Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic memoir that takes place during an Islamic revolution in Iran. It depicts the impacts of religious extremism on her people, especially women. The memoir begins with a ten year old Satrapi. She belongs to an upper middle class family and which allows her to have access to education materials. These educational materials eventually expose her to Western political thought. When Shah’s regime comes to an end, religious extremists gain control of the new form of government which is put into place. This new regime is extremely harsh towards women and makes them cover themselves when out in public. War is thrown into the mix when the new regime declares war against Iraq. After two years of war, Satrapi comes home finds out that a long range missile had hit her neighborhood. She becomes enraged with the political system that was put into place which brought war to her front door step and is traumatized from the site of one of her friend’s dead body. The memoir ends with Satrapi’s leave to Europe after her family fears for her safety.
This memoir really emphasizes how women across the globe are being discriminated against. In a lot of places, such as the extremist regimes that take place in the memoir, women are being treated as second-class citizens. It really makes me appreciate the country that I grew up in. I feel as if America is almost a guide for those trying to achieve equal rights. I’m not saying that America is perfect, but we definitely are on the right path to doing so. Offering any help and sanctuary for those who are struggling against political extremists is always there for those in need.
This story has made me realize how lucky we are to have not seen some of the things we read about in other countries. No one should have to deal with the scenes she witnessed when she went home. It is sad to see that other countries have no given women the same rights as men and have overcome that hurdle. I am also relived I grew up where I did and was given rights at birth in this not perfect country. I hope that some day with these first hand experiences and with the awareness of what other countries are doing to their people, we can help them realize it is not right.
I agree with you when you talk about how there was a lot of discrimination against women. One thing that I find interesting is how Satrapi’s views change on what is happening. At first she was listening and believing what happened in school and was too young to fully understand the rebelling her parents were a part of. She also originally wanted to be a prophet but was laughed at because she was a female, since she was too young to know that. As she grows older, she is exposed to more freedom and realized that she also believes in the expression of women and not a strict regime. This can be seen as the artist styles start super basic and slowly get a bit more advanced. It really shows her maturing and realizing what is going on with her country. Do you think everyone has a realization with their country on learning it isn’t like what they learned in school? How has her relationship with the western culture been different compared to other stories we have read? I think that she is more accepting and likes it, where in other stories it has ruined and has been considered awful.
Hello,
I really enjoyed your presentation and I agree with your idea that America is almost like a guide for countried trying to achieve equal rights. Although there are injustices present in the U.S, there are not any government-backed policies that aid in gender discrimination such as in countries in the middle east. Being of Indian descent, I’ve visited India a few times throughout my life and although the oppression of women in India is not nearly as significant as it is in Middle Eastern countries, it still is embedded in the culture. I got a glimpse of how differently women are treated compared to men in India and it definitely made me feel more grateful about America and having more equality.