Reader Response #2

Gamban 4

Amanda Gamban

English 1A

Professor Knapps

17 March 2013

Reader Response #2: Persepolis and Marjane’s Rebellion

            In the second half of the graphic novel Persepolis written by Marjane Satrapi illustrates how her own childhood was more affected by the revolutions Iran has imposed on the their people. Through the period of her life from ages 12-14 she experiences severe changes about not only her society but also her family and herself. She faces the Islamic Revolution (and it’s new regime), the Iraq War, and all of the side affects and turmoil’s that came along with them. Through Marjane perspective we see how she takes in all of the violence, rebellion, and newfound Islamic Laws. Marjane and her family still try to live their lives through all of the corruption their government has put on them. At this point Marjane education, way of living, family, and beliefs are on the line. She had no choice but to either conform to new these new ways or rebel.

The first drastic change that came after the Shah left was the new Islamic regime, which enforced strict laws based on the Islamic Religion. Laws such as changing the way people dress, education reform, and expel anything that had a western influence on society. This new movement had tremendously affected Marjane and her family due to their modern ways of living. They weren’t allowed to have parties, drink alcohol, dress western, and were forced to wear the veil again. She explained, “…[it was] to protect women from all the potential rapists, they decreed that wearing the veil was obligatory” (74). Marjane mother was a victim of men harassing her because she chose not to wear the veil one day. Some women believed it was for the best, while others thought it to be an invasion to their personal rights. Marjane wore the covering on her head at school, but started to rebel by showing strands of her hair. This was the beginning of her showing her beliefs about how she felt about the new government.

            Marjane beliefs started to grow and so did the beginning of the Iraq and Iran war. The war had first brought Marjane a strong feeling of devotion to protect and defend her country. She thought that it was necessary for Iran to win because of the history of the Arabs invading the Persians. As the war started to unravel she saw things that no child should ever have to see, such as bombings of her own town, loss of family and friends, and the sadistic persuasion Iran had to convince young boys to join the army. Her beliefs toward the war evolved into a realization that this war was wrong in so many ways. In the book she states, “[Iran] eventually admitted that the survival of the regime depended on the war. And when I think we could have avoided it…it makes me sick” (116). After her understanding of how many people didn’t have to die, she shows her resentment by smoking a cigarette. This simple act of smoking did not only represent her feelings toward the war, but a rebellion of her mother and the end of her youth.

            When Marjane was at the age of fourteen she had experienced so much pain and bitterness for her country, her beliefs became her morals and rebelled at any chance she could. Toward the end of the novel she strongly states, “After the death of Neda BaBa [a close family friend], my life took a new turn in 1984. I was fourteen and a rebel. Nothing scared me anymore”. (143) She embodied her morals and expressed her true feelings which got herself expelled at one school, but didn’t stop her of bringing them to the next school she attended. For someone who had been through so much, you could only imagine how she would carry herself around a system that is against everything she stands for. As Marjane showed her true thoughts and opinions she put herself in danger, which leads to her parents decision of her parents sending her to Vienna Austria. So then she could finish her French education and grow to become an independent woman.

            Throughout this novel we see Marjane mature into a resilient young woman. We see her develop her opinions to beliefs and her beliefs into strong morals that she will live by the rest of her life. Her childhood was the furthest thing from normal, but with a strong family and mindset she grew up to standup for herself and understand the whole truth of what was occurring in her country. He rebellious ways helped her grow up to become Marjane Satrapi instead of growing up in the eyes of how the government thinks she should have.