For some, religion is just another part of their daily routine. For others it is a lifestyle. In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis Marjane finds herself able to express herself in the eyes of God. Within these conversations, Marjane sees the cracks in her own religion and undertakes the ambitious task of writing her own religious book. Only one other person has the privilege of reading her book: Marjane's grandmother. With the help of her grandmother and God, Marjane begins to understand the injustice of her world. Ultimately, due to the crushing harshness of the Iranian revolution, Marjane renounces religion and says goodbye to God. In Yukio Mishima's The Sound of Waves, Shinji, a young man on the brink of adulthood, allows religion to shape his events of his life. A young woman named Hatsue arrives in Shinji's small village, stealing his heart and throwing him into a state of confused illness: Shinji has fallen in love for the first time. As Hatsue and Shinji become close friends, another young woman is overcome with jealousy towards Hatsue. The woman begins to spread exaggerated rumors about the affair throughout the village. These terrible lies reach the ears of Hatsue's rich father. Outraged, the man forbids Hatsue from seeing Shinji. Shinji falls into a state of depression, but still struggles to spend time with Hatsue. After many weeks, Hatsue's father asks Shinji to work for him on a cargo ship. In a great show of strength Shinji proves to his father that Shinji will make a great husband and gives Shinji permission to marry Hatsue. Both texts contain prominent figures who find comfort and advice by consulting religion; Persepolis uses this concept to convey how young Marjane has greater trust in God than in her own parents; and The Sound of Waves uses this image to highlight Shinji's sincere confidence in his religious beliefs in times of struggle. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Marjane's relationship with God is used to show how religion is a place where Marjane feels safe and can express her thoughts. Occasionally, God appears in her bedroom and they talk about what Marjane wants (8). God is a "person" whom she deems trustworthy enough to confess her secrets. One night, Marjane tells God that she wants to be a prophetess (8). His goal is strange, because all previous prophets were men; however, God is open-minded and allows Marjane to fantasize about this unusual thought. While many imagine God as “omnipotent,” Marjane rules over God (13). The only place Marjane feels any kind of power is within her religion. Buried in God's protective arms, Marjane talks about the security she feels with her friend. “The only place I felt safe was in [God's] arms,” (53). In contrast to The Sound of Waves, Marjane believes the world is atrocious and renounces religion altogether (70). When he speaks to God for the last time, he shouts “Shut up! Get out of my life!!! I never want to see you again!” (70). Marjane believes that religion is not strong enough to solve the horrible tragedies happening in Iran, so she must try to change herself, otherwise nothing will ever get better. After that incident, Marjane no longer has anyone to console herself with; she's alone, she's alone. Religion gave Marjane happiness and hope for a better time; but now it burns in the light of reality. Shinji's life revolves around his village's religion: if a positive event occurs, he thanks the gods and fears that the gods" (25)..