Iranian Embassy Siege

“Then came 1980: The year it became obligatory to wear the veil at school” (Satrapi, 3). Marjane Satrapi in the book Persepolis faces many difficulties in life during the Islamic Revolution. She is forced to lose her childhood innocence at a young age, face gender inequality like most if not all women in Iran at the time, and loses her faith in God due to the cruelty in the time of the revolution. At a young age children were separated by gender and the girls were forced to wear veils unlike the…

Marjane Satrapi uses images of martyrs cradled in the arms of veiled women throughout the graphic novel to convey not only the importance of martyrdom in the cultural identity of Iran during the war, but also in the broader context of Iranian history and daily life under the new oppressive Muslim government. On page 250 panel 4, Satrapi uses the angle at which the image is viewed, and the size of the panel itself, to give the feeling of importance within that image. The frame of reference in…

Marjane Satrapi writes her autobiography, Persepolis with an omnipotent style. Every once and a while she lets it be known that she is both the author and the main character with quips and commentary on a situation. She especially takes advantage of this in foreshadowing how her relationship with Reza. One of the times she does this really stands out to me, “Apparently, her best friend wanted to go out with Reza… Unfortunately, we don’t always get what we want” (Satrapi 278). In this short…

The life in Iran during Reza Shah’s tenure was full of inequity, harshness and cruelty. This period affected not only the local population, but also the Armenian community. Both “Persepolis” and “The Armenian Community of Tabriz” are bright examples of how indigenous people and unwelcomed non-natives suffered from the decisions that government made. As Satrapi brings up in “Persepolis”, her early childhood was spent in an easygoing way. She was brought up in a well-to-do family. She had mother,…

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi tells the story of Marjane’s life as she grows up in Iran during the Iranian revolution. In the beginning, Marjane is young and naive, not fully understanding the impact of the war. Throughout the graphic novel, she experiences a series of major life events, including moving to Austria and losing her beloved Uncle Anoosh. By the end of the graphic novel, however, these events have strengthened her, creating a strong, independent woman who knows the…

the two authors can be considered feminist of their time as both their stories discuss the lives of women in times of political oppression. Persepolis is the autobiography of Marjane Satrapi as she grows up in Iran during times of protest with the Iranian Revolution and the Iraq-Iran war. While, “Antigone” is the drama of a princess, Antigone, going against government rule to follow the religious law in Thebes, Ancient Greece. Marjane Satrapi and Antigone are both examples of modern feminist who…

From the book “The Complete Persepolis” by Maryjane Satrapi. “It had been four years since I had such a well-stocked store, the first Aisle I headed was the one with scented detergents, we couldn’t find them in Iran anymore’’. This quote has moved me because it reminds me the suffering and hardship of the people. Most of the country today were still living in the poverty and unhealthy lifestyles. Maryjane could not believe what she has seen in Vienna store a place she can buy whatever she wants.…

at a turning point in Iranian history. At a time when Iranians were facing the dilemma of seeing where they fit within the ideologies of the West and the Soviet Union, Ahmad challenged Iranians to look inward and embrace the force most resistant to change from outside forces: Islam. In particular, I found the dichotomy between Reza Shah’s westernization reforms and Aleh Ahmad’s Islamic Republic as an ideological battle for the hearts and minds of everyday Iranians. The Iranian government under…

perspective, she talks about how shortly after the Islamic Revolution the girls are asked to wear the veils over their heads and cannot look a man in the eye. The Islamic revolution was a revolution that had created major changes in terms of the Iranian culture and society. It enforced women to wear veils which was supposed to act like protection because not wearing one meant that the woman was promoting…

a graphic novel, Persepolis heavily depends on black and white illustrated pictures to convey Marjane’s story instead of language. These images provide insight into Marjane’s thoughts, which allows the reader to see a child's perspective on post-Iranian Revolution life. Oftentimes, Marjane interprets everything she hears literally. Seeing her literal and interpretations drawn out adds another humorous element to the novel. However, sometimes seeing Marjane’s thoughts has the opposite impact; one…