The early chapters of Persepolis focus as much on Marji’s internal fantasy life as they do on the harsh realities of daily life in Iran. Imagining herself to be the “last prophet,” for example, Marji
elbows her way into an all-male line-up that includes Muhammad, Jesus, and Abraham (6). Later,
after relinquishing her desire to become a prophet, Marji fantasizes that she will become a
revolutionary hero in the tradition of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and Leon Trotsky (10, 16). Why
do the early chapters devote so much space to Marji’s fantasy life? How does Satrapi depict the
function of fantasy?