rough draft persepolis

Persepolis

No one person can live a perfect life, whether is it childhood or adulthood. It may not be everyday but we are constantly being faced with obstacles that we have to overcome.  Sometimes they are easy and sometimes they take a while to hurdle.  It was very unfortunate that Marjane Satrapi had her childhood tainted by turmoil during the Islamic Revolution.  To make things worse, she was family of the last monarchy in Iran.  Everyone is targeting her family to overthrow her grandfather.  Having all these problems as a child are very traumatizing and will have a long lasting effect.  “You must base everything on these three rules: Behave well, Speak well, act well”  (Satrapi,  7).

  When a country is at war whether it is with an enemy or itself, there is going to be chaos. For a child to witness that, it is nearly impossible to erase memory’s of the events that happened. Marjane had the people of Iran revolt against her family.  Her grandfather had been a prince before Reza Shah came to power and also became the Prime Minister of Iran.  Her grandfather had become a communist, however, and had been imprisoned and tortured by being put in cells full of water.  “It disgusts me that people are condemned to a bleak future by their social class”  (Satrapi,  23).   Her father explained the history of the Iran Revolution.  He said that Reza 

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Shah had been a soldier battling against the King of Persia in order to establish a republic.  This had been during a time when Western democratic ethics were being instituted in many countries worldwide.  The British had learned of Reza Shah's desire to overthrow the king and, seeing an opportunity to profit from the country's rich oil fields, the British had supported Reza Shah's plans. 

Marjane believed highly that one day she would become the last prophet.  She created an imaginary friend that was God.  She would have conversations with her friend God where she pictured there would be cultural and social equality and that old people will not suffer from pain and illnesses.  News breaks that Marjanes uncle has been arrested and taken into captivity.  Her father tells her that her uncle Anoosh is allowed only one visitor.  During that visit, Anoosh tells Marjane that she was the daughter he always wished of having.  It is not that long after that they find out Anoosh has been executed due to false charges that were put on him.  Feeling like she has no one left in life, Marjane banishes her God friend forever and feels empty and alone.  She really cared about her uncle and in an unfair moment he was taken away from her.  It is great for children to have dreams but when they are shot down or taken away from them it is very hurtful and they feel like there is nothing in life to look forward to. 

Most religions in the Middle East require a “dress code.”  The men can pretty much wear clothes to their choosing, but the women have to be covered up.  Now women have to wear burqas.  The reason most women wear it is because they believe they should only be seen by one man and that would be their husband but also because now they are told the vail is obligatory but 

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the young children didn’t understand why they needed to wear it but they had to.  “ I really didn’t know what to think about the veil.  Deep down I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde”  (Satrapi,  6).  Marjane, being the rebel that she was, refused to abide by these rules.  She felt like she should be able to wear whatever she wanted.  “Make sure they wear their veils correctly”  (Satrapi,  96).  Her parents had a lot to do with her rebellious ways.  “ If hair is as stimulating as you say, then you need to shave your mustache”  (Satrapi,  96).  Marjanes father told Marjanes school teacher that during an argument that goes to show just how open Marjanes parents are also rebelling with all the new rules set into there “new world”  They were very open with her and told her many things that other parents wouldn’t tell their children because Marjanes father felt that she was old enough and ready to know what  was going on.  When it came time for her education, Marjane did not want to believe what was being taught to her and would disrespect the teacher.  This caused her to have a very conflicting childhood because it wasn’t a normal childhood where kids run around and play.  Instead it was filled with war and her family trying to “hide”  from the government so they wouldn’t get killed. 

 The events that occurred during this period of time had a lasting effect on society even till present day.  People would try to act and dress differently just to fit in.  This is close to a mirror image to Germany and the Nazis in the Second World War.  While reading the novel I kept picturing the Second World War because who every was running the country at a certain time was trying to make everyone fit there “perfect image” of what they wanted society to be.     

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If you were not like the rest then you didn’t fit in and you would be executed.  A person living in fear is not living at all.  Any wrong move and you have a heart attack because you don’t know what’s going to happen to you.  “ I want to be Justice, Love and the wrath of god all in one”  (Satrapi,  9).