Self-Treachery and Pride

I was sympathetic for Marjane, imagining the culture shock she experienced especially with nobody to ground her or help guide her through all of the emotional turmoil you go through as a teenager. I would be exceedingly anxiety ridden over leaving my family and friends to the perils of a revolution. Given the powers that be it seems almost egotistical to think that there's anything you could do by remaining and being with them but then the what if question arise. This notion, I think, plays into a sense of guilt Marjane feels over the freedom she has in Austria and what she's done with her time there. A major theme that captured her time away from home was her reflection upon the words of advice her grandmother imparted to her and how they contributed to her developing identity: "there is nothing worse than bitterness or vengeance...always keep your dignity and be true to yourself". It’s through her loss of dignity and the mockery of her heritage by others that she discovers herself.