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Sociopolitical events in the Iranian revolution
Persepolis critical essay
Cultural diversity
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Recommended: Sociopolitical events in the Iranian revolution
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the cultural differences displayed in the novel Persepolis and modern world. In the novel, author Marjane Setrapi vividly describes the events of her childhood during the Iranian Revolution and communicates about the difficulties that Iran endured. Throughout the novel, the veil is one of the most significant portrayed symbols that represents Iranian culture. When the Iranian Revolution first began taking place in the 1980’s, the leaders of the revolution made it mandatory for all women to wear a veil. Regardless of the political and social norms during that time period, Setrapi found the veil to be dehumanizing and repressive. The Western world on the other hand is portrayed trough more materialistic items such as rock music, popular merchandise, and Nike outwear. For Setrapi, wearing these items represents more than just fitting in; this represents entailing freedom. Incorporating Western and mandatory Iranian clothing can also represent how influential various cultures are. The clash of both cultures can be seen as Setrapi needing to establish an identity and possibly rebelling. Another
popular symbol in the novel is the cigarette that the author smokes. In Setrapi’s words the cigarette represents
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As she matures, the author has a revelation that the possibility of feeling both positive and negative emotions towards her culture is possible. American and British cultural influence is prominent throughout the book, but Iranian pride is not visible until Setrapi ages. Nationalism can overthrow a leader but it can also create one. It is almost impossible for the citizens of Iran to be patriotic when the policies of the country are so unreasonable. Even today, it is very difficult for some nations to express patriotism due to ridiculous circumstances. In some communist nations such as North Korea and China, nationalism is forced upon the
Because her parents were lenient enough to let her own the illegal American items, Satrapi was exposed to a culture that most Iranians were not. Objects such as those mentioned above not only presented her with an opportunity to rebel, they were responsible for demonstrating an alternative way of life; A way of life with more leniency and freedom to be who she
In Persepolis, Satrapi develops the central idea of Marji and her parents rebelling against the social injustices held by the Shah and the government. This is demonstrated in chapters “ The Trip”, “The Passport”, and “Kim Wilde”. Early in the revolution, females were forced to cover themselves up. They were told to wear their veils because it didn’t show a sign of western American style or sexual
In Marjane Satrapi’s memoir, Persepolis, the characteristics and qualities of revolution are portrayed through rhetorical devices such as visual text, similes, and pathos. Satrapi’s use of rhetorical devices enhances and supports her expression of the revolution in Iran. Persepolis was Marjane Satrapi’s way of allowing people to see how the revolution in Iran affected her family's lifestyle and her upbringing. This memoir also allows the readers to analyze how war changes the way of the people and government in a country.
Persepolis is a inspirational story written by Marjane Satrapi in the perspective of a young girl’s life during a powerful, historical moment in Iran. The Islamic Revolution was a life-changing moment that impacted her view on the world around her and her innocence shaping her into the woman she is today. Not many people understand what it feels like to feel pain, hurt and abandonment as a child from major and minor things. The author writes this story and decides for it to be a graphic novel to allow the not only young readers, but also for those who do not understand what happens everyday in the world they live in. Satrapi uses all rhetorical stances, ethos, pathos, and logos to show problems, purpose and emotions.
Through her devotion to the art and music of the United States, she was able to rebel. The encouragement of the pursuit by her parents created further inspiration for her to use it as a way to protest. Already having a deep devotion to American culture, the ability of Satrapi to use her passion to disobey the regime only strengthen her love. The affection she felt for American culture gave her the courage she needed to stand up to the harsh government of Iran. Despite the risks associated with possessing items from America, Satrapi did so anyway. She was willing to risk serious punishment to pursue happiness through the means of her favorite hobbies. The influence of said entertainments helped shaped Satrapi’s views. By providing her with experiences that were foreign to the majority of her peers, the culture that Satrapi enjoyed influence her open-minded opinions. Listening to the music of artists such as Kim Wilde and Iron Maiden and following the clothing trends like denim jackets and Nikes exposed Satrapi to ideals she normally would not have been growing up in post-revolution Iran. They provided a door into a different, more accepting world and a glimpse into the possibilities of what could
Colonialism has a severely negative impact on those being affected due to unknown cultures and systems being infiltrated in their country. In the first chapter of “The Complete Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi, the author starts off with the Islamic Revolution and the changes it brought to her immediate surroundings. This reminds me of colonialism and the changes it brings to the colonized country. Colonialism started with the expedition of the Portuguese and Spanish to discover new wealth. Since then, the drastic after effects of colonialism are still felt today by the affected group. In the 20th century, colonialism plays a part in why some cultural groups are the way they are today. In conclusion, the change the Islamic Revolution did to Marjane’s immediate surroundings is similar to how colonialism affected the colonized countries.
Persepolis 2: The Story of Return is anchored around how Marji is affected by the social injustice that occurred during the Islamic Revolution. Growing up as “a westerner in Iran and an Iranian in the West,” (Satrapi 274) changes and molds her into the young woman she is at the end of her journey. In this second chapter of Satrapis life she moves away from the comfort of Iran and finds a life in Vienna. Marji desires to find her purpose and identity during her brief time here and faces many battles with language barriers, people and herself. Marjis past from Iran haunts her and instills the idea that she needs to make something of herself while in Austria. Finding that Austria took her down a darker path where the light was scarcer and the
The Impact of Revolution Violence on Children Revolutions often leave a tremendous impact on the people residing within the country; violence --being one of the major components typically involved (in revolutions)-- takes a grand toll on the citizens in the country. In the graphic novel, Persepolis, the author, Marjane Satrapi, writes about her experiences as a child growing up during the Iranian Revolution. For children, violence is usually not a topic favorable for constant exposure due to the negative influences --such as change in actions/behavior, instillment of fear, and desensitization of violence-- resulting from such a subject. The graphic novel, Persepolis, delves into the life of a young girl named Marji and her experiences with everyday scenes of violence in the Iranian revolution to substantiate that living with violence can leave lasting negative effects in the mind of a child. Violence influences children in various manners, often times the actions of children turn violent due to this influence.
As Americans things like Baseball, Cheeseburgers, Democracy, and Football are all staples of our culture and we tend to hold these things very dear to our hearts, but what if we collectively hated these things and antagonized them? In Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi these feelings are expressed towards her Iranian culture. Topics like culture, government, and religion in Iran are antagonized greatly. This picture demonstrates the theme of strict social class hurting the people.
When it comes to culture, different views can cause major conflicts, and these said conflicts occur in the novel Persepolis. The book is a memoir about Marjane Satrapi, also known as Marji, growing up in Iran under the Shah’s rule and the Islamic rule. Even with the many different cultures in Iran, she stuck up for what she believed in and rebelled against the things she thought were wrong. In Persepolis, Marjane’s growth is affected by various aspects of culture including religion, government, and social organization.
Despite the fact that Marjane is born and raised in Tehran, Iran, she is as much a product of Western customs as of Middle Eastern customs. The younger Marjane showed how the Iranian Revolution affected her life. The Iranian Revolution was the exiling of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and its concluding substitution with an Islamic republic under the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution, supported by a mixture of leftist and Islamic organizations. The new government became more suppressive by enforcing Islamic laws into the constitution and prohibiting westerner influence of any kind. On the contrary Marjane is raised by Marxist parents, who believe in freedom and tend to adapt to a more westernized upbringing. Marjane is similar to any other teenager, she starts to grow up and rebel against her elders and her traditions. Her revolt takes the form of a better awareness of and interaction with western culture. Marjane have many items ...
The file Persepolis is a memory of a young woman’s experience. At the begin of the film, Marjane Satrapi sits in the waiting chair of French' airport and smoked because she is incapable of going back to her country Iran . She thought back the time in 1978 when she was a nine years old kid and had nothing to be worried about. during the time period,the old tyrannical government of shah was overthrown by the new government. Marjane’s father said, “This is a historic moment.”(in
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, into something that integrated into her everyday life and helped shaped her individuality as an Iranian woman.
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
Persepolis, a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, is not a run-of-the-mill comic book. It is written with purpose. Satrapi wrote and illustrated this book to show Americans that their perspective of her home country, Iran, is askew. She believes Americans are too focused on the “fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism” (Satrapi ii), of the nation and that they forget to notice the normality and humanness of it. Since these two perspectives have vast differences, Satrapi wants to change their minds. Thus, it is crucial that she effectively communicate this humanness of Iran to the literary audience in America. Since the literary devices in a work are needed to correctly convey a message, she found it necessary to include these and manipulate them in her favor. Satrapi uses the innocence of a child along with morals in her pictures and a relation of cultures to effectively communicate her message. It is necessary to examine how she manipulates such literary devices in order to gain a full understanding of the text.