The Role Of Women In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

On Page 39 of Persepolis Marjane Satrapi illustrates two women---Marji and Mehri---protesting the Iranian Revolution. Later on in the page, they both get slapped for their disobedience. However, later in the novel, even after her punishment, Marji continues to dispute the Iranian society’s shortcomings. These panels show the strength and achievement of Marji and Mehri as well as many other women in Persepolis even through the difficulty of the Iranian Revolution and its implications. From Marji to the Maid, the women in Persepolis are able to overlook others’ negative perception of them and use their internal liberation to create a unique and important niche of strength and wisdom that reflects on society as well as each other. The character whose role is most apparent in the story is that of Marji, the narrator. She thoroughly embodies the impact of women on society in the book as well as society’s impact on them. One of the main themes that Satrapi repeatedly references is the porous education of many women in the story due to their predetermined role of taking care of children and the house. Marji, on the other hand, is not affected by this form of discrimination. Satrapi evidences this in several instances where Marji seeks to expand her …show more content…
At one point in the story, Marji becomes so attached to the war that she attempts to attack a boy whose father supposedly killed “a million people”. Her mother discovers her plan and tells her, “Anyway it is not for you and me to do justice. I’d even say we have to learn to forgive” (Satrapi 46:4). Marji immediately understands her point and proceeds to forgive the boy for his father’s actions. To summarize, all three of the main women in Marji’s life --- Mehri, her grandmother, and her mother----have a major role in shaping Marji’s personality and interests that in turn affect her feelings, social interactions, and decisions throughout her