Speechless By Shirin Nesht Analysis

“The revolution is like a bicycle. When the wheels don’t turn, it falls” (Satrapi, Persepolis 10). Just like any other trend out there, displaying actions supporting a trend can lead it to great success. But, if people do not support this trend, it will eventually die out and will once be a faint memory in someone’s mind. The people of Iran during the Iranian revolution had dealt with this idea when the Shah had taken over the throne until 1979. Many citizens of Iran, were faced with the fact that they had to choose whether or not they wanted to follow the rules of this new government. Hence the revolution is like a bicycle analogy; people had to follow the rules in one way or the other. If a group of people did not agree with the Shah’s new rules, then the revolution would have “fallen” and history would have been different today. The symbolism of the veil as well as, the effects of the revolts on Iranian people have caused a divide between the followers and individuals in the country. In the graphic novel Persepolis written by Marjane Satrapi, young Marji grows up struggling with whether she should conform to the strict society

Though the veil forms an inconvenience in the lives of all Iranian women, it serves as a form of protection in their lives against the dangerous religious extremists fighting for the revolution. Marjane and her mother did not believe in the religious importance of wearing the veil but knew they had to wear them for their own protection against radical religious men that could try to take advantage of them. The president claimed that “women’s hair emanates rays that excite men” (74). Supported by this proposition, men could claim that a woman without a head scarf excited him and he would rape her because that is what she deserved for being a “little

Faith Ringgold truly gave society a message to ponder, but she didn’t create the only notable work of art: Rebellious Silence also helped to stir the minds of many.Shirin Neshat, the artist, was born in the town Quazin in 1957. Unfortunately, this was a very hostile time for islamic women as they were being put under more and more restrictions every waking day. because they were putting more and more restrictions on them each and every day. Rebellious Silence was one of many portraits in the “Woman of Allah” series. These portraits helped to shine a light on the repression of women in the muslim culture. a.) Shirin Neshat created this series to show us that women have their own power, no matter their culture. Neshat’s main purpose for these photographs was to challenge the way society views muslim women.

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

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

One of the most controversial topics concerning Muslim women’s rights is the idea of the veil. It is believed by some Muslims that the veil is an Islamic obligation that all Muslim women must adhere to. But nowadays, the veil can have different meanings that are not necessarily religious. In her article “Reinventing the Veil,” Leila Ahmed addresses some of the different meanings that the veil can have. Marjane Satrapi explores one of those meanings in her animated autobiography Persepolis (2008). In Persepolis, Marjane tells the story of her rebellion against the Iranian Islamist regime that takes over Iran, oppresses women, and forces them to wear the veil. What was interesting to me was seeing Marjane wear the veil without being oppressed, although she does not believe in it, and is being forced to wear it. In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi escapes being a subject to the Iranian Islamist ideology by establishing her individual identity through transforming the veil from a means of oppression into a means of feminist rebellion.

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

A veil is an article of clothing that is intended to cover some part of the head, face, or physical feature that may hold some significance. It is especially associated with women and sacred objects. Not only does it conceal a person’s physical appearance, but it contributes to stifling one’s individuality. In Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis, Marjane, the main character, lives in Iran and is required, by fear of punishment, to wear a veil that only leaves her face uncovered. The veil becomes an important symbol and throughout the novel, the reader can see the lasting impact the veil has on Satrapi. It begins as something foreign and detestable to young Marjane; a simple piece of clothing that deprived her of her free will,

I fell in love with methodologies of art history. I felt empowered in that, through my own interpretations, I could attach words and meaning to objects. My study of art history reached a turning point when, in 2012, I took a class entitled Identity in a Post-Identity Art World: Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Trans/Nationality, 1990 to the Present. The course endowed me with another lens with which to examine works and, more importantly, shed light on representations of marginalized identities. As a result, I was introduced to the writings of Judith Butler and Simone de Beauvoir, both seminal theorists who inspired my own analyses. I enjoyed every minute of conducting research and forming arguments to support my claims. Ultimately I was interested in developing my understanding of issues in contemporary art further and sought to accomplish this by engaging with a larger

While wearing a metaphorical mask helps a woman hide the ugliness nobody wants to see, a literal mask conceals too much. Men want to see women, especially if they are the correct size with the correct amount of curves; if they reach the right size, arrogance or pride will take away from the physical attraction. The Middle East takes the right to flaunt their beauties away by participating in the custom that most know as veiling (the act of covering with a light gauze cloth). The practice alone seems unimaginable but even scarier, the girls seem apathetic towards the demeaning tradition. Much like India, they brainwash girls to believe in a repulsive custom. They choose to believe they help men resist the temptation of a woman’s body. In Behind the Veil by Elizabeth W. Fernea, a woman attempts to clarify the lack of self-respect: “If I wanted to take it all off (her ababbayah and veil), I would have long ago. It wouldn’t mean as much as it does to you.” (Behind the Veil, Robert Fernea). Covering up the problem does not present triumph, but among the wreckage and turmoil of this wretched tradition, hope remains. They have a stronger force on their side; America will save them from their

In this portrait, the artist has portrayed herself, wearing a black color dress that covers her completely only leaving her face uncovered. Moreover, a poem in Persian language is stated on her face, and a rifle is segregating her face into two components. The artist’s eyes gaze intensely towards the viewers from the both sides. She opted to portray herself as a muslim woman to shed light on her religion and to explain the distinction amongst Islam and western culture. According to Syre, the poem inscribed upon her face narrates the belief of many Iranian Muslim women in Islam. It is their believe that as per Islam, all men and women are equal, and the Chador that covers the woman body from head to feets, leaving her face naked prevents woman from becoming a sexual

Authors and Iranian women alike bring up the fact that the forced implementation of covered dress in public spaces and the

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’s graphic novel Persepolis published in 2003, introduces readers to the lifestyle Iranians lived in the 1980s when political, and religious conflict in Iran began with the start of the Islamic Revolution. In the beginning of the graphic novel we see ten year old Marji, the protagonist of the story. Marji is seen wearing a veil like her fellow classmates. It is clear to the readers that Marji and her friends do not like wearing the veil because they are seen using the veil in a manner that it is not meant to be used.

The following paper will be an evaluation of Parastou Forouhar an Iranian artist whose parents were killed. This paper will primarily look at how art is affected by hegemony and vice versa. To do this I will include brief analyses of Foruhar’s art work and how they relate to common themes that have been discussed throughout this semester. The primary themes thus far are agency and empowerment. To accomplish this, I will use a variety of sources that will help differentiate each term as well as discussing the cultural and gender implications of patriarchal governments that are primarily run by religious text. The paper will also discuss Iranian women social discourse in art Shirin Neshat will also be discussed.