Marji adores family members that have shown heroism throughout their life and uses their inspiration to try to bring change. She often compares herself and her father to the heroic deeds of her other family members. Marji often lies to her friends about her father being a hero, demonstrating her childish passion for a hero in her family. When her friend, Laly, boasts about her fathers heroism, Marji sadly realizes that [her] father was not a hero and that [her] mother wanted to kill people& (Satrapi, 52). Marji walks down the dark street with her head down, displaying her disappointment that she has no idol to look up to in her family. Since there is no one in her family to look up to, Marji strives to become a hero herself and uses that motivation to push her own beliefs. When Marji meets her Uncle Anoosh, she immediately adored him because she finally had a hero to look up to. When he told her the story of his journey into the U.S.S.R., Marji immediately thinks of Anoosh being superior because Lalys dad h
asnt ever been to the U.S.S.R. (Satrapi, 57). Marji had always compared people to one another, and now she finally felt a sense of superiority over Lalys dad. With this newfound sense of superiority, she made her own definition of heroism. Marji went on to use this definition to bring change through protests and demonstrations as she tried to prove her beliefs.
Marji becomes willing to sacrifice herself if it means to abide by her beliefs. Marjis beliefs include equality, kindness, and freedom, and she is ready to do anything it requires to abide by them. Marji risks herself when she protests, demonstrating that she is ready to sacrifice her life for a better society that follows with her beliefs and values. So, when Mehris affair is stopped due to their social class, Marji decides that she cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. That night, she explains that once she finally understood the reasons for the revolution [she] made [a] decision and told Mehri that they [were] going to demonstrate (Satrapi, 38).