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Persepolis is a novel that is about the life of Marjane Satrapi as she grows up in Iran during the 1970’s and 1980’s and as she travels abroad. During her childhood, the Shaw revolution takes place and the Iraq-Iran war starts. This war and its effects are depicted many times throughout the novel and shape Marjane’s character and life.

The neighboring Iraq had agreed to a border agreement in 1975 that relinquished control over both sides of the Shatt al-Arab, therefore turning over control of Iraq’s access to the Persian Gulf. Iraq’s Sunni president, Suddam Hussein, also sought to gain rule over Iraq to avoid a Shi’ite revolution similar to the Shaw revolution that had just occurred. (History.com 2009)

Persepolis describes the Shaw revolution and why it took place. In summary, a pro-western culture dictatorship is dismantled and replaced with a fundamentalist government that enforced strict religious laws. With this revolution came the weakness of the military. Iraq saw this weakness and launched an attack in September of 1980.

The Iraq-Iran was claimed many lives over its 8-year duration. Although many sources give conflicting numbers on the casualties, almost all agree it was over 1 million. According to Slavin & Kadhim from the Alantic Council, “Iran lost at least a quarter of a million people, and its soldiers were the victims of weapons of mass destruction—Iraqi munitions laced with deadly chemical agents.” One thing that makes this war so gruesome was the use of those Chemical weapons which were banned by the Geneva protocol in 1925 (OPCW.org). Another horrifying fact of the war was Iran’s use of children in the war, something that Marjane depicted in the novel. A Washington Post article from 1988 talks elaborates on this:

Our sources also agree that the boy soldiers get little training and are used as a shield for Khomeini’s fanatical Revolutionary Guards Corps fighting at the front or as mine sweepers whose lives are expendable. (Anderson 1988)

The article goes on to estimate the number of children to be used this way to be 64,000 in about the 12–13-year-old range. The way ended with a cease-fire in 1988 after many failed offenses from both sides.

Citations:

Slavin, B., & Kadhim, A. (2021, September 30). Iran ‘won’ the war with Iraq but at a heavy price. Atlantic Council. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/iransource/iran-won-the-war-with-iraq-but-at-a-heavy-price/.

Anderson, J., & Atta, D. V. (1988, January 18). Children Khomeini’s cannon fodder. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/01/18/children-khomeinis-cannon-fodder/8b7673b3-c701-484c-955c-0bd4c3ea1d70/.

History.com Editors. (2009, November 9). Iran-Iraq War. History.com. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/iran-iraq-war.

       Marjane Satrapi has written two graphic novels about her life that have since been transformed into a film. Although the film is similar to the graphic novels, it is different as she could not fit as much information into the film as the book. However, both the graphic novels and the film share the common theme of “rejecting conformity” (T.)

       The film “Persepolis” has mostly two-dimensional black and white animation. While black and white scenes are meant to display memories or history, the beginning and end of the film are in color to represent the present time. The color differentiation among scenes relates the message, “when we look back to our past, we may see situations in black and white—without the color of present emotions” (Kennedy). 

       While the film and the graphic novels share most of the same themes, the way the graphic novel was adapted into a film left some key parts from Marjane’s story out or altered. For example, the scene where Marjane’s mother came to visit her, the story about her adopted maid, and some details about certain characters are excluded (T.). To make up for the parts of the graphic novel that are altered or excluded, the film can use sound to express Marjanes’ rejection of society. Through the use of sound and music, the audience empathizes with how she connects and likes punk music and how it contrasts her conservative country (T.). Another difference is the graphic novel focuses more on the events in Iran, and how the difficult times affected others and Marjane. While the graphic novel displays historical images, it does not go into detail about Iran’s history. Contrary, the film, “intends to more directly educate the viewer about Iranian history-leaving out many scenes of Marji in Austria” (Kennedy). The film depicts the historical facts of the revolution that takes place in Iran while giving the reader more graphic imagery; the novel focuses more on Marjane’s emotions and connecting with the reader as she faces different obstacles throughout her life. 

Ebert, Roger. “Persepolis Movie Review & Film Summary (2008): Roger Ebert.” Persepolis Movie Review & Film Summary (2008) | Roger Ebert, https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/persepolis-2008.

Kennedy, Brittany. “Differences between the Graphic Novel and Film, ‘Persepolis,” by Satrapi Analysis.” ReelRundown, ReelRundown, 12 Dec. 2011, https://reelrundown.com/animation/An-Analysis-of-the-Graphic-Novel-and-Film-Persepolis-by-Satrapi.

T., / Raymond. “Persepolis Analysis: The Differences of a Comic Book Turned into a Movie.” Classic But New, 9 Nov. 2013, https://classicbutnew.wordpress.com/2013/11/09/persepolis-analysis-the-differences-of-a-comic-book-turned-into-a-movie/.

Persepolis is a memoir of a Ten-year-old girl growing up during revolutionary Iran(Persia). Fun fact It’s also a major motion picture from Sony Pictures Classics.

Marjane slowly begins to explain the differences in both Iran at large and her personal world pre-and post-1979 Revolution. The Iranian revolution is also known as the Islamic revolution was caused by Discontent with the Shah’s rule Exile of Ruhollah Khomeini Social injustice Religious motives and others. Satrapi’s unique approach to telling her experience was very effortless to follow along.

Personally, I believe she was ahead of her time, do you agree? Her family was referenced as modern, but born with religion. From a young age, she imaginatively perceives herself as “the last prophet”; even though all the other prophets in history are men, she does not let that dissuade her from her conviction of greatness. As a child, and a woman in the past and today’s world is a challenge in itself. The government It can be confusing because even relating to today with the pandemic is hard for children to fully grasp.

Grasping the points of view her father gave of Shah, and her beliefs of him really revealed how separated/gifted she was even from the first page as she was portrayed away from her friends.

Marjane Satrapi’s story “Persepolis” provides readers with insight into Marjane’s life while living through the Isalmic revolution.

In the introduction of “Persepolis” Satrapi explains why it is so important she shares this story with the world. As an Iranian who has lived more than half of her life in Iran she does not “…want those Iranians who lost their lives in prisons defending freedom, who died in the war against Iraq, who suffered under various repressive regimes, or who were forced to leave their families and flee their homeland to be forgotten.”  

Women in Iran began agitating for increased rights in the late 19th Century. But the advent of Ayatollah Khomeini and his conservative revolution in 1979 caused a drastic reverse in the progress of Iranian women. Yet their dedication to full equality has remained high.  

The Isalmic revolution started in 1979, and only a year later in 1980, when Marjane was only ten years old her and her fellow female classmates had to wear veils in school. Young girls hated this; they did not understand why they had to do this. This sparked the beginning of protests for freedom.  

Before the revolution women had the right to be educated and had the  chance to make choices, such as if they wanted to wear a hijab or not. 

Her mother attended protests and her photograph was published in many European newspapers. Although Marjane was proud of her mother, this photo scared her mother and caused her to dye her hair and hide her true identity. Women in Iran began agitating for increased rights in the late 19th Century.  But the advent of Ayatollah Khomeini and his conservative revolution in 1979 caused a drastic reverse in the progress of Iranian women. Yet their dedication to full equality has remained high.  

Marjane Satrapi always was  hopeful for a positive future even with all the death and protests she had witnessed as a young girl. This makes me wonder how we can learn by her example and stay positive with everything that is going on in our world today?

References:

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/reconstructed-lives-women-and-irans-islamic-revolution 

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/2/11/iran-1979-the-islamic-revolution-that-shook-the-world 

The story Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is an autobiographical account of her life while growing up in the midst of political and religious turmoil in Iran. In summary, this is a coming of age story that highlights the unrest in Iran in the 1980s. Marjane is a social active girl and Persepolis shares her struggles with freedom throughout her life.

Because Persepolis is an autobiography, it gives a reader a unique first hand look into the complex political unrest in Iran in the 1980s. In September of 1980, the Iran-Iraq war started when Iraqi armed forces invades the western boarder of Iran. The attack was prompted by territorial and political conflict between the two countries. This lead to eight years of active fighting, until a ceasefire was called for in 1988. During these years of flighting, the daily life of those in Iran changed dramatically, especially for women. Before the Iran- Iraq war and the Iranian revolution, women were included in higher education. The choice of wearing a Hijab was left up the them, and they indulged in many western styles, including tight fitting clothing and high heels. Women were allowed to walk freely alone, shopping, getting their hair done, socializing, etc. This era is termed the Pahlavi Era and took place from 1925-1979. After this, the rights for women began to decline. This era, termed The Khomeini decade, lasted from 1979-1989 and is when Persepolis takes place. Under revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s new theocracy gave priority to Islamic tradition over modern ideas. Women were now required to wear a Hijab, or islamic headdress. They were segregated from men and taken out of the workforce. They essentially lost all of the westernized rights to which they had become so accustomed. After this, women took to political activism, fighting for their rights back.

Satrapi’s account helps to emphasize one of the main themes of the story, contrasting Iran to the rest of the world. Throughout her life, Marjane lives in and out of Iran. Through her story, she compares the different cultures in which she lives, giving insight into her the freedoms she is given in each place.

References:

“Iran-Iraq War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/event/Iran-Iraq-War.

“Iranian Women – before and after the Islamic Revolution.” BBC News, BBC, 8 Feb. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47032829.

“The Women’s Movement.” The Iran Primer, 6 Oct. 2010, iranprimer.usip.org/resource/womens-movement.

Effects of Colonization on Nigeria

The novel “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe follows the story of a fictional character named Okonkwo who lives within the clan of Umuofia in Nigeria. This story begins during the pre-colonization era in Nigeria and continues into the British colonization in the early 20^th century. Colonization occurs when a foreign presence comes and asserts control and domination over the native land, largely for their own benefit. As you can imagine this colonization had many effects both on the Nigerians living through this experience as well as generations to come. These effects have both been positive and negative for the people in Nigeria.

Throughout my research I found overwhelmingly more negative impacts than positive ones. The first one may seem obvious, but this colonization resulted in Nigerian society being completely dependent on the British rulers. Before this, Nigeria was an independent country and now due to the exploitation of resources by British power Nigeria is considered underdeveloped (Ejeh, 14). Through the lens of a woman, Tambu, looking back on her experiences as a child living in colonized Nigeria, she saw the effects in herself. Tambu knew her place in society was to cook and work in the land and this was due to the double oppression of women in colonized society. Throughout Achebe’s novel we see that women are not viewed as equals in society however this is made worse through colonization. Finally, Nigeria’s culture and traditions are fading away as people begin to dress and talk like their British rulers. According to Ejeh, “a good number of Igbo sons and daughters can hardly speak or understand their language” (14).

The greatest positive effect of the colonization of Nigeria was the impact on their education system. Children suddenly had much greater access to schools as the new government worked to build new schools and provide children with access to education. The curriculum in the school was also aimed toward skills that would “meet the long-term developmental needs of the society” (Omojimite, 93). Universities were established and expanded by the new federal government and primary education was made free for all children living in Nigeria. Eventually a phase of decline set in due to lack of funding but overall, the children and society have been greatly impacted by the development and access to schools from the British government.

Resources:

Bajnay, Flora. “Postcolonialism in Children’s Eyes: The Effects of Colonization on the Development of Children.” In Esse: English Studies in Albania, no. 2, 2018, pp. 91–111., www.ceeol.com/search/viewpdf?id=913191. Accessed 23 Sept. 2021.

Ejeh, Paulinus C. “COLOMENTALISM: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF COLONIZATION IN NIGERIA.” AMAMIHE: Journal of Applied Philosophy, vol. 19, no. 1, 2021, acjol.org/index.php/ajap/article/view/1091/1077.

Omojimite, Ben U. “Education and Economic Growth in Nigeria: A Granger Causality Analysis.” African Research Review, vol. 4, no. 3, July 2010, pp. 90–108., doi:10.4314/afrrev.v4i3.60158.

The book “Things Fall Apart” is a fictional story about a person named Okonkwo. The story takes place in present day Nigeria. Okonkwo is a leader who leads his own tribe and lives with other neighboring tribes around him. Oknokwo’s nation worshiped wooden and stone idols and planted yams as their main source of food. Later in the story, British colonizers arrive at Oknokwo’s nation. These colonizers try to make Okonkwo’s nation abandon their beliefs and practices. The colonizers also brought religious leaders who tried to spread Christainity. During the end of the book, many people convert to Christainity or don’t fight back against the colonizers. Although “Things Fall Apart” is a fictional story, Africa did get colonized by many European countries including Britain.                

  In around 1860, the Industrial Revolution was starting. Countries that were industrializing needed raw materials to supply the Industrial Revolution.  European countries found out Africa had raw materials such as gold, ivory, diamonds, and rubber. After hearing about the natural resources in Africa,  Britain would plan to conquer nearly half of Africa, including present day Nigeria, the location of “Things Falling Apart”.

In 1870, Britain and other European countries took part in imperialism and colonialism. Imperialism is the idea of making an empire by capturing weaker countries with military or political methods. Colonialism is when an imperialist country imposes cultural, economic, and political life on the captured countries. Many African nations tried to fight back fiercely against the European military, but ended up surrendering to European rule.  

“Things Falling Apart” mainly depicts the British colonizers imposing religious and cultural life. However, actual colonizers did more harsh actions. The British colonizers would force some natives living in the area to be laborers in mines or workplaces. These laborers would mine or produce raw materials. The British colonizers forced Africans to learn English and wear British clothes. People who were colonized by the British had to pay taxes to Britain. 

In 1945, African countries started to gain their independence. During World War 2, some Africans fought with Britain and the allies. Britain and other European countries started to question the costs of keeping the captured African lands and the morality of colonization. It was at the end of World War 2 that European countries started to acknowledge Africa’s Independence. Nigeria gained its independence in 1960.

The effects of colonization drastically changed African countries. Before colonization,  there were 100 different ethnic groups that spoke 1000 different languages. After colonization, many of these ethnic groups were gone and people in different regions spoke English, French, German, or any other language of the country that colonized them. Because colonizers took their natural resources, they became poorer. There are some positive outcomes though. Britain and European countries brought technology such as railroads in Africa during colonization. Nationalism sparked from being colonized. Some authors such as Chinua Achebe would write books about African culture before colonization and what colonizers did during colonization.                     

Sources:  

Grill, Mark. “The National Archives | Education | British Empire | Living in the British Empire | Africa | Background.” The National Archives, Case Study, 22 July 2010, https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/empire/g2/cs3/background.htm.

Hardin, Graham. “British Colonization of Africa.” Story Map, ESRI, 12 Mar. 2019, https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=e8f24a9c56404e67b209dfcdfb37bc82#:~:text=The%20British%20colonized%20Africa%20in,hesitate%20on%20conquering%20the%20land.&text=Another%20resource%20in%20Africa%20was,good%2Dsellin

Iweriebor, Ehiedu. “The Colonization of Africa.” African Age, Schomburg Center, 19 Apr. 2011, http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/essay-colonization-of-africa.html.

Singh, Amardeep. “Colonialism/Imperialism: The Simple Way to Distinguish These Two Is to think of Colonialism as Practice and Imperialism as The.” Home | Lehigh University, Amardeep Singh, 14 Oct. 2001, https://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/eng-11-globalization.htm.