Persepolis Analysis

The historical background of Iran is the most important idea that influences Marjane 's novel. Mohammad Reza Shah was the leader of Iran from 1941 to 1979. During his reign, Iran was living a westernized life. He initiated a revolution called the White Revolution, which included permitting women to vote, the abolition of illiteracy, land rehabilitation and distribution of oil. Basically, everyone in Iran, including Marjane’s family, was living a westernized live during Shah’s regime. As Satrapi’s mentioned, she used to go to a non-religious French school, in which boys and girls were mixed. On the other side, there was a

Marji’s hatred towards the new Islamic government due to the oppression her loved ones have had to endure, causes her to act out and rebel against the law. There are many instances of Marji’s defiance against the government and religion. One example of her rebellious nature is exemplified when she and her maid, Mehri, decide that “tomorrow [they] are going to demonstrate” (Satrapi, 38). She makes this decision after discovering the truth on social hierarchy and the government in Iran. She wants to support the Iranian citizens in fighting against the rules and religion to make Iran a free country again. Another example

Another historical event that we see is the rise and effects of the Islamic regime in Marjane’s life. This event is arguably the central issue that affects Marjane during her upbringing in Iran. Marjane shows how the regime begins to control schools, and how this affects her life by separating her from her friends (4, 3-4). We also see how the regime decides to close universities as they “educate future imperialists.” (73, 1-3) This demonstrates the negative effects that the regime has on society, as they prioritize Islamic values over education. The Islamic leaders portrayal shows them as upset and bored, and are given much different facial expressions than those that Marjane sees as intellectual (such as Uncle Anoosh (54/3) or Marjane’s grandfather (23/8)). This imagery communicates the backwards-thinking of these leaders, and as such, also effectively communicate Marjane’s opinion of the leaders without needing to discuss it with text. Additionally, we see both of Marjane’s views: Marjane not understanding the veiling and separation (3/5) as well as Marjane’s depression over the closing of the universities (73/7). The text here illustrates her opinions on the situations that she experiences, and the imagery allows us to see a visual representation of her basic thoughts and emotions, which are well communicated. A final example of the regime’s changes is the difference between the fundamentalist and modern women

While Marji is struggling to find her sense of belonging, now that she is in Vienna she is constantly searching for a replacement family. From all the lessons that her family has taught her she realizes that her grandmother provides insight to never forget who she truly is. Marji, however, does not seem to grasp this teaching easily because she is trying to please others and adapt a sense of belonging. Her grandmother tells her before she leaves “There is nothing worse than bitterness … always keep your dignity and be true to yourself” (150). Marji tries her best to start with her family as identifying as Iranian, however, she finds this challenging because she is having a hard time fitting in. In search of a replacement family, she constantly tries out new things just to fit in and not to be seen as a typical violent Iranian by her peers.

She was looking for freedom and liberties which were controlled in Iran. Vienna had all the freedom she needed, perhaps a little more than required. Her life in Vienna wasn’t easy; she faced a lot of problems. Marjane had lost her identity being a part of bad company. Marjane wanted to regain her lost dignity and respect.

Everyone has gone through a phase in which they felt different from everybody, in which they felt detached from the general public. In Persepolis, a young girl named Marji living in the harsh environments of war and religious conflict struggles to distinguish herself from the homogenous and automaton population. The book explores areas in Marji’s childhood as well as part of her teenage years and presents events that ultimately influence and shape Marji’s character. The book also has a variety of main ideas, which the author brings to life through dialogue and illustrations. Marjane Satrapi shows the reader Marji’s rebellious nature throughout Persepolis and her desire to break apart from the general body and be one for herself. As a result,

In America, the Islamic Revolution means absolutely nothing to a ten year old child, but in Iran it’s like a plague that’s draped across their entire world as they know it. Most Iranian children are unlike the children of the United States, which have no restrictions on dress or schools, even freedom. Iranian children live in a country controlled by their government that prohibits simple pleasures and freedoms because this government forbids Iranian families the ability to control their own lives. Iranian’s live in a country that demands they have obedience to their religious culture at all times or pay the consequences.

The Islamic dress code is imposed upon women in Iran, sparking outrage and rebellion among the women. Simple breakings of the code or mild protests, such as a piece of hair sticking out, leads to the revelation of the extent to which women are detested for their aversion of the patriarchy. Women are subdued with derogatory comments; for example, at one point in the movie, Marji’s mother is told by a member of the religious police that he “fucks whores like [Marji’s mother] and then throws them in the trash.” Some women, however, submit to the religious rule, falling in line with patriarchal religious police, and degrading women who do not submit to the imposed laws; in one example, Marji is threatened to be taken into custody by two women due to her improper veil and even called a “slut.” These two opposing sides reveal the plight of women during this period in Iran; in all reality, they have two choices: obey their government, conforming to the Islamic fundamentalist ideology, sometimes even relinquishing their own beliefs all in order to avoid persecution, or rebel, fighting for their rights and refusing to conform to such oppressing beliefs, most often at the risk of being arrested. Due to the push factors of the harsh realities of the war and the imminent danger Marji faces, due to her fighting spirit and consistent rebellion, Marji’s is forced to move to France, where she can live a life free from her repressive

One way the Iranian people rebelled against the Iran government was by allowing western influences into their lives or acting more modern than the traditional Islamic government. In the chapter Kim Wilde, she shows her love for music, specifically western music. This is meaningful because the government has outlawed most western or modern ideas or influences. Marjane’s love for western music has even nearly gotten her arrested by the guardians of the revolution when she was walking around town after getting a few tapes of music by western musicians. As she was walking home she was stopped and asked about her clothing and Michael Jackson pin, one of her favorite musicians. This leads to the next act of rebellion Marjane does, her clothes and shoes. During the same time when she was stopped by the Guardians of the Revolution, Marjane was asked about her shoes. Marjane claimed,”I wear these because I play basketball,” (Satrapi 134) but the Guardians refused to believe her and questioned everything she says. Marjane tries to make an excuse so she is not taken away by the Guardians of the revolution. This shows that even through a small act of rebellion such as wearing western clothing, you can be punished for it. This makes everything that does not conform with the government a massive problem. In a final attempt at getting home safely she says, “Ma’am, my mother’s dead. My stepmother is really cruel and if I don’t go home right away, she’ll kill me… she’ll burn me with the clothes iron! SHE’LL MAKE MY FATHER PUT ME IN AN ORPHANAGE” (Satrapi 134). She finally convinces the guardians to let her go and is able to get home safely.This shows the risks Marjane takes to rebel against the Iranian government and

Throughout Persepolis, Marjane must come to recognize the divide between modernity and fundamentalism in Iran as well as in the Satrapi household. From early on, Marjane sees this conflict arise in herself as well, stating “deep down I was very religious, but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde” (6). Marji comes from a family that values Western social values as well as the materialism of the West, appreciating rock posters, jean jackets and nice cars as well as liberal education and human rights. Her avant-garde family, however, exists amid a country that values fundamentalist culture. Satrapi expresses that after she was forced to wear a veil at school and separated from the boys in her class, she was unsure of how to feel about the veil, as it was a symbol of her traditional sense of self, but also covered up the modern values instilled in her by her parents. Marjane has a difficult time throughout Persepolis finding herself amid the differing views within herself. From a young age, her parents stress that religious and ideological fundament-alism takes away from people’s identity and self-respect. Marjane—who is devoted to God and becoming the last prophet—feels as though she must hide her own traditional opinions from her parents, telling them she wants to become a doctor and later telling God “I will be a prophet, but they mustn’t know” (9). As Marjane tries to hide her fundamentalist views, she ultimately begins to lose them, and in this loss, she also begins to lose her naïve self. With her symbolic first cigarette and desperateness to attend demonstrations and interrupt class with expressions of her parents’ modern views, Marjane matures quickly in an attempt to unify her identity. By the end of her memoir, Satrapi must separate herself from

This wasn’t the only time that Marjane was discriminated against while living in Vienna. It wasn’t until she faced these discriminatory actions that she truly felt like distancing herself from her Iranian culture. Because of this she felt the need to assimilate herself into a completely different person, such as wearing punk style clothing and cutting her hair. Not only was MArjane discriminated against because of her ethnicity, but also because she was woman. Once she returned to her home of Iran, she faced the sexist and misogynistic laws that are prevalent in Iran. It is stated in the Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia that “The major obstacle to

Through the story, the historical events and repercussions of the Islamic Revolution and Iraq War in Iran were discussed. The graphic novel provided an in-depth look into the life of Marjane during the time. She began the book by discussing the implementation of veils into the society to keep from exciting men and expresses the multiple views relating to their use. The use of veils began after the Islamic Revolution to overthrow the Shah occurred in 1979 in Iran. It is from there we learned about the different elements altering Marjane’s life. With the use of this text, we were provided a comprehensive understanding of the different views pertaining to the changes occurring in Iran. The views of her and her family provided in this text, allow for a personal account of the hardships they struggled. It also furthered our understanding of Iran and the Islamic Revolution. Shockingly, the histories of these events are rarely discussed in classes, with this having been my first experience with the topic in an academic

Soon after the revolution, Iran became one bundle of chaos as the country began experiencing internal difficulties with the new republic. Then with the war between Iran and Iraq, violence became Marji’s daily lifestyle. The Iranians were left to themselves to protect their friends and family from the bombings and other types of violence happening in plain sight. Many unfortunate individuals lost their belongings as well as close friends and family. For example, a close friend of Marji’s mother, Mali and her family, lost her and her family’s belongings in a bombing. The family found refuge in Marji’s home until they left Iran for good. They were one of the few families who understood the severity of the violence overwhelming Iran.

When she sends Marjane away from Iran, she assures her: “I know how I brought you up. Above all, I trust your education” (147). Marjane’s mother doesn’t want her daughter to live in such an oppressive time. When the veils become mandatory, Marjane’s mother wishes to take her to an opposition demonstration: “She should start learning to defend her rights as a woman right now!” (76) In growing up with such strong female role models, Marjane learns to express her opinion and always stand by her beliefs. They taught her to stand up for herself as a woman, and in doing so, introduced her to a feminist perspective on life.

The story of Marjane opens during a fundamental time period of Iranian history, a period that consisted of the Islamic Revolution. As stated earlier on in the novel, this revolution was the force that caused the Shah to flee from Iran in the year of 1979. Like many others in Iran during this time, Marjane and her family found no interest in the Shah. During his reign, the Shah showed signs of diluting Iran's value of a constitutional monarch, and instead moved the country towards an absolute monarchy. Additionally, with the U.S peddling the Iranian oil supply, many Iranians felt betrayed by the Shah, as he became a so-called puppet for the U.S. Because of this, his popularity slowly plummeted, and an uprise began within the country. This uprise, is then shown through Marjane's perspective. Therefore, through