Events Leading up to the First Persian Gulf War

In Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis, Satrapi states that her goal in writing the book was to dispel many of the hasty generalizations made by the western world about Iran, a principal sentiment being that the country is little more than a nation founded by fundamentalists and home to terrorists and extremists. To combat the misconception, Satrapi enlists the assistance examples of barriers and dissent towards the new conservative regime in Iran from her adolescence. By employing events from her childhood in Iran Satrapi rattles the foundation of the myths and false beliefs assumed by the occident. Satrapi writes that the initial waves of conservative fundamentalism in Iran were met with unified national dissent. To support this

For readers who live in different countries with a huge difference in comparison to their governments such as America. Readers in America would most likely interpret this book as a call of pity or rather an eye-opener to other countries as “Persepolis” shows the culture and economy of Iran. In American they have a democratic government meaning that people have the right to fight and speak up for their ideas and beliefs, in other terms they have the right to freedom of speech, unlike in Iran when people protest to the government or ruler they get shot right in the spot or rather imprisoned and torture.

Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis recounts the conflicts and disillusionment as a result of living through the tyrannies of the Shah’s and the Islamic regimes. Her main motive was to keep alive the spirit of those Iranians who lost their lives in wars fought for freedom, suffered under repressive regimes or who were forced to leave their families. It highlights the daily conflict between tradition and modernity, West and East, dictatorship and individual freedom. Marjane has used several motifs, such as the veil, the mirror, background panels to emphasize on the situation in Iran and this essay focuses on how the veil becomes the dominant motif for portraying the suppression of individual freedom, knowledge

Throughout the Iranian Revolution, many events and changes took place that largely affected the views of Iranians by other nations. The graphic novel, The Complete Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi (Satrapi, 2003), conveys many of these events and changes through the eyes of a child growing up in the 1980s in Iran. Satrapi’s main purpose for this book is to describe how the Iranian government was corrupt, causing foreign nations to have a tainted view of all Iranian citizens. The Complete Persepolis does so by presenting major events and changes in a manner that is directed towards audiences that are willing to have an open mind about ethnicity and false stereotypes, and an audience that is young and can relate to the “coming of age” aspect of this novel. By exhibiting a credible first hand account of how Satrapi and many others were affected by the events that took place during the Iranian Revolution, The Complete Persepolis can effectively persuade a reader to eliminate the “Islamic extremist” stereotype that the corrupt Islamic Republic gave all Iranian citizens.

Iran was now unprotected, and a new power came into being. The Arabs invaded and the quality of life changed. “People fell into poverty as the greedy court imposed ever-increasing taxes. Tyranny tore apart the social contract between ruler and ruled that Zoroastrian doctrine holds to be the basis of organized life” (21). The Iranian people couldn’t survive with a ruler who had no sympathy or respect for them. Their life was being over run by foreigners.

The graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a political and personal account of a young girl’s growth to maturity. The novel serves as an autobiography of the author’s childhood in Tehren, Iran. It describes what it was like to grow up during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the end of the Shah’s regime, and the war with Iraq. One of the most prominent themes in the novel is the clash between modernity and fundamentalism. The reader can observe this conflict through Iran's internal oppositions, the Satrapi’s modernity, and Marji’s western soci-political beliefs. This aspect of the novel is important because it shows the ideological diversity within Iran and the consequences faced by those in the opposition.

The Iranian Revolution proved to have such a monumental impact on Iran. The political and social effects that came as a result of this event altered life for every Iranian. To demonstrate their discontentment towards the government, many people took matters to the paper and wrote about the prejudice and unfair treatment occurring in Iran. Two texts that show the cruelty and corruption of the Iranian government are the poem Dar is Bonbast and the novel Persepolis. Although these writings utilize distinct approaches to convey their message, they can be viewed as very similar because both texts revolve around the idea of basic freedoms being stripped from the common man, and both texts employ mood to show the ideals of injustice.

Rebelling has been a part of many people’s lives whether people try to or not, but not acts of rebellion are the same. In Iran, the Iranian people rebel against the Ayatollah in many minor and subtle ways. These small acts of rebellion could result in imprisonment or even death. In Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, the people of Iran bravely protest against the Islamic government in many subtle ways which show their determination to risk everything and fight for not only what the believe in, but also their country.

“One of the good things about the way the Gulf War ended in 1991 is, you 'd see the Vietnam veterans marching with the Gulf War veterans” (George H. W. Bush). President Bush stated that the Persian Gulf War was not fully supported by the soldiers who fought in the war. Gulf War veterans marched like Vietnam veterans because they also viewed the war as unjustified. Persian Gulf War veterans would say, “American soldiers lost their lives’ for oil.” The first Persian Gulf War started from August 2, 1990 and ended on February 28, 1991. This war began by the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. During this invasion some of the oil fields of Kuwait were set on fire and some of the oil spilled to the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf was the oil supplier for western countries. So anything happened to the Persian Gulf, the western countries will naturally react. The factors that led to The United States’ involvement in the first Persian Gulf War included Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, his control over a sizable share of the world’s oil reserves and his power over the economies of the world. Many Americans believe that the first Persian Gulf War was not necessary for the United States.

The novel “Persepolis” shows many life changes during the Islamic Revolution told through the eyes of a young girl. “Persepolis” was based on Satrapi’s childhood experience in Iran. Throughout the span of the 1970’s to the early 1980’s, Satrapi experiences many changes in her life, not only with the government, or her education, but also with herself. Although she witnessed many violent acts right in front of her eyes, these experiences helped Marji (Satrapi) grow as a young child.

As noted, the movie takes place during the The Iran-Iraq War. The war included religious schisms, border disputes, oil dimensions, and extreme political differences. The conflict divided between supporters of Saddam Hussein and Ayatollah Khomeini, both which had extremely devoted followers. On accounts of religion, the Iraqis believed that Iran's Islamic agenda was a threat to pan-Arabism. On the other side, Khomeini was promising to vindicate Shia victims of Ba'athist repression (CITE). Many critics firmly believe that the war began because of Saddam Hussein’s dire miscalculations. He had underestimated how devoted Khomeini’s followers were, and instead of a quick victory, plunged the states into an eight year war. Politically, Iraq wanted to prove its dominance and force to the Arab world, replacing Iran as the most powerful Persian Gulf state. The Iraqis had an extreme advantage, “the Iraqi military used chemical weapons against Iranian troops” (Tetreault, 158). The Iranians did not

Imagine growing up in chains, living a life of strict rules and harsh punishments, a life in which fear was your closest companion. This is the basic concept explored by Marjane Satrapi in her autobiographical graphic fiction “Persepolis”. Satrapi focuses on her own struggles growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and Iran’s war with Iraq. Both of these events help establish the setting and create an intensely high cultural climate. “Persepolis” is centered on Iran’s cultural distinctions and offers a symbolic glimpse into American freedom. When compared, Iran and the United States differ greatly in the establishment of religious, political, and social institutions.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic memoir that reveals the life of a woman growing up in pre and post Iran, as well as her experiences in Western countries. In this book, Marjane utilizes historical events that affect her life during her upbringing in Iran. These include the oppression of the Shah, as well as the rise and effects of the regime. These events’ integration into the story showcase how they affect Marjane and the other citizens of her country. Additionally, these events are important for the context and understanding that they grant readers unfamiliar with the text.

Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian-born French citizen is considered a marvelous writer and producer noted for showing aspects of the Iranian society through her novel she wrote. Aspects of the Islamic revolution and its society at that time can be observed in Satrapi novel Persepolis, which was published in the early 2000s. As the title suggests, the plot of the novel revolves around Marjane Satrapi and her family life, including the consequences of the Islamic revolution and what it felt like being an Iranian during the war. Through these characters, and their interactions, Satrapi investigates the important features of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, and the changes that occurred as the people were attempting to adjust from their old way

The graphic novel Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, explores her childhood years in the middle of the Islamic Revolution. Situated in the commotion of the overthrowing of the Shah's regime, and the war with Iraq, the reader learns how secularists, nationalists and even Muslims marginalized, excluded and silenced the modernists in Iran during the Islamic