Satrapi draws a definitive parallel between the trajectory of her childhood and the trajectory of the Islamic Revolution, as well as the Iran-Iraq war. Her life—and her family’s history—is entwined with Iranian politics and culture. This is not solely a memoir of Satrapi’s childhood; to understand how she grew up, the reader must understand how the revolution, civil unrest, and war changed the world around her and affected her family.

For this reason, the book’s plot is not entirely linear: Satrapi’s experience of the revolution was not perfectly linear. Flashing back and forth between Tehran pre- and post-revolution—as well as before she is even born—Satrapi employs a semi-chronological structure. This allows for greater flexibility in storytelling and a richer, more vibrant depiction of the forces influential to Satrapi’s upbringing.

Coming-of-age tales often revolve around the loss of innocence. As the Iranian Revolution is an intrinsic part of the narrative, Satrapi’s loss of innocence is easily identifiable. Moreover, her loss of innocence symbolizes the loss of innocence many Iranians experience once it became clear that the country post-revolution will adhere to fundamentalist Islamic beliefs rather than socialist and communist ideals. For Satrapi, this loss of innocence quickly turns into disillusionment: in her country, in the revolution, in her family, and in her own power.