Examples Of Persian Culture In Persepolis

Persepolis is a film in 2007 which is based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel. This story is about Marjane life from young to adult. Persepolis refers to a city’s name. it is a story of Marjane growing in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. Persepolis also is written based on Marjane experience because she grew up Tehran, in a family which involved in communist and socialist movements in Iran during revolution. She writes the story mostly from her opinions and values that she observe from child. This story contains political and historical value which is very useful to everyone.

In the novel, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, there are many different themes that you could look at and decide to analyze. I decided to look at four different themes that are brought up throughout the novel. In the novel there is a lot of talk about the contrasting regions of Iran and everywhere else in the world, politics and religion, and warfare.

Abayas, shailas, burkas, and chadors: all are forms of veiling in the Middle East, and all are perceived as symbols of oppression and patriarchy by the West. The veil worn by a Middle Eastern woman is striking and beautiful in its simplicity and elegance. The hijab, the most common form of veiling, leaves only the face visible with the neck and hair completely covered. Onlookers are in awe at the mystery and symbolism associated with the many veils created out of fine, exotic silk. But such notions of oppression and patriarchy often associated with veiling are not only inherently biased and ironic – it would be interesting to explore the symbolism behind a mini-skirt or a pair of five-inch heels, no? – but they are also inaccurate. Although veiling has most definitely been used in the Middle East as a “mechanism in the service of patriarchy, a means of regulating and controlling women’s lives” (Hoodfar, 5), it has also been used as a mode for rebellion and self-expression. Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian woman who grew up during the Islamic revolution, resisted the regime and the universalizing nature of the veil in the hope that she could maintain her individual identity whilst communicating her political ideologies. By examining the way in which the veil is represented in Satrapi’s graphic memoir, Persepolis, while also considering the history of veiling in Iran, it will become evident that the veil is not just a political tool used by male chauvinists; it also presents an

The conflict in Persepolis is shown through the changes that are caused between families, women and children when fundamentalist Islamic state takes over Iran. The story progresses though the main character, Marjane’s point of view and experience.

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.

(Satrapi, 2003: 126) This brings another dimension to the relationship between Marji and her readers. Writing the novel in graphic form brings the Middle Eastern graphic novel closer to its Western neighbours because it is in a medium that is recognizable in the West. In addition, Satrapi’s depiction of Muslim leaders as "uneducated, primitive, and narrow-minded brutes" strengthens her connection with her Western readers whose perception of Muslim extremists might indeed be quite similar to the one crafted in the autobiography. (Constantino, 2008: 4) The novel Persepolis is effective because it was written to please a specific type of community. It uses language and cultural barriers in the illustrations and text to further separate the reader from the antagonists.

In the novel Persepolis, their religion is their way of life. The revolution exerted power and influence over so many people and this included several educated/middle class people like Satrapi and her parents. The people of Iran were restricted and lived in fear to be free and express themselves. Many people left after the revolution because they couldn’t or didn’t want their kids to be conformed to what society wanted them to be. Religion in Persepolis defines each and every character in the novel, from the way they dress to the way they speak. These laws were based on religion during the revolution. Religion in the story defined Margi at one point and how she viewed god, what they were allowed to wear, and how religion impacted the society. Despite the oppressive regime, the people tried to make the best out of the situation they lived in.

After the empowerment of the Islamic Regime, the treatment of women turned tables in Iran. Before the Regime, Iranian women were much like the average American woman during that time. They were able to dress in modern clothes, associate with male counterparts, and have a role in society. But most of this was drastically changed, especially the dress code. Around 1980, the women of Iran were forced into the wearing of a veil. A veil is a piece of cloth used to cover the hair and part of the face. Many women were against the veil and took to the streets to protest. After many protests, the women were still forced to wear the veil. In the graphic novel Persepolis, Marji goes the store and bought some modern clothes. She decided to wear them out to go buy tapes. In the last frame, Marji is approached by two women wearing chadors: “They were the Guardians of the Revolution, the women's branch. This group had been added in 1982, to arrest women who were improperly

Although in Iran it’s different. The first chapter of Persepolis entitled “the veil” opens up to how women in Iran was obligated to wear the veil meaning they don’t have no choice but rather to obey. If one disobeys this obligation they face consequences and this is shown in the chapter entitled “Kim Wilde” where Marjane goes out in public wearing modernized clothes such as punk shoes, leather jackets, tight jeans, and a Michael Jackson pin which the guardians of the revolution symbolized as a decadence called her out to be sent to the committee for dressing inappropriately. Unlike in America, if one woman decides to wear tight jeans and a crop top that shows her belly, no one would call her out as Americans have all the freedom to wear what they

In the beginning of the graphic novel, Satrapi portrays a frame where the children are playing with the veil to reveal a rebellious nature against the Islamic Revolution. “We didn’t really like to wear the veil, especially since we didn’t understand why we had to” (Satrapi 3). The narrator refuses to accept the change implemented by the Islamic Revolution’s philosophy. She conveys a message where many the children do not want to follow the new custom by creating an image where kids disrespect the veil. This image convinces the readers many of the children do not want to wear the veil is powerful. Western readers always stereotyped that all middle eastern girls dressed in a

Persepolis is an autobiography by Marjane Satrapi that pushes the reader to visualize Marjane’s life from childhood to growing and becoming an adult. This story takes place in Iran and it’s during the Islamic Revolution. The name Persepolis itself comes from the capital of an ancient Persian empire. The most prominent motifs for this novel is smoking, and the major reason for it is repetition, Marji spontaneously changes her lifestyle, habits, and attitude after she begins smoking, and that holds hands with another major motif which is coming of age. This writing will prove to you how Marji’s start of smoking and coming of age will bring changes to her lifestyle, attitude, and habits.

Even the youngest women are resisting to wear the veil, and is a great example of how western influence is victimizing women that are oppressed and are categorized into a suppressive group by wearing the veil. Satrapi was stuck in two mind sets which were the liberal-minded world of her parents and her religiosity. Another crucial moment of the chapter is where she says, “I really didn’t know what to think about the veil. Deep down I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde” (6.1). Satrapi had an important role when this big change happened. She was an individual who had a strong character as a child. Her family sees being religious while not wearing a veil compatible, the government believes the opposite. Satrapi foreshadows how at the end of the story she leaves Iran but never escapes her homeland Iran.

Persepolis is a coming of age story for Marji living in the middle of the Iranian war and adapting to the changes to both her culture and her personal life. Inequality between genders is heavily discussed within the story, as well as the struggles between the fundamentalist ideas and customs compared to the less extreme morals of some families: it is shown through the simplistic, but effective images by Satrapi.

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.

Taking place in the late 1970’s, Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” exemplifies a profound illustration of the county of Iran, including aspects of its people and political structure. Unlike a conventional composed novel, the story of Persepolis is expressed through both textual and visual representation; otherwise known as a graphic novel. Through the experiences of the ten-year old character Marjane, the reader is exposed to historical events, movements, crises, and motives that occurred within Iran. Furthermore, the novel has gained much praise in its portrayal of emotions that occurred through the people of Iran. Although there has been tremendous support of the account of Marjane, there have been a few critics of the novel, attacking its overall literary value. For instance, New York’s Ithaca College student paper called The Ithacan, slammed the role Persepolis had on the literary society. In fact, they went as far to say that the novel “...is worth broaching but its literary value, in terms of building vocabulary and furthering comprehension, falls short.” An absurd statement, to say the least. Not only is Persepolis of literary value, it is a glimpse into the past. It allows the reader to understand the various conflicts that the people of Iran were facing. Through the account of Marjane, the audience is exposed to elements of Iranian history, gender roles, religion, and political fluctuation.