The Role of Women in Marjane Satrapi 's Persepolis Throughout Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi displays the vital role that the women around her have in developing her character and becoming the woman she is today. Women such as her mother, her grandmother, her school teachers, the maid, the neighbors, and even the guardians of the revolution influenced Marjane and caused her to develop into an independent, educated, and ambitious woman. Throughout the novel, Marjane never completely conforms or lets go of her roots, this is strongly due to the women who have influenced her. Marjane’s mother was one of the most influential people in her life, her mother taught her to be strong and independent. By introducing her mother through the story of her …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, Marji opens up to her grandmother and admits that she wants to be a prophet, her grandmother does not mock her or tell her she can not be a prophet, instead she announces she will be Marji’s first disciple. (7). Her grandmother also buys her books to help educate her on what is going on in their country (28). Both of these actions display that her grandmother wants her to be educated and also wants Marji to do whatever she desires and teaches her that she truly can be whatever she wishes. Before Marji leaves to go to Austria, her grandmother tells her “always keep your dignity and be true to yourself” (150). This is something that continually goes through Marji’s mind as she begins to make mistakes, being true to herself is something Marji is constantly struggling for and becomes a major theme throughout the novel. In the end of the novel Marji learns how to be true to herself and her ambitions as she divorces Reza and moves to Paris, which was an action heavily based on the ethics and teachings of her …show more content…
When she was young her maid, Mehri, fell in love with a neighbor but because she was not in his social class, the love was “impossible” as Marji’s father put it (37). This causes Marji to realize the despair social classes bring which leads Marji to her first demonstration and major act of rebellion (34-39). Marjane describes her desire to be like Marie Curie, an independent, women scientist who went against what was sociably acceptable at her time. This idolization shows Marji’s want to be educated and independent even at the risk of cancer (73). Marji realizes that even though Curie died as a result of her work, at least she was not afraid to be different, and at least she did not stop just because she was a woman. Marji watches her neighbors turn from modern, “miniskirt” wearing women to completely conforming and wearing a “chador” (75). Marji sees how religious laws have changed the people she once considered friends and is determined not to let them change her individuality. Marji is constantly trying to display her individuality, but after she is stopped by the two women from the guardians of the revolution and called a “whore” for wearing a jean jacket, pin, tennis shoes and jeans, Marji’s desire to become more western increases. The Guardians, instead of making her straighten up only give Marji more of an incentive to be rebellious and westernize (134).
Today’s class discussion on Persepolis 2 (Marjanne Satrapi) revealed the importance of dependence and independence in forming one's identity. Persepolis 2 starts when Satrapi has been sent to Vienna by her parents to escape the oppressive Iranian regime. In doing so she is also separating herself from the dependence she had on her parents. In this separation Satrapi is left without inhibitions, her rebellious attitude consumes her. She becomes friends with anarchists and experiments with drugs.
In the scene where Marjane and her mother are outside of the grocery store loading up their car, a man comes up to Marjane’s mother and tells her to put her scarf back on, and when she kept minding her own business, the man became irritated. She then responds that he should have more respect towards women which in turn, made him respond angrily, “Women like you, I fuck them against the walls!” Marjane’s witnessing of the oppression of women, specifically to a woman she cares deeply about, can be evidence of the reasons for her rebellious stage later in life. Furthermore, Marjane’s uncle told her about his story of rebelling against and running from the government which led her to become motivated to be like him. As she grew older, she began to have a mind of her own and actually started to think about what was going on around her. This is initially where she began to lose her cultural identity and where the link to westernization becomes
In the graphic novel, Persepolis, the main character, Marjane, faces many coming of age moments. Each one of these change her in a way that impacts her view on the world around her as her and her family strive for a better life amongst a war that hinders their ability to follow their beliefs. Marjane learns to forgive, experiences pain and suffering, and changes her opinions on God and her own views on religion forever. Marjane’s life has been filled with hard times, but also glorious moments as well.
With many magazines and newspapers being shut down, authors are speaking out against the government and the censorship it has established (Iran par. 5). As intellectuals are finding flaws and contradictions in the belief systems the government uses, the religious leaders grow more and more threatened and frightened of losing their power (Iran par. 5). In an attempt to outwit government officials, writers and artist will portray their intended message through a vague symbol or metaphor, as to not seem suspicious (Iran par. 9). The suffocation of intellectualism affects Marji’s life when all of the universities are shut down, the reasoning being that "The educational system and what is written in school books, at all levels, are decadent. Everything needs to be revised to ensure that our children are not led astray from the true path of Islam" (Satrapi 73). The government is trying to eliminate the skepticism floating about in more educated groups of people by teaching the next generation Islamic ideals. This indoctrination will ensure the survival of an Islamic
In the 1970's a great power struggle began in Iran, leading to a profusion of civil unrest
Worldwide, there are several teenagers learning new and different things about their families, their culture, the world around them, and most importantly trying to explore who they truly are. People grow in many different locations and surroundings, and as they grow, they're surrounding has some sort of supremacy either against or in favor of them. In the biography of “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi, we see how a little girls coming of age, is mainly influenced by her surroundings and how the effects of the country influences her. No matter where you live in the world, you probably have either learned or had experience with what war is, throughout the late 1970s the Iranian Revolution was occurring, and it became harmful to the citizens of
“Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return” by Marjane Satrapi is a memoir that depicts the troubled life of Marjane Satrapi. Marjane Satrapi, the author, was born in Rasht, Iran in the year 1969. She was born to a rich family in Iran and grew up in Tehran during the revolution and revolt against the Shah, the ruler at the time. She lived during the era where Islam was emerging in Iran and becoming the predominant religion. Marjane lacked academics for two years in Iran and suffered indeed from the bombings of Iraq. These horrific events impacted her and her parents, so as a result was sent to Austria for a better life. Her juxtaposed life in Austria and emergence of maturity is described in Marjane’s second installment of Persepolis.
The novel Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi, portrays a diverse amount of symbolism throughout the novel which contributes to the protagonist developing into a young women. The main character, Marji Satrapi flourishes at an early age in her life due to the setting of the novel. Satrapi acquires knowledge about different insights of the Iranian government which constitutes her self judgement. Satrapi reckons that the individuals that make up the population of Iran should all support the idea of the government before the ministry of Iran can commence a war. “For a revolution to succeed the entire population must support it" (Satrapi 17).
Satrapi is able to illustrate the characteristics of the characters as well as reflect on the past. Having the ability to incorporate past and present is a vital element in fully understanding and following her story. The past events in Marjis life reflect how she makes her descions in the present. It is imperative that one must always build from the bottom and work your way up. Having a strong foundation is the vital element in creating something successful. Marji often refers back to her past to make reference of why she believes this or why she is trying that. She learns by her mistakes of the past and it is noted through the illustrations. This visual image below from Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis series allows the readers to see Marji both internally and
Marjane’s family’s maid could not marry a higher class boy “...because in this country you must stay within your own social class”(Satrapi 37). Marjane did not want to accept this inequality, and it made her realize that Iran was more narrow-minded than she had thought. She argued with her father about this issue because she could not see if he was for or against social classes. There were slight generational conflicts throughout the duration of the novel. Marji’s parents were rather respectful of her, but they had arguments about certain matters. Marjane did not always respect her parents.
The transition from high school to college can be a difficult experience, but also life changing. It is a time of independence, along with constant questioning. This transition is a coming of age story, just like the novel Persepolis, the story of Marjane’s childhood and growth. Both are about transitioning from a safe haven to an unknown, distant place. Marjane learns to question authority, and form her own opinions through her experiences during the Iranian Revolution. By the time she steps onto that plane to leave her parents behind in country faced with political unrest, she is an independent woman. A part of growing up is learning how to think for yourself in order to thrive in a new environment such as college. Although Marjane’s story and mine are separated by geography and circumstance, many of the things we learned while growing up allow us to question authority and find a new perspective by thinking for ourselves.
In the 1950’s through the 1960’s women were not respected in there everyday lives, in the job field or in general. They did not have the rights they deserved, so during this time the “women’s movement” began. Women fought for their rights and fought for the self-respect that they thought they deserved. In the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the character Mama, expresses her feelings of pushing or extracting a new side for a woman. Her role explains that woman can be independent and can live for themselves. Through her behavior in this play she demonstrates that women can support and guide a family. Mama is in charge of the family, which is unusual, since men are traditionally the “head of a family”. Through Mama’s wisdom and dialect she expresses and portrays an image of pro-feminism. Mama’s experience in the play A Raisin in the Sun illustrates the expressions, the emotions, and the feeling with which Mama and women had to cope. She was able to characterize this through her passionate dreams, her control and her strong willed attitude.
Marjane’s mother was one of the most influential people in her life, her mother taught her to be strong and independent. By introducing her mother through the story of her mother getting photographed at a demonstration, Marjane presents her mother as being independent and rebellious (Satrapi 5). Later in the novel Marjane’s mother argues with her father to allow Marji to come to a demonstration with them, she claims it is Marji’s time to “defend her rights as a woman” (76). Because her mother taught Marji that it is okay for a woman to rebel and speak her mind, Marji never hesitates to speak up and will not conform and allow herself to become just another veiled, female traditionalist. Marjane’s mother shows her acceptance of Marjane as an independent woman when she visits her in Austria and asks her for a cigarette (204). Marjane’s mother is not ignorant, nor does she hold her daughter back to the rules of society. She knows Marji is grown up and treats her as an adult, allowing Marji not only to view their relationship in a different way but also to view herself in a different way: an independent adult who can make her own choices.
Marjane Satrapi in her memoir, “The Complete Persepolis” enlightens readers with the reality of living in Iran, as she tells her journey through her life of becoming a woman during the Islamic Revolution. Iran similar to other countries has made different prescribed roles for their women and men based on their cultures religious and traditional set of laws. Society to them was a depiction of what their people were expected to look, and act like when in public. When trying to understand the importance of gender along with their roles in society, it’s crucial to acknowledge outside factors, for instance things like culture and social class. The characters throughout her memoir illustrate how their
To begin with, Satrapi writes Persepolis from a child’s point of view. Young Marjane Satrapi displays the characteristics that any child might have. She is simple, innocent, and easily influenced. For example, when her parents are demonstrating against the king, Marjane Satrapi says, “As for me, I love the king, he was chosen by God” (Satrapi 19). Her teacher tells her this, and she believes her teacher because Marjane Satrapi is a child and, in all innocence, will believe anything because her teacher, in her eyes, knows everything. Situations such as this show the influence of authority on her as a child because the teacher is an authority who tells Satrapi a misleading fact and Satrapi believes her, or is influenced by ...