Results of the Iranian Revolution on its people and Iran.

Persepolis the movie, deals with the same problems that are faced in the book. Beginning after the Iranian Revolution, it depicts the life of Marjane and her family. During this, Marjane deals with her parents wanting freedom for not only themselves but for her as well.  Marjane’s family disapproves of Shah and what he stands for and the rules he has created for their community. Throughout the story we see Marjane lash out in punk ways by listening to certain types of music. The story deals with gender inequality and harsh rules during the Islamic Revolution. Marjane has trouble expressing her true self due to the strict guidelines her parents enforce because of the Islamic Revolution. Marjane has many encounters and slip-ups with the police such as getting in trouble for wearing makeup and trying to be herself. Marjane eventually leaves and finds herself leaving and escaping the terrible country she lives in with her family. She eventually decides to come back home to her family because of her deep roots.

The Iranian Revolution was taken over by the Islamic Republic after the illness of Shah. This revolution is looked at as something that caused severe isolation and terror in its country and against its people. The uprising was trying to get rid of the Shah’s greatly before he became ill. Before them, there were the Safavids and Qajars. Religion and social justice go hand in hand during this revolution because of the certain powers that were in play and who was in charge. “The Islamic Republic’s main tool of oppression has been its Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), which has carried out imprisonment, torture, or execution of anyone suspected of insufficient loyalty to the regime. Khomeini appointed Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali, the “hanging judge,” as the Chief Justice of the Revolutionary Courts to provide a patina of legality to some of the executions, many of which were carried out in public. A common, particularly painful mode of public execution has been hanging from a crane. Beyond the court-approved executions, more than 3,000 political prisoners were murdered without even the pretense of legal proceedings” (Near East Report Article). During this time as well, women were greatly oppressed and caused to wear hijabs. “The revolution succeeded on February 11, 1979, and, on March 8, the nationwide radio broadcast announced that women who worked in the public sector should wear a veil. Until then, it was not obligatory in Iran. Many women opposed Khomeini’s declaration but, as a result of government-led violence and oppression, it became the norm. Two years later, it became mandatory for women to wear a coat to cover the body and a scarf to cover the hair when they stepped out of the house; violation of this law was a punishable offense” (Ebadi, para. 3). Many religious students took to the streets and began to protest the Shah’s reign over their country. Many workers went on strike due to the mistreatment and abuse that was brought upon them by troops. Marjane and her family had to deal with these issues. Marjane Satrapi has fully encompassed the story of the Iranian Revolution and has used it to tell a real-life story to viewers of all ages.

Blinder, Elana. “The Iranian Revolution, 40 Years on: Oppression at Home, Aggression Abroad.” AIPAC, AIPAC, 2 June 2020, https://www.aipac.org/resources/iranian-revolution.

Ebadi, Shirin. “Iran’s Revolution Has Failed Its Women.” The National, The National, 4 July 2021, https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/iran-s-revolution-has-failed-its-women-1.982880.