Character Bios

Character Bio
King Louis XVI

Louis-Auguste, more famously known as King Louis XVI, was king of France from 1774- 1792 and husband to the equally infamous Marie Antoinette. He was born August 24, 1754, to the son of King Louis XV and Marie-Josèphe of Saxony, his wife. He spent his childhood shunned by his parents, even though he was one of the few ones left. Without the care of his parents, he turned to academics, and lock making as a way to occupy his time.

At age fourteen, he married the dauphin of Austria, Marie Antoinette. After his fathers death in 1774, he ascended to the throne, with his wife at his side.

He is a relatively short man. As a young man, he was, if not handsome, then at the very least passably attractive. But as the years passed, his likeness to a pig grew. This is why, on our graphic novel, he is depicted as one. his hair is a dull brown, always covered by a white wig.

He was very educated, being one of the first French monarchs to master English, and to study the philosophy of the enlighteners. Still, because of his apparent shunning of the government, he was viewed coldly by his people as a simpleton who did not deserve the monarchy.

From the beginning, its evident that Louis was not cut out for the job of king. as a child, he was studious and introverted. This did not change as he grew. He was a timid and quiet man, and soon much of his people grew to resent him. He tried to make the right decisions for his country, but was easily led astray by people of the court who's wishes differed from his. He was not a bad man, in fact, his timidity led him to be honest. But it was that same timidity that earned him a bad name. He was reputed as disloyal to his country because of it.

Because of his shyness, he shunned court life. Instead, he spent his time hunting, studying, making locks, etc.

In our story, he is depicted as a pig, because he is always portrayed as a sort of bumbling fool. And a pig is the animal equivalent of that.

Jacque

Character Bio

Jacque is the other important male figure in our novel. He lives with his parents and his three siblings (two younger sisters and one younger brother). He is, even as a child and more pronouncedly as he ages, quite tall for his age. His body frame is slim, but not thin. His hair is a dark brown, almost black. He is quiet, and keeps his feelings close, but is very perceptive and does his best to help those around him. He is, in both appearance and personality, very different from his friend Marie, but as they say, opposites attract. While she is adventurous, he is cautious. Marie is not particularly well educated, having only been extensively taught in religion. Jacque, meanwhile, has extensive teaching in reading, writing, arithmetic, as well as religion. As Marie tends to busy herself in the gossip of the country, he gravitates towards the more serious topics of the oncoming war.

At the beginning of the story, he is the same age as Marie, only about 9 years old. They officially become friends when Jacque decides he is going to teach Marie how to read in secret. Through the 15 years this book encompasses, he matures greatly, and his views on the world he lives in change dramatically as the tension around him increases exponentially.

From childhood, he and Marie have been close friends. He has always been there when she needed help. He has experienced the same events in his countries history, although even his take on them is different. Perhaps it’s because they are so different that Marie and Jacque seemed to gravitate towards one another. But no matter what, they are the closest of friends, and help each other through the hardships they face.

For the other characters bios, visit Emily Nuthall!!!

Story Outline

Outline of “Let Them Eat Cake”

**This copy has been edited**

The year is 1778, France is in turmoil, and the dislike for the king and queen is mounting interminably. Louis Xvi is a sissy, who does nothing as a true ruler should, spending his time shunning his country and obsessing over the hunt. His wife is no better; she has recently been framed in a scandalous event involving the former king's mistress, and a very large sum in diamonds.

The personal story of Marie Antoinette is as fascinating. Our story follows Marie Antoinette from the year of the infamous Diamond Necklace Affair, through the French Revolution. Other topics that are focused on in the story are: the storming of Bastille Prison, the flight of the royal family, and the trials and execution of the king and queen.

Marie Antoinette was, in reality, a compassionate woman. Her lavish spending habits were attributed to the neglect she suffered at the hands of her husband. Most of the time during her reign, she was ridiculously bored, and this was another reason for her disparaged habits. As the political blood boils in the veins of her people, she remains oblivious to it, until it finally begins to boil over. This graphic novel is half based on the way important events in the French revolution affected Marie Antoinette, her feelings (or our take on them) on what is happening to her country, the way she deals with its government collapsing and the people taking over.

The other half of our graphic novel is based upon the life of a French citizen at the very same time. Her name is also Marie, and at the start of the novel, she is only nine years old. As her queen ages, so does she, they experience the same events, but are affected differently by them. While the diamond necklace has little effect of Marie, it severely undermines Antoinette’s reputation. As she grows, she is taught to see their queen as a curse upon the nobility, the downfall of the government, and the reason why a revolution is needed. But at the same time, Marie empathizes with her queen. They are both young women, and all women suffer their troubles.

Through all this, Marie takes an active part in all the major events of the revolution. She’s there at the storming of the Bastille, hears about the escape of her king and queen, and witnesses the decapitation of Antoinette.

Through this story she is not alone. As a child, she is accompanied by her friend, Jacque. As she matures, she learns to see Jacque as more than a friend. Through secret lessons where Jacque teaches Marie how to read, their relationship blossoms. As she narrates the happenings in her country, her personal love story entwines itself to make a wonderful portrait of a growing young woman during this critical time.

Persepolis

The book Persepolis is the memoir of a girl named Marjane Satrapi, a native Iranian who tells the story of her childhood in post-revolutionary Iran. The background story for this book is based on the upheaval faced in Iran both during and after the Iranian Revolution. Through this book, it is discovered how the revolution was experienced by a member of the proletariat community, how a common citizen was affected by the upheaval of their country. Some major events that take place during the narration of this story include the drastic change of the school system, from a relatively secular system of education, to a suddenly highly religious based form of instruction. It is said that the bi-lingual schools are unnecessary, even a form of decadence. Her hopes of moving to the United States are dashed when the U.S. Embassy is taken over, its employees taken hostage, and eventually closes. Not only that, but the entire form of government is reformed into a veritable theocracy, and the former Shah and the type of government that accompanies him is disbanded and destroyed. An embargo is taken between Iran and numerous countries, and the nation suffers because of it. As well as the changing governmental tide, there is also trouble brewing between Iran and its neighbor, Iraq. The country is a reservoir for strife and change (not always in the right direction).

But Marji not only suffers through enormous administrative changes, but personal ones as well. Family members die, friends leave, and her personal life changes drastically. She must now move clandestinely through the streets of her own city for fear of being caught and punished simply for her dress. She soon gains the mindset of a martyr, sacrificing what she must for her country, and her freedom.

Throughout this book, we see Marji as she matures. We see how her view on what is happening to her country and her people changes. Marji becomes the very embodiment of a teenage rebel. But her rebellious nature shines out for a reason. She believes in the freedom she deserves, and she fights for it. She begins to see her parents more for what they are, freedom fighters. As she ages, she wishes more and more to become one of them. The events that shape her new conscience include the death of her uncle, to whom she was very close. Not only do her friends depart for other countries, but soon her family is put to the new stresses of enduring constant bombings and the threat of death.

At the end of Persepolis, Marji is sent off to Vienna, with the last image of her parents being that of her mother collapsing in her father’s arms. Not exactly the most heartwarming and encouraging scene for a now-lonely teenager. But, soon she grows accustomed to life without her parents. She lived in Austria through her years of high school. After she finished high school, she decided to return to Tehran in order to attend university there. She soon met and fell in love with a man, at age 21, and moved to France. Once there, she began publishing comics in the newspaper, and soon became famous for the publication of her autobiography, Persepolis and Persepolis 2.