being pop culture: she likes listening to punk rock and Michael Jackson, and behaves like a typical rebellious American preteen or teenager. As we watch Marji's development from a toddler to a thirteen-year-old, she goes through several changes in her personality and her opinions and views on certain topics constantly fluctuate as she sees and hears new things,.