The graphic novel Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, illustrates the effects of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the author’s life throughout this period. In February 1979, Iran’s monarchy was overthrown. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahvali was replaced by Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini. This would ultimately bring strict regulations to the Iranian society forever. Much of the specifics of Iran’s intimate history is unknown to western countries. Most of this ignorance dates back to the 1960’s. Looking at generations of Americans over time reveals that past events like the Iranian Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, and The Gulf War shapes the opinion of the Middle East as a whole. Marjane, as a child, had opinions that rejected the ongoing oppression and was sent
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All of these began due to persecuted religious groups and land disputes. In 1979, the Iranian Revolution took place when the Shah was overthrown by Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini. The United States involved themselves in the 1950’s by endorsing the Shah’s reign and being an inspiration for the Shah to modernize Iran through secularization. This would then lead to Iran being one of the most powerful militaries in the world because of million dollar loans, and the Shah staying in power. In 1962, the Shah issued a new election bill that allowed non-Muslims to participate in politics. Khomeini saw this opportunity and went on to participate in “saving Iran” from its own government. In 1979, the US continued to support the Shah in fear of losing connections, their [United States] top priority being oil. The US realized that Khomeini would soon overpower the Shah and made several desperate attempts to preserve peace, but predicted that Khomeini’s “radicalism” would subside. This was not the case however, the Shah fled the country in January of 1979, where millions of Iranian citizens paraded in joy as he was finally gone. This is covered in Persepolis when Marjane is ten years old. Her mother participates in these political demonstrations (5/2-6), which inspires Marjane before she even realizes it. The first chapter, titled “The Veil,” covers her innocent confusion with the abolishment of …show more content…
The violent world she was brought into made her a strong willed individual whose ideals payed a price. By embracing her culture and illustrating her struggles through illustrations, she shows the intended audience the deeper reality of Iran. Her memoir shows the other side and the direct outcomes an oppressive regime does to its people. Her love of Iran and her constant fight for what she believed shows how the novel isn’t a political statement but rather a personal memoir. She showed how the Iranian people were controlled under the regime rather than persuading the reader to think a certain way, and the importance of being an individual. The ending is successful because it stops before her life really starts, before Persepolis is finally written. Marjane Satrapi had to get through these unfortunate circumstances in order to become the person she is
All of these began due to persecuted religious groups and land disputes. In 1979, the Iranian Revolution took place when the Shah was overthrown by Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini. The United States involved themselves in the 1950’s by endorsing the Shah’s reign and being an inspiration for the Shah to modernize Iran through secularization. This would then lead to Iran being one of the most powerful militaries in the world because of million dollar loans, and the Shah staying in power. In 1962, the Shah issued a new election bill that allowed non-Muslims to participate in politics. Khomeini saw this opportunity and went on to participate in “saving Iran” from its own government. In 1979, the US continued to support the Shah in fear of losing connections, their [United States] top priority being oil. The US realized that Khomeini would soon overpower the Shah and made several desperate attempts to preserve peace, but predicted that Khomeini’s “radicalism” would subside. This was not the case however, the Shah fled the country in January of 1979, where millions of Iranian citizens paraded in joy as he was finally gone. This is covered in Persepolis when Marjane is ten years old. Her mother participates in these political demonstrations (5/2-6), which inspires Marjane before she even realizes it. The first chapter, titled “The Veil,” covers her innocent confusion with the abolishment of …show more content…
The violent world she was brought into made her a strong willed individual whose ideals payed a price. By embracing her culture and illustrating her struggles through illustrations, she shows the intended audience the deeper reality of Iran. Her memoir shows the other side and the direct outcomes an oppressive regime does to its people. Her love of Iran and her constant fight for what she believed shows how the novel isn’t a political statement but rather a personal memoir. She showed how the Iranian people were controlled under the regime rather than persuading the reader to think a certain way, and the importance of being an individual. The ending is successful because it stops before her life really starts, before Persepolis is finally written. Marjane Satrapi had to get through these unfortunate circumstances in order to become the person she is