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Uncle Anoush is the handsome, brave, and idealistic brother of Marji’s father who represents the hope and optimism of the early days of the Iranian Revolution. Anoush’s idealism leads him to study Marxism and support leftist causes. As a young man, he supports an early independence movement in Azerbaijan which leads to his forced exile in Russia and subsequent imprisonment. The way Satrapi depicts Anoush on the page the first time Marji sees him is like a White Knight of sorts who has come to save the day. His release from prison heralds the restoration of self-rule and the possibility for societal betterment. Uncle Anoush and Marji see a kindred spirit in one another. Both are intelligent and fiercely idealistic, and Uncle Anoush relishes in telling her his incredible story. He is an inspiration to Marji, and the two become very close. Despite Anoush’s intelligence and the clear signs that the incoming regime will be even worse than the Shah’s, Anoush lets his idealism cloud his judgment. He continues to insist that everything will be okay right up until his very imprisonment by the new regime. His execution by the same regime his movement helped to install is a crippling blow to the Satrapis’ spirit and to Marji’s especially. Moreover, Anoush’s death represents a moment of profound disillusionment for Iran’s leftist idealists and foreshadows a very dark time ahead.
