The introduction of the Persepolis presents a child’s perspective of the changes happening around after the onset of Islamic Revolution. Marjane Satrapi, the graphic artist behind the Persepolis impressions aimed at showcasing the effects of the Cultural Revolution on the young innocent kids. and the restriction of the power of women in society. . All through the novel, Marjane expresses exasperation with Iran’s strict rulings on women. Thankfully, she has both her grandmother and mother whom conditioned Marjane into the woman she has become. Marjane is characterized as being thoughtful and visionary aiming to see the equality return to Iran. The country is depicted as being a restrictive environment as far as women development is involved as Marjane is visually perturbed by the laws and rules that the Cultural Revolution initiated limiting the expression of rights by women. Iran is portrayed as very confined in which limit the potential of some members of the society especially women with limited freedom as seen through Marjanes restricted freedom and ability to reach her full potential due to the set rules and laws targeting women. The theme of rebellion allows the story of Persepolis to become a story of development and change.
Satrapi describes the veil as a measurement of womanhood. The veil defined Iran in which it became a woman’s task to preserve this religious symbol. The picture of the ten-year-old Marjane wearing a veil in 1980 alongside her schoolmates shows the despair and gloomy mood that they are in after being forced to conform to the new laws set. They wonder why they are forced to wear their veils at all times regardless of the hot temperature conditions. The new set of rules required that all women wear masks, a scenario that was different from the previous year (Satrapi 87). She innocently wonders why the secular education she enjoyed was abolished and the reason behind the introduction of the separation based on gender. Throughout the
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opening, the changes initiated by the Cultural Revolution are highlighted from the child's view as being unexplainable. The picture shows despair and troubling times that the young have to go through psychologically when confronted by unexplainable laws that must be followed in Iran. Marjane ponders on the deeper meaning of the veil, citing that she once existed in an era where she was free to do what she wanted including being a prophet. The new laws and environment, however, seemed to bar her from attaining her dream of fighting for equality as a prophet.
Torn between modernism and fundamentalism, Marjane illustrates a side of her rebellious youth through her attire. According to Islamic standards, young ladies are to be covered from head to toe wearing long head scarves. Therefore, improper wearing of the veil is one of the highest defiance against fundamentalism in the country for women. Satrapi illustrates two frames that contrast the fundamentalist and modern man and woman. The fundamentalist men, however, possessed beard in addition to wearing their shirts hanging out. Conversely, modern men mainly shaved, but certain men maintained a mustache. Women on the other hand still had their differences where the fundamentalist women veiled themselves from the head to their feet. The modern women hence mainly just wore the head veils. In some instances, these women expressed their opposition to the veil by allowing a few strands of hair to fall out from their veils (Satrapi 75). Wearing make-up, laughing loudly and showing your wrist all signify the opposition to the culture and become the subject of subversion.
Fundamentalist individuals frown upon the Western culture, as they perceive this culture as an outlawed culture. At this time there was also an influx of Westernized culture that Marji herself enjoyed, especially the music. Modern individuals like Marji as well as her friend believe
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that embracing the pop-culture allows them to counter the fundamental force that they dislike within their country of Iran.
Moreover, fundamentalism and modernity concerning political views were significantly influenced by the family's social, economic status. Families from a higher status have political views considered to be a fundamentalist philosophy. These individuals choose the fundamental political views as it is beneficial to them by ensuring they sustain their wealth. More so, individuals for the low-class status in the society embraces modernity by supporting the rebel fighter who is modern as they do not have any wealth. Masih Alinejad, an Iranian woman fought for the rights of Iranian women via the social media platforms. “Women in Iran are breaking the law every day just to be ourselves,” Alinejad explained. “And I’m a master criminal because the government thinks I have too much hair, too much voice, and I am too much of a woman.” Individuals were initially opposing the wearing of the veil in the novel because in their perception, wearing a veil was the same as oppression. According to the women wearing a veil, signified that they had their freedom taken away. Whereas, based on Irans culture, it was unacceptable and deemed as a criminal act.
In the society, both boys and girls become separated, and from Persepolis, it marks the beginning of years of gender disparity. one of theimportant social institutions that play a essential role in the life of Iran is family. A typical family includes the male as its. Like all patriarchal cultures the male being the bread-earner and the head of the family while childbirth and child rearing has always been the domain of women.
Most of the men believed women were second to them and disrespected them in many ways. Marjane’s mother explains, “They insulted me. They said that women like me should be pushed up against the wall and fucked and then thrown in the garbage and that if I didn’t want that to happen, I should wear the veil” (Satrapi 74). Satrapi reveals to her audience through the attack upon her mother by the fundamentalists the power that men employ over women’s moral status in Iran as they attempt to secure the traditional ways of Iran. Satrapi shows us that most were not supportive of the superior attitude of men.
In the year 1981, the parliament in Iran introduced the Islamic law of retribution that enacted strict penal codes for the women that included the violation of the dress codes. Under the new rules, the women were pushed into traditional fields. However, in the contemporary Iran society, women have made several advances as the country now put an end to the horrendous act of stoning women to death as a means of punishing immorality of dress code violations (Bahramitash). The women are now only liable to pay a monetary fine. The divorce provision in the Iran law is one aspect of law that places the Iranian woman at a disadvantage over the male counterpart. Of note, women could not manage to initiate divorce, and this was regardless of their situation at their home, and only males could commence divorce proceedings (Bahramitash).
From the year 1977, the people of Iran had continuously demonstrated that they had grown tired of the monarchy. However, they did not explicitly state the kind of political system that could have offered an alternative. Before the revolution, the United States of America had assisted in the overthrow of a democratically elected Prime Minister, and they, therefore, restored the rule of the Shah (Bahramitash). The Shah made Iran to achieve growth in the economy, and they also reached tremendous heights in the championing of women’s rights. During his reign, the Shah outlawed the wearing of the hijab and he also encouraged for employment opportunities for women. However, after the revolution, all the gains that the country had achieved in women empowerment fizzled, and the women were back to their initial starting point before the revolution. Evidently, the success of the Iranian revolution saw the exile