The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Gender Roles in Persepolis

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novel that depicts the life of Marjane Satrapri during the Iranian Revolution. Satrapi tells her story as a child growing up during the time of the many drastic changes forced upon women and the effects of the new laws made by the Shah. During this time people in Iran were banned from reading, or listening to music that was not approved by the regime. Schools were separated by gender and women were forced to wear veils to protect themselves from being molested or raped by men. The middle class women in Persepolis are prescribed the most important roles such as rearing their children and the duties in the home. But most importantly because they are in the home they are unable to attain legal rights for women in Iran. “In no country do women have on have political status, access, or influence equal to man” (Kazemi, 2000). The divorce of a man and woman lies solely in the hands of men. Though the women in the Satrapi family were oppressed outside of the home they continued to live two separate lives, one inside the household and one on the outside. They often had gatherings and drank alcohol even though it was not allowed. The roles that were prescribed to the women were not effective because they had no opinion, and because there were no laws in favor of women who sooner or later begin to give up and inherent the man’s thoughts.

Ten year old Marji plays a huge role in rebelling against the laws made by the Shah. She is a very vocal about her beliefs and is a religious person who in the beginning relies on her relationship with God to guide her into becoming a prophet. After the exile of 400 victims and finding out that her grandpa ...

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...er family at the dinner table. When Mehri is sixteen she falls in love with a boy in the neighborhood. Because she was a peasant Mehri did not get the opportunity to go to school so Marji must help her with writing and reading of the letters sent to the neighbor boy. Doing this was hurtful to both Mehri and Marji who became aware of the effects of being in a lower class and Mehri who realizes that love does have restrictions.

Even though the women in Persepolis fail to make change in the legal rights of women they pave the way for women's rights movements and groups with their rebellious ways. Fortunately today some of the laws pertaining to women have been modified such as the right for a woman to divorce and the unveiling of women.

Works Cited

Afkhami, Gholam R. The Life And Times Of The Shah. Berkeley, A: Ca

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