The short story “The Veil” by Marjane Satrapi used drawing to describe how she was a ten year old forced to wear a veil and how it changed her view of her surroundings. Using drawing and writing makes readers think and interpret the feeling and the situation that was going on. Satrapi uses dark faces and bright backgrounds for the things that made her insecure, and she uses a black background and a white face to show the happy faces or the positive feelings. In the February 1, 2012, article in Library Journal “Drawing on Reality” by Bonnie Brzozowski, Bonnie wrote, “A black-and-white illustrations are simply, yet capable of portraying great emotion.”(Brzozowski 34) Satrapi was struggling and trying to find reason and meaning in the world that she now came across that forced her to wear a veil and oppressed her with the strict Islamic revolution in the black and white graphic short story. Wearing a veil changed a ten-year-old Satrapi’s perspective on the world.
In her short story “The Veil” Satrapi uses the drawing of how she felt when she
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God was asking her “you want to be a doctor...” (Satrapi 569) Satrapi’s face shows guilt because she told her parents that she wants to become a doctor, not a prophet, when that’s not what she wants. This is a ten-year-old with a vision to be a prophet, but she can’t even share that because she felt she is going to disappoint her parents. On the other hand, she is letting God down by becoming a doctor. Satrapi then tells god “No, no I will be a prophet, but they mustn’t know.” (Satrapi 569) Satrapi, the girl with big dreams to be a prophet wants to become “…justice, love and the wrath of god all in one” (Satrapi 569). Satrapi uses her two last drawings of herself wearing a white gown with black and white prints to try and show how she is bringing together both worlds, her spirituality that guides her to be a prophet and her secular desire to help those in need,
The right side is almost purely white, with blue and gray shadows; the rest of the body is black, dark brown, and navy. The profile of a white woman obscures the left half of the black face, facing to the right of the piece; her hair is in a large braid and she wears a simple pearl earring. The black woman has long, flowing, bright blue hair, as well as full red lips. The black woman’s body has a rose over it, and the white woman is wearing what looks like a straw bikini; the figure is wrapped in a thick rope from the waist down. The stark contrast between the white and black meet with a definitive line; there is no blending between the two colors, which amplifies the feelings of separation and difference between the two halves of the woman’s
In Joan Scott’s book The Politics of the Veil she argues that contemporary understandings of Muslims and their place in French society are rooted in a longer history of racism and colonialism that reaches back to the 19th century. The controversies of wearing a veil in France have root causes dating back to French colonial. Scott traces back through time to examine the initial history between these two nations. She addresses the causes through her themes of racism, individualism, secularism and sexuality in which she intertwines to give light on the veil controversies.
Often artists can express complex emotions in a form of a single subject matter. For example, the movement of abstract expressionism originating in the middle of the twentieth century was an approach to modernism/ post-modernism accentuating the uninhibited expression of emotions. The products of this genre are characteristically free and loosely structured, stylistically. They tend to focus the emotions that could be derived from the artworks rather than clear representational imitation of reality. In this artwork, ‘Red, Brown and Black’ (1958) by Mark Rothko, all consist of soft, rectangular bands of color stretching horizontally across his canvas. The artist views color as the most powerful communication tool. Through his blocks of color, which are representative of the simple components in the artwork, are meant to provide a contemplative, meditative space in which to visually investigate one's own moods and affiliations with the chosen palette. ‘He sought to distill an essence, or true nature, out of codified hues’
During his life, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote many stories that delved into the psychology and the reality of what it is to be a human being. Although considered a most private person, which even Hawthorne himself once said that he wanted to keep, "the inmost Me behind its veil" (Norton 369), his writings are so vivid in both characterization and details that there is no doubt that he was a very perceptive and smart man. Examples of his insight-fullness appear within stories such as The Scarlet Letter, Young Goodman Brown, The Haunted Mind, and The Minister's Black Veil. One of his short stories, The Minister's Black Veil, uses symbolism and people's actions to reveal human nature.
In the chapter “The Veil,” Satrapi’s graphic novel displays a connection with advertisements; that being a theme of oppression toward women. In the chapter “The Veil,” Satrapi introduces her readers to her life in 1980. A frame from “The Veil,” Satrapi includes a caption and image that 1980 was the year when wearing the veil became enforced by the law (681). The frame prior to the enforcement of the veil explains that the reason behind this law is due to ‘The Islamic Revolution’ (681). With these two frames, readers see that new laws such as the veil were enforced due to “religious” reasons because the government. Having men in government enforce such laws on women demonstrates the control they are attempting to gain. Women face oppression in advertisements similarly by society telling women how they are seen and how they should look. The types of advertisements that target women this way are sexual advertisements. An example of an advertisement oppressing a woman is displayed in Dolce & Gabbana. Dolce & Gabbana created an adver...
Muslims, Sikhs, and many other religious affiliations have often been targeted for hate crimes, racial slurs, and misfortunate events. We are all different in our own ways some are good and some are bad yet one event changes everything for everyone affiliated with the group. The book The Politics of the Veil by Joan Scott a renowned pioneer in gender studies gives a detailed and analytical book of about the French views towards the Muslim females in France during 2004. The author talks about why the French governments official embargo of wearing conspicuous signs is mainly towards the headscarves for Muslim girls under the age of eighteen in public schools. The main themes of book are gender inequality, sexism, and cultural inequality historical schools used in the book are history of below, woman’s history, cultural history, and political history. In this essay, I will talk about why Joan Scotts argument on why the French government’s ban on wearing conspicuous signs was
When writing any sort of narrative, be it novel or poem, fiction or non-fiction, scholarly or frivolous, an author must take into account the most effective manner in which to effectively convey the message to their audience. Choosing the wrong form, or method of speaking to the reader, could lead to a drastic misunderstanding of the meaning within an author’s content, or what precisely the author wants to say (Baldick 69). Even though there are quite a bit fewer words in a graphic novel than in the average novel, an author can convey just as much content and meaning through their images as they could through 60,000 words. In order to do that though, their usage of form must be thoughtfully considered and controlled. Marjane Satrapi, author of the graphic memoir The Complete Persepolis, took great pains in the creation of her panels in order to reinforce and emphasize her narrative, much like a novelist utilizes punctuation and paragraph breaks. Through her portrayal of darkness and lightness, Satrapi demonstrates that literary content influences, and is primary to, the form.
She says, “I was born with religion” (pg 6). Unlike other children, Marji wants to be a prophet when she is older. This idea is not normal for a child or anyone under the Muslim religion since prophets have always been men. Her classmates laugh at her dream of becoming a prophet and her teacher speaks to her parents, but Marji stays true to her passion. Marji believes religion should be used to create good things and change anything bad. Growing up, Marji doesn’t understand why her maid cannot eat at the dinner table with her family or why her friends do not drive a Cadillac like her father. Marji is a child and does not understand the concept of social classes. As a result, Marji sees religion as a way to change these things. She believes that in the name of God she could make sure everyone is treated equally. Marji’s opinion is untainted by any other connotations of religion. She is forming her own opinions and they are good. Satrapi uses her perspective of religion as a child to show how pure religion could be in the eyes of someone young. The perspective of a child is appealing to the reader because it is innocent and naive. Satrapi is trying to make the point that if everyone saw religion in a good way it could be used for good
Additionally ,Lucy Estella’s reminiscent picture book ‘Suris Wall’ epitomizes how one’s imagination liberates them from entrapment, conveying how distinctively visual elements explore the human experience.This is conveyed through Suri a young insecure female living in a war-torn city distinguished by her towering height amongst the other children.When Suri realises she is tall enough to see over the wall she becomes a symbol of hope by providing vivid imagery to Eva on what lies behind the wall.Estella heightens feelings of entrapment through the dull colour palette depicting the lack of freedom as she is trapped in this dull world losing a sense of individuality which is added through her hidden face depicting a loss of identity.Additionally,the
A social issue Toni Morrison emphasizes in the bluest eye that majority of people believe whiteness as the symbol of beauty and disdain those who are different. Sometimes people do discrimination without realizing that and hurt others’ feelings. Morrison shows this by telling how light skin people feel that they are superior to those of darker skins even in the same race. First, Morrison uses the symbol of white doll, white God, and white movie actresses to reveal that whiteness is the symbol of beauty. Second, Morrison shows people’s crucial and unrespectable behavior towards those who have darker skin. Finally, Morrison shows that people feel proud if they have light skin as opposed to others in their race and how much important they feel
The minister’s friends and neighbors are so upset by the veil because the veil becomes a wall between himself and his congregation. The first response is one of curiosity which then turns in suspicion. They cannot understand the meaning for the wearing of the black veil and in turn the people become very uncomfortable around him. The veil and it color ...
The Minister’s Black Veil, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1836, is a parable about a minister, Mr. Hooper, who constantly wears a mysterious black veil over his face. The people in the town of Milford, are perplexed by the minister’s veil and cannot figure out why he insists on wearing it all of the time. The veil tends to create a dark atmosphere where ever the minister goes, and the minister cannot even stand to look at his own reflection. In Nathaniel Hawthorne 's literary work, The Minister 's Black Veil, the ambiance of the veil, separation from happiness that it creates, and the permanency of the black veil symbolize sin in people’s lives.
Next, the minister’s black veil symbolizes darkness around his face and neighbors. His frame shuddered; his lips grew white, and rushed forth into the darkness. He said, “Know, then, this veil is a type and a symbol, and I am bound to wear it ever, both in light and darkness, in solitude and before the gaze of multitudes, and as with strangers, so with my familiar friends” In this light and darkness black veil, he is bound to wear it ever.
When Mrs. Nasrine is telling her dilemma of the key (99.3.1), Marji frowns and looks concerned but out of place, as if she doesn’t know what to make of it. She tries to show sympathy, suggesting that her privilege makes her unable to truly relate. She continues to look uncomfortable and bug-eyed when Mrs. Nasrine says, “Now they want to trade this key for my oldest son”. “Trade” connotes simplicity, an object, suggesting the government thinks of the lower class citizens as valueless objects. When arriving home from school, Satrapi draws Marji as a small figure in the distance (100.2.1), symbolizing the distance in economic status between her and the maid. This proves the separation of classes and the reason why Marji, not offered a key by the government, will not go to war in hopes of using a key to paradise. When her son says “I’ll marry her” while pointing a finger at Marji (100.2.2), it grants him a “whap” from his mother (100.2.3). Her reaction to his statement shows his ignorance and naïve behavior towards the social hierarchy; a maid’s son would never be allowed to marry a girl of Marji’s status because only rich people marry rich people and only poor people marry poor people. This shows the economic difference between Marji and the maid’s son, and the wall between them through government orders. When she asks her cousin Peyman whether or not the government offers his school the keys to paradise, he replies, “Keys to what?” (100.3.3) implying his equally high economic status. This suggests the government values upper class citizens more than lower class citizens. Satrapi also contrasts Marji and the poor boys in between the bombing panel (102.1.1) and the party panel (102.2.1) where Marji dances with her friends at Peyman’s birthday party. She jumps from discussing dying boys to having fun at a party to imply a difference between the poor and
The face is a central organ to personal identity. With it we can communicate human expression, feelings and characters with as little as the blink of an eye. On a deeper level, the face can be an art form that speaks to a universal understanding of the mind. Olivier De Sagazan uses the face to challenge conventions. He exposes human rawness and looks at cultural taboos. Sagazan’s artwork cannot be pinned down by language but by raw emotion. His unsettling performances represent visions of primitivism, agony, occult and other ancient cultural art forms that cover or deform the face in ways that can be both beautiful and confronting. Leading us to question, “What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages?