Few experiences are more difficult than coming of age, especially amidst turmoil. In Marjane Satrapi's bildungsroman, she endeavors to overcome the challenges that arise from her Muslim heritage, the corruption of her country, and developing her identity as a woman in a patriarchal society. She describes life in post-revolutionary Iran and then Austria in the 1980s. In spite of Muslim stereotypes, the death of Neda, and social inequalities, Marjane’s struggle for freedom, justice, and self-respect endures. Nevertheless, without these specific experiences, she would never have discovered her strengths and identity amidst the chaos of her country and adolescence.
Because of the media and the ever-present tension between Iran and the West, …show more content…
Under the Islamic Regime, there were two distinct social classes: the upper and the lower class. Marjane’s family belonged to the former as her great-grandfather was the Sultan of Iran until 1921, allowing her parents to own a Cadillac and have a house maid. Nevertheless, Marjane’s family were communists who supported social equality and rights for proletariats. Marjane “wanted to be a prophet because [her] maid did not sit with [them at dinner and] because [her] father had a Cadillac” (6). She believed that if she were a prophet, all her problems would be solved. She acknowledges that her family is privileged, yet she does not understand why others lack the same opportunities and rights. Her confusion eventually prompts her to educate herself by reading as much as she can until she finally understood “that the reason for her shame [in her dad’s Cadillac] and for the revolution were the same: the difference between social class” (33). She felt ashamed to sit in her luxury car, while poverty forced others to walk miles upon miles simply to travel between home to school. In her readings, she learned that the upper-class thrived under the Shah’s reign due to Iran’s flourishing oil industry. However, conservative Muslims and the lower-class and did not benefit from Iran’s profit. Thus, the gap between social classes widened, and poverty led to the growth of extremism and …show more content…
As a child, you assume life will last forever; you have grand aspirations. The death of her friend Neda not only ignites a rebellion within Marjane, but it ultimately compels her to leave Iran. Unfortunately, the unpredictable tragedy ended Neda’s life and dreams of wealth and romance. In reaction to Neda’s sudden death, Marjane states: “my life took a new turn. In 1984, I was fourteen and a rebel. Nothing scared me anymore” (143). The death leads Marjane to appreciate every moment and take nothing for granted. The Iranian regime could no longer repress her for she feared nothing but death itself. Before Neda’s death, Marjane had only broken the rules once by participating in the 1979 demonstrations with Mehri, her maid; Marjane’s struggle for social equality had driven her to protest. Now it was fearlessness that motivates her rebellion. The most obvious example of Marjane’s new-found audacity is evident in “the Cigarette” chapter. To fit in with an older crowd, she skips school, befriends older girls, flirts with guys, lies to her mother, an eventually smokes her first cigarette (111-117). Drugs, boys, and deception all contribute to Marjane’s transition into adulthood. Rather than worrying about pleasing others, she does whatever she wants without considering the consequences. Furthermore, the smoking of her first cigarette foreshadows times
Because of the media and the ever-present tension between Iran and the West, …show more content…
Under the Islamic Regime, there were two distinct social classes: the upper and the lower class. Marjane’s family belonged to the former as her great-grandfather was the Sultan of Iran until 1921, allowing her parents to own a Cadillac and have a house maid. Nevertheless, Marjane’s family were communists who supported social equality and rights for proletariats. Marjane “wanted to be a prophet because [her] maid did not sit with [them at dinner and] because [her] father had a Cadillac” (6). She believed that if she were a prophet, all her problems would be solved. She acknowledges that her family is privileged, yet she does not understand why others lack the same opportunities and rights. Her confusion eventually prompts her to educate herself by reading as much as she can until she finally understood “that the reason for her shame [in her dad’s Cadillac] and for the revolution were the same: the difference between social class” (33). She felt ashamed to sit in her luxury car, while poverty forced others to walk miles upon miles simply to travel between home to school. In her readings, she learned that the upper-class thrived under the Shah’s reign due to Iran’s flourishing oil industry. However, conservative Muslims and the lower-class and did not benefit from Iran’s profit. Thus, the gap between social classes widened, and poverty led to the growth of extremism and …show more content…
As a child, you assume life will last forever; you have grand aspirations. The death of her friend Neda not only ignites a rebellion within Marjane, but it ultimately compels her to leave Iran. Unfortunately, the unpredictable tragedy ended Neda’s life and dreams of wealth and romance. In reaction to Neda’s sudden death, Marjane states: “my life took a new turn. In 1984, I was fourteen and a rebel. Nothing scared me anymore” (143). The death leads Marjane to appreciate every moment and take nothing for granted. The Iranian regime could no longer repress her for she feared nothing but death itself. Before Neda’s death, Marjane had only broken the rules once by participating in the 1979 demonstrations with Mehri, her maid; Marjane’s struggle for social equality had driven her to protest. Now it was fearlessness that motivates her rebellion. The most obvious example of Marjane’s new-found audacity is evident in “the Cigarette” chapter. To fit in with an older crowd, she skips school, befriends older girls, flirts with guys, lies to her mother, an eventually smokes her first cigarette (111-117). Drugs, boys, and deception all contribute to Marjane’s transition into adulthood. Rather than worrying about pleasing others, she does whatever she wants without considering the consequences. Furthermore, the smoking of her first cigarette foreshadows times