The Power of Religion Compared in Persepolis and the Sound of Waves Anonymous 9th Grade

For some, religion is just another part of their daily routine. For others, it’s a way of life. In Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis Marjane finds herself able to express herself in the eyes of God. Within these conversations, Marjane sees the cracks within her own religion and undertakes the ambitious task of writing her own book of religion. Only one other person is granted with the privilege of reading her book -- Marjane’s Grandma. With the help of her grandma and God, Marjane begins to understand the unfairness in her world. Eventually, due to the overwhelming harshness of the Iranian revolution, Marjane gives up on religion and says goodbye to God. In Yukio Mishima’s the sound of waves, Shinji, a young man at the brink of adulthood, allows religion to shape the events of his life. A young woman by the name of Hatsue arrives in Shinji’s small village, stealing his heart and shoving him into a state of confused sickness -- Shinji has fallen in love for the very first time. As Hatsue and Shinji become close friends, another young woman, is overcome with a jealousy of Hatsue. The woman begins to spread exaggerated rumours of the the relationship throughout the village. These dreadful lies find themselves in the ears of Hatsue’s...