Persepolis is a story about a Marjane Satrapi’s childhood in Iran. The book is concentrated on Marjane’s family during the demonstration against Shah, religious revolution and The Iran-Iraq War. From the beginning of the book, Marjane is illustrated her identity by herself with other four friends in the same class wearing veil. However, there is the conflict between Marjane’s loyalty to Iran and its culture. Marjane strongly identifies herself is one of the last prophet that heritage from her family and she says that “I was born with religion” (6) and she was obligated to God. She really wants to fight for the poor and working class people because she is not happy when her maid does not eat on the table with her family. On another hand, her mother is one of the demonstration against the veil, and she is really proud of her mother. Her life is a study in contradictions and inconsistencies, that is confused her as she thinks “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.” (6) Furthermore, Marjane learns that her grandparents have suffered through poverty and social disadvantage after her grandfather was overthrown. She is so excited and proud that she is inherited from royal family. However, she is disappointed that her maid, Mehri, is still mistreated and is not received the advantages of education even though Mehri was adopted. Thus it is really confused her and she does not understand it fully about the social class conflict. She thinks “the reason for my shame and for the revolution is the same: the difference between social classes.” (33) She does not feel right about her maid is not allowed to fall in love her neighbor who is the same social class with her. She is upset with her father for being so harsh with her maid by going to tell her neighbor that Mehri is his family maid but not his daughter. She disagrees with her father’s saying “… because in this country you must stay within your own social class.” (37) Marjane is a little girl but she thinks about justice and everyone should be treated equally. Even she was born in religion but she was raised in modern.
I agree with you Kim, Marjane is confused at times. Inconsistencies all around her from the Revolution to the idealist’s ideas from her parents, rich and poor people and all the characters pervade confusion throughout the book. You are on the mark with your quote of, “the reason for my shame and for the revolution is the same: the difference between social classes.” (Marjane 33) (kimyenp) I tend to disagree on this point though; I do not believe she had a conflict of loyalty to Iran, but the conflict inside her. I quote,” When asked about what she will be when she grows up, Marjane professes to her classmates and her teacher as she declares, “I’LL BE A PROPHET.”(8). However, to her parents she flatly states, “I WANT TO BE A DOCTOR.”(9). It was conflicting ideals of her parents, her grandparents, and friends of the family. Also the fundamentalists taking over Iran was a turning point in her life. I agree with the last point you made, “Marjane is a little girl but she thinks about justice and everyone should be treated equally. Even she was born in religion but she was raised in modern.”(kimyenp)
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