Pahlavi dynasty

Dr. Golkar’s article “Manipulated Society” delves into the study of state manipulation of the population in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This manipulation is used to protect the regime from the “threat from below” where the general public mobilizes and rises up against the state. He points to the Arab Spring as an example of the threat that this poses to non-democratic regimes. This manipulation involves three main components: Manipulation of the mind, manipulation of the body, and…

“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…

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,…

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.…

Persepolis Photo Essay Photography is an art of observation, it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them. In the book Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, the author, represents Iran through her young adolescent eyes. Marjane precisely portrays Iran throughout the book. Through certain images we may receive an enhanced representation of Iran by the revolution, imperialism, nationalism, social classes and religion. This photograph captures a group of…

The beginning of the story started in the 1920s, when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, assumed the position of the Shah, or King of Iran. From the early 1920s until the late 1970s, when he was overthrown, Shah Pahlavi, pushed for the westernization of Iran. Under his ruling, he instilled an anti-communist, and pro western nation, that made significant advancements in industrial expansion (“Iran Hostage…

The world is an amazing place with amazing people; people who sacrifice morals, rights and lives for the sake of power and prestige and greatness and renown– pursuing them as though they are their own lives running from them and they must capture them at all costs. Laleh Khadivi 's The Age of Orphans (set in Iran) recounts the enduring story of these amazing people and those who suffer under their greatness hunt, focusing on the loss of identity and the effects of forced assimilation through…

Following World War II, many different countries were left in ruins and began to rebuild, especially in Europe. Iran specifically, was recovering from being invaded by Soviet and British troops after being a neutral country in the war. In the book titled All the Shah’s Men, we get a more focused glimpse on Iran and all the foreign powers influencing the nation. Iran was ruled as a monarchy until 1979, and each king or emperor is given the title of “shah”. Every Shah ruled until death or they…

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…

Set in the late 1970’s, award-winning film Argo, is based on the real story of the Iran hostage crisis. The film begins after the US government takes in the Shah, with Iranians attacking the US embassy in Iran, resulting in the capture of sixty American embassy staff (Argo). Argo exclusively shares Tony Mendez’s effort to exfiltrate the six American embassy staff that manage to sneak away, from Iran (Argo). This is accomplished as Mendez and the six Americans pose as Canadian filmmakers, while…