Research Paper On Persepolis

Adolescence is an age where children began to find themselves or, in some cases, lose themselves, an idea clearly developed by Satrapi in her graphic novel “Persepolis”. Satrapi explores the challenges and difficulties experienced by a sheltered and naive girl during the tumultuous and uncertain years of the Iranian revolution and attempts to solve the oppression she witnesses by the Islamicist government. This is important to the whole text as it identifies the religious conservatism and Islamisation of the state causes distress and confusion in Marjane who consequently had to redefine herself, given that her freedom and personal liberties were denied them in schools, public places, and even her own home.

Through Satrapi's graphic novel, she clarifies how during this time in the Islamic Revolution there were numerous social and emotional problems for families. Ladies had numerous confinements that disparaged them as residents. The leaders of Iran, and a large portion of the men believed that ladies were second to them and treated them poorly in various ways. The Tehran Militant Clergy, was to a great degree strict about ensuring natives were following the Islamic laws. The Islam religion powers ladies to wear veils, called a hijab, to cover their heads and parts of their faces and necks. There are many different reasons for why ladies in the Islam religion wear the hijab. A few Muslims trust that the hijab is worn in light of the fact that God expects ladies to cover their hair. In Persepolis, Satrapi demonstrates to us that most ladies didn't appreciate wearing the shroud and were not steady of the predominant demeanor of men. Right now there was likewise a convergence of Westernized culture that Satrapi herself appreciated, particularly

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.

One of these incidents occurs when Marjane is in art school. When the students were told that they needed to wear longer headscarves, Satrapi immediately responded that “as a student of art…I need to move freely to be able to draw.” She further questions “why is it that I, as a woman, am expected to feel nothing when watching these men with their clothes sculpted on but they, as men, can get excited by two-inches less of my head scarf?” here Marjane questions the restrictiveness of the veil and comments on the injustice in Muslim society and the gender inequality. The veil represent the repressions and the gender injustices in Iran. By revolting against the veil Marjane is able to protest the repressions. On hearing Marjanes complaint, the school administrators asked Satrapi to design her own veil. Marjane accepts this offer while still in the confines of the veil. Marjane designs the veil to suit the needs of the students and

As American singer-song writer Duncan Sheik once said, “It’s inevitable your environment will influence what you do.” It is not a secret that the environment a person grows up in helps shape their views of the world and how he or she perceives different issues. The United State of America are known as the melting pot. We have many cultures and races all living within the same cities working together peacefully for the most part. To outsiders America is the place to come to achieve the “American Dream”, and it is the place where fresh starts, entrepreneurship, and individualism are highly encouraged. There are freedoms in American that many other people across the world are not as lucky to have.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novel that provides insight into a young girl living in Iran during the hardship of war. Persepolis takes place during the childhood of Marjane Satrapi. It gives a background of the Islamic Revolution and the war in Iran. Satrapi attempts to guide herself in a corrupted world filled with propaganda. She tries to develop her own morality concerning religion, politics, and humanity. Satrapi was blessed enough to have high class status and parents who had an open mindset about the world around them. Thanks to her slightly alternative lifestyle, she is able to reconstruct gender norms that society has set by depicting the different ways women resist them. “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others” by Lila Abu-Lughod is an essay detailing the misconceptions surrounding the veil. Through this essay we can see how colonial feminism, the form of feminism in which western women push for a western way of living on their third world counterparts, has shined a negative light on cultures all around the world - particularly Islamic women. The essay shows how women who don’t conform to American societal structures are labeled as women who urgently require saving. Through this essay one can develop a thorough understanding of the veil itself and the many representations it holds to different entities. Although in Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood Satrapi

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.

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

Ultimately, Satrapi’s images of the indistinguishable characters accentuate the perception of a western reader to see the Veil as quite oppressive. In America, young teenagers live in a society where clothing and hair is meant to define and express themselves. It is normal for a 17 year old girl to curl her hair and go on a date with her boyfriend. However, in Iran, this is not the case, and as evident in Persepolis, woman are restricted to show her hair or publically show affection to any man who is not her husband. This restriction is something that not many people, especially in predominantly Christian societies are accustomed to. On page 74, Taji, Marjane's mother warns her daughter by explaining one of her experiences, "They insulted me. They said that women like me should be pushed up against a wall and fucked. And then thrown in the garbage. ...And that if I didn't want that to happen, I should wear the veil...” Indeed, Marjane had always been deprived of her individuality, not only as a woman, but as a person. Being a woman in Iran meant Marjane was never able to fully express herself, not only by not

Witnessing a young child’s awareness throughout a complex incident in a step towards maturity is always eye opening; however, observing complete acceptance in youth is exceptional. It is very rare for a child to be fully aware of what is happening during a complicated, or sometimes even scary, situation; let alone to accept the circumstance comprehensively as just a way of living. From the beginning to the end of her novel, Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi shares her childhood in Iran with all readers. Within the pages of this novel, Satrapi expresses that, as a young girl, she was uniquely aware and accepting of the events swirling around her. This telling is portrayed to the reader through the themes of revolution,

Amazing, intriguing, and unimaginable are just a few words to describe how I felt about Persepolis while I read this true life story of Marjane Satrapi. This book has helped me to see all the life struggles, good times, and adversities that Marji faced between the ages of nine to thirteen. The Islamic Revolution had such a daunting effect in the Middle East, especially in the county of Iran where Marji and her family resided.

Many Characters in novels face a challenge where rebellious acts are necessary. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, some characters face a difficult challenge where they thought rebellious acts are necessary. In the Lowland, Udayan is one of the main characters who believe equality. He believes violent and disobedient acts against the Indian government to bring equality. Udayan focuses to bring equality to the peasant and poor classes. He manages to protest and act after India is freed from imperialism from England. And, in Persepolis, Marji believes in her ideal to pursue western and secular lifestyle. The depiction of her life in the graphic novel reveals many rebellious phases

Explicitly, this illustrates self-expression and individuality for the girls have been illustrated differently, however, in the background of the frame, you see five girls depicted all wearing the same black veil. Implicitly this shows how the veil is masking personal expression. This overwhelming sense of similarity qualifies the idea of forceful placement of a religion onto the Irani society. This veil prohibits society to know what that girl's hair looks like or anything else that would exhibit idiosyncrasy. This use of a personal story from Satrapi's childhood is an attempt to appeal to emotions of the reader by seeing the opinions of the children regarding the veil.

Marjane Satrapi is known as a graphic novelist, cartoonist, illustrator, film director, and a children's book author. Satrapi was born in November 22, 1969, in Rasht, Iran but was raised in Tehran. Additionally, she also was raised by both of her parents who were educated members of the Iranian society which are a part of the revolutionaries and communists. The challenges that Satrapi faced in her childhood, such as being part of the Islamic Revolution, had influenced her to create a memoir growing up in Iran. She became one of the most famous and influential graphic novelists to bring awareness about the revolution and Iran-Iraq War in her comic book “Persepolis.”

The main character and also narrator of Persepolis was raised in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, the second Iran war as well as the Iraq war. The Islamic Revolution had a strong impact in regards to women’s rights, specifically the legislation which was meant to improve conditions for women, but unfortunately resulted in a setback. Marjane Satrapi chose to illustrate her story and enlightening experiences in a way I’ve never encountered before. Satrapi’s comic book style approach about this intense time period within history displayed a bit of foreshadowing. Throughout this essay, I will discuss how her unique style enhances the readers understanding as well as provide examples regarding the feminist approach within anthropology.