By Class-time (2:00) on Monday: Post your Digital Commonplace
Since this Digital Commonplace post is meant to do the work of an in-class discussion, please be as thorough as possible. Feel free to write this post in reflective essay format, if it feels more comfortable, being sure to incorporate quotations and specific passages of the text to help situate your reflection. Be extra-thorough in your reflection so that your peers have something good and weighty to respond to. And remember, this may just be the start of a great final reflective essay.
By the end of class-time (3:15): Respond (in at least 150 words) to 3 peers.
This Digital Commonplace will be worth 6 points, rather than the usual 3, so be as thorough as I know you can be.
Sexual liberation is touched on at different points in Satrapi's novel, but it is usually done with subtlety. Only at certain points is sexuality very overtly referred to. Before I get into those instances, I want to think about the intention behind this - it is most likely due to how Satrapi is a native Iranian and was raised in a religious family and religious country, and with the differences between the ruler of the country and her parents, she still has many values of her heritage, which come across strongly in her writing.
One of these moments that was especially prominent in this section of the reading was when Marji's friends ask her about her sex life in the years she was gone in Europe. At first they seem very excited about the prospect of Marji having had sex, but when she says that she slept with multiple people one of her friends responds: "So what's the difference between you and a whore?" (270). Which Marji responds in narration by thinking, "Underneath their outward appearance of being modern women, my friends were real traditionalists" (270). As Satrapi is showing, despite the years that Marji went away and experienced different cultures, her friends were still actively participating in a culture that doesn't believe in sex outside of marriage or, if there is sexual involvement, certainly not with more than one person. This really emphasized the cultural contexts of the time, showing the different perspectives - the friends, who are consistently immersed in Iranian culture; Satrapi, who gets to experience more than one; and the reader, who doesn't necessarily know anything about Iranian culture at all.
It is reminiscent of Marji's first "encounter" with sexual liberation: Julie, of her roommate who had sex with eighteen men, and who Marji was present for when she slept with her nineteenth. Julie and her lover come out into the living room where Marji is, and she thinks, after seeing them, that "it was my first big step toward assimilating into western culture" (188). This shows us the thing that Marji speaks of, the "sexual revolution," where individuals don't have to worry about who they sleep with, because the emphasis is on different things, on liberation. So, with this, Marji edges away from the ideals she grew up with, and takes on new ones, even if not fully. The old traditions still linger, but ebb as time goes on.
You make a good point about sexual liberation in this novel. I too believe that since Marji had the opportunity to experience various cultures and see the ways that they live their lives she was able to be more liberated herself. Unlike her friends in Iran who have not been able to live through the same experiences as her Marji is able to realize that the traditional culture that she grew up in is immensely different than the life that she had been able to live in Europe. I think that throughout the novel Marji is shown becoming more of an individual who has her own views and doesn’t only base her opinions on the type of culture that she may have grown up in and been a part of when she was younger.
I agree that sexual liberation is a large theme in Marji’s journey towards finding her identity, but was not directly spoken of a lot. I find it incredibly interesting that even in an Iranian government, Marji’s dad was so open and honest about telling her what testicles were (in detail). Marji’s parents being very open and defiant of governmental control definitely also played a lot into Marji’s self-identity.
I also found the conversation that Marji had with her friends about sex very interesting. This scene, for me, showed that not only Marji was struggling between her westernized self and her Iranian self, but her friends doing the same. In the scene before, Marji’s friends were surprised that Marji was not all dolled up, being a fashionista and going to nightclubs. They had a single story of what they thought western culture was like, and they wanted to become fully westernized. The thing is, when they were fully confronted with a western was of sexual identity, almost immediately, one of then snapped back into her Iranian morals. This showed me that she also did not know how exactly to act or where she belonged, just like Marji did.
Marji's family definitely plays a role into how open she was with sexual liberation compared to others, like Natalie was saying. I agree with that 100%. I think that this, along with her getting to experience first hand in Europe, what they saw as western with Julie and what she herself experienced definitely shaped her. She got to see more than just that single story of the west that her friends didn't get while they were still in Iran with all of the rules and roles that women had to play. I think that it's interesting thinking about how different their views on sex and sexual identity were once they really talked about it.
I think the theme of sexual liberation is important throughout Persepolis because it’s something that Satrapi is trying to understand throughout the novel. Sexuality is a part of her identity and she embraces and acknowledges sexual liberation, but she prefers to be more traditional about sex by keeping it private. I think that this is because of her bicultural identity since she’s trying to balance her traditional values with western values. She also shows that there is agency in sexuality in Iran. Non-Iranian people would interpret Iran as a sexually repressed state, but Satrapi shows that there is sexual agency can lie in privacy in regards to sex and sexuality.
I also think that sexual liberation and her sexual agency at times helps define her intersectionality. You can literally see her transformation from one of the more traditional girls, in her encounter with Julie, to a more western one in the scene that you were talking about. Marjane is stuck somewhere in between traditional and modern, much like she is stuck between western and eastern and that seperates her and depresses her at the same time. She can't express her sexuality in Iran, but she can't get rid of it either. I agree with Tramel that the only way she can resolve her sexual agency with her culture is to be private about most things. Though perhaps she may want to express it in other ways (such as makeup), it is the only way it will peacefully resolve itself with the Iranian culture
I agree on the sexual liberation part that was discussed about in the novel. Not only that but Marji did have a lot opportunity to experience different cultures. By experiencing different culture it opened up Marji's mind and it also influenced her to be liberated herself. Despite Marji being from Iran and experiencing the culture and way of life in Iran she noticed a big difference between culture and the way of life in Europe compared to Iran. For Marji to experience both the culture in Iran and in Europe, she herself is growing to be more independent by having a different views and opinion on certain things...by far distancing herself from her culture when it comes down to having different views on things.
"I wasn't able to take a step back even though I knew that it was the only way to get out of my funk"( 267). There comes a time when every one feels this way and they just start to shut down. Marjane was back in Iran where it was worse then it was when she left. Things had gotten out of control and when things get out of control a person feels like there is no escape. There was no possible way for her to go backwards. Yet the hardest thing for her to do was move forward. Even in the hardest of times we have to keep going even if we dont want to. Marjane did just that. I can't imagine going from a place where you are free but have no identity to a place where you still dont have an identity and are no longer free. To lose your identity is to loose whom you are, you slip in a place of conformity. Marjane didnt want to conform. Yet she had no other choice. Marjane did not have the power to follow what was in her heart. “To believe your own thought to believe that what is true for you in your private heart, is true for all men,- that is genius” Emerson's Self Reliance. Marjane does come to these terms after a while which in the end leads her to France which was the best possible outcome.
I'm happy that you mentioned Satrapi's depression and attempted suicide because I think that she shatters a lot of the stereotypes that revolve around mental illness and depression. She shows the world how depression truly works by depicting in one panel how her family gave her advice like to find a husband or join a gym. And then, in the panel right after she shows us that all she really wants is for someone to talk so that she doesn't feel so alone. She also shows us that depression isn't something that you can overcome within a few hours. And finally, she shows us that people who suffer from a mental illness cause more harm to themselves than others, which is something that you don't get to see in the media because the media likes to tell us that all mentally ill people are essentially Patrick Bateman. I like the fact that Satrapi shows us her depression not only because she shatters the stereotypes, but because she shows us how it affects an individual and furthers the notion the personal is political because her depression isn't representative of all mentally ill or depressed people.
I love the fact that you connected this back to an Emerson quote! I agree with you that I think Marjane's depression is a culmination of not belonging and her intersectionality. She is unable to conform because she has expirenced freedom outside of Iran. However, she goes back to Iran because she is unable to get ouside of her Iranian idenity. She exists between the two worlds, and since she is unable to truly fit in either, she becomes depressed. I kind of get her understanding, is it better to exist at all than exist in the in betweens? Everybody wants a solid identity of who they are, and Marjane can't really have a true one for herself at this moment in her life. Which is why she probably creates one for herself. I think though this originally is not the "real" Marjane, her real self comes through as she settles into her country, identity, and finds pepole like her.
Satrapi speaking up about her mental illness was very powerful, and the use of the visuals was a great example of showing how living and coping with mental illness/depression really can be. It is not something that is often discussed, particularly in young adults, and the passage where Marjane was explaining her depression was brief, yet very informative. I agree, Marjane’s depression really did illustrate how trapped she felt in her life at that time, she had lost graps of her individuality and identity with the culture shock of returning home to Iran and did not know where to turn. I think is one of the most significant passages in the novel as we really get to go inside of Marjane’s mind and understand her internal struggles.
I also really appreciated how Satrapi covered so many aspects of Marji's life, including her experience with mental illness/depression. I think that her experiences were very accurately and appropriately documented, especially with a subject so rarely discussed in depth. Satrapi did an excellent job of breaking away from typically depression stereotypes, and Marji's experiences seemed very real. Her struggle with depression also connects back to her struggle with attempting to find her own identity and feeling defeated in that regard, which is undoubtedly where part of her depression stems from.
I totally agree with what you stated. Imagine going from a place where you are free but have no identity compared to a place where you still dont have an identity and are no longer free. To lose your identity is to loose whom you are. In the novel, Satrapi lost who she was for a little while because of her being depressed. For Marji to be depressed she broke the stereotypes that comes behind being mentally sick or depressed, by showing how depression or being mentally ill can affect an individual.
“That day, I learned something essential: we can only feel sorry for ourselves when our misfortunes are still supportable. Once this limit is crossed, the only way to bear the unbearable is to laugh at it,” (Satrapi, 266).
I was raised to laugh at myself. People need levity to make it through life. I’ve been told that is not something that is possible—life is too serious—but life is more than a series of Heavy things happening to us.
I’ve known hardships. Not those like Marji, but I’ve had to fight though life to get as far as I have. The above quote is said right after Marjane was reunited with Kai, her childhood friend who was left disabled after the war. Marji learned the essential lesson that I was raised upon.
This quote is very important in Persepolis, because it is said when dealing with loss. Some struggles in life are so hard to deal with, that the brain doesn’t know where to turn, except to laughter. It is well known (at least in the psych community) that laughing does work as a coping mechanism for many people. It is even recorded in the song “One Week” by The Barenaked Ladies: “I’m the kind of guy that laughs at a funeral. Can’t understand what I mean? You soon will.”
I can definitely agree that life isn’t something to be taken completely seriously, and sometimes you need to make the occasional fart joke just to crack a few smiles. Satrapi did this in an earlier chapter: “What’s flatulence? Well… FARTS!” (92). This was at a low point for the family, when they didn’t have a lot to be happy about, but because Marji made this joke, she essentially made her family feel better and learned that life doesn’t have to be so serious all the time.
I was also raised with the lesson to laugh at yourself, and at the things that happen in life. Seeing Marji use this as a method to cheer her family and herself up had me think back to times where I've done the same. Also it made me think of figures in the media who do the same. President Obama is an excellent example of this - that time where he showed reporters that video of Simba from the Lion King is a perfect example of it. Making a serious situation less tense on your own terms, to make it just a little lighthearted if you can is somewhat universal. As Marji says, "To each his own way of calming down."
This quote is very significant in the novel, especially because Marjane has dealt with such loss and trauma in her life due to the war. It was nice to include some humor in the novel, I really enjoy when dark novels, movies, etc. have a hint of humor in them to make the fictional world not seem so threatening or take the edge off of the situation. Humor is an excellent coping mechanism, sometimes even when it comes to the grieving process which Marjane has experienced. Satrapi also balances darker passages with lightheartedness. After Marjane attempts suicide, the next page shows her physical transformation and includes images of her as a typical 1980’s aerobics instructor. I think it is important to balance the dark with the light, particularly in this novel because it feels more relatable as we have all gone through tough times but are able to come out of them with the help of humor or lightheartedness.
I have also been taught to laugh at my self. Which I think is a quality all people should have. Being able to laugh at a situation instead of become depressed or stressed over it really makes things so much easier in life. By learning how to laugh at herself Marjanne realizes that there are going to be hard things in life but by taking it a day at a time is a step in the right direction. She also learns that life is to short not to laugh with friends or family. Over all she learned that she will be okay if she has faith that she will and to not sweat the little things because that is a waist of time and energy.
I stand by this quote. As much as it might be hard to laugh in trying times it can be the best cure for whatever that is taking place in ones life. By laughing it helps people deal with the pain...almost like a drug, but a good drug. Life is hard therefore the only way to make things a bit more easier and cheerful is to laugh it off.
When all of Marji’s friends, family, and neighbors began to line up and welcome her back from Tehran, she barely recognized her friends. They all began to reflect the western standards of beauty and judged Marji for not looking spectacularly glamourous. They thought that she would go to nightclubs and be fashionable, but they were only getting a single story of European customs. Marji, though hesitant of her friendship to them, recognized their feelings: “A part of me understood them. When something is forbidden, it takes on a disproportionate importance. Much later, I learned that making themselves up and wanting to follow western ways was an act of resistance on their part” (259). She noticed that once her friends had gotten a taste of western culture, they wanted to know what the whole lifestyle was like.
One of the reasons why Marji was so aware of their identity transformations, was because she had been projecting her feelings onto them. As we know, Marji battled with her identity, first being punk with her friends, then rejecting it later. She struggled with her multiple identities and used them to act out against other ones imposed onto her, and she identified this reaction in her old friends. Her friends had also been struggling with their identities.
Though Marji’s friends had seemed to be obsessed with western culture, Marji noticed they were not fully liberated in their minds and bodies. This is reflected when they ask her about sex: “Tell us, have you had sex? / Of course, I’m nineteen! . . . So, do tell, how was it? / Supposedly, it hurts a lot the first time. / it must be great . . . What do you mean? You’ve done the deed with multiple people? / Well I mean… I’ve had a few experiences. . . . So, what’s the difference between you and a whore?” (270). At first they were interested in her sexual experiences, but when they found out she reflected western culture in a way they could not handle, they vocally disagreed with her life choice. This shows that not only Marji is conflicted between the change of culture these women were presented with.
I also discussed how Marji struggles with identity throughout this novel. She takes on many various looks through her life and with each group of people she decides to hang around or relationship that she is in. Marji’s friends from Iran also put on an appearance which is essentially the way that they see or think people from Western culture dress. They copy the fashions and the makeup so they can have an identity that is not fully theirs. I think that this shows that both Marji and her friends are not sure what identity they want to keep. While Marji has more of the same thinking as people from the West her friends from Iran still have the mindset of “traditionalists” because they have never truly experienced anything other than that.
The interest in sexual liberation that Marji's friends had in her reminded me of earlier on in the book, when Marji was speaking to Julie about Julie's sexual experiences. She is surprised, initially, that Julie is so open about her sexual experiences before she comes to understand that her openness is something that's deemed normal in Western culture.
This rejection by her friends is also not the last time that Marji is faced with judgement for her sexual past. When she accidentally drops her birth control while she's at school, and a fellow student asks if she's on it because she's irregular, Marji easily states that it's because she has sex with her boyfriend. This results in many of her classmates turning against her. However, through her frankness, Marji finds herself in the company of like-minded students: "Little by little, I got to know the students who thought like me." (pg 304)
I like how you mentioned the girls’ single-storied view of Western sex culture. This demonstrates the trap Marj faces through her multiple identities. While in Europe, she was questioned and judged about her Iranian culture, and while back home, she is judged about her Western experiences. Society has expectations for Marj based on what culture they view her as, when in reality Marj has influences from both cultures, and shouldn’t have to act a certain way to appease a specific culture. In regards to the sexual liberation aspect, I think it not only reflects a change in culture, but also a change in times. Obviously, Iran is a repressive nation, and having sex before marriage was highly frowned upon. It is still this way in many other cultures, and was in the past, too. However, sexual culture in this modern society (both today and within the time of the book) has changed. Sex is no longer a sign of commitment, especially in today’s “hook-up” culture. The idea of sex as liberated act is something Marj’s Iranian friends cannot understand, and therefore pin negative judgement on Marj, showing immaturity on their end.
Throughout Persepolis there are many times when Marjane tries to change her outward appearance because she seems to think that by doing this, things in her life will change as well. In the panels after she tries to commit suicide she shows herself changing her appearance by removing her body hair, changing her wardrobe, new haircut, makeup, and exercising. She says, “Strong and invincible like this, I was going to meet my new destiny” (274-275). Marjane seems to think that by changing so many things about her outer appearance she can make her life different and does this throughout which is shown by the multiple looks that she tries.
Marjane also shows this when she changes her looks to fit what Reza likes. This is another relationship that she becomes a part of that has a large impact on the way that she looks. She seems to let her relationships define her as a person, changing things about herself to fit the person that she is with instead of staying true to herself. “But after my pitiful story in Vienna, I needed to believe in someone again so much that I continually lied to him” this panel shows her agreeing with Reza about everything just to fit into what he wanted from a woman. (318).
I also discussed the significance of Marjane’s physical appearance and how she used her looks as a way to express what she was feeling on the inside. She does this in ways that both help and hinder her independence however. Her marriage to Reza stripped her from her independence, and she wore makeup to try to impress him or look good for him rather than for herself. Whereas earlier in the novel, she used her appearance to express her rebellion and independence from Iran. It’s interesting how metaphorical Marjane’s appearance is, as it constantly changes throughout the novel as she has an inward battle for her freedom and independence.
I think Satrapi shows Marjane doing this, besides the fact that it probably happened in real life, to help further the spell of the single story. It's like those articles that are like "celebrities, they're just like us!" only its "Iranian women, they're just like us!" Changing yourself for a romance or crush is just so universal, almost everyone at some point in their life. Satrapi is showing that no matter what the culture, some things remain the same.
I also really enjoyed Satrapi’s use of changing physical appearance as a metaphor throughout the novel. We somewhat discussed this last class with the appearance of Marj’s mole when she reaches puberty, and how it appears in every picture in which that side of her face is shown. It becomes a defining part of her, so, like we discussed in class, it is ironic that the picture of Satrapi in the back of the book photo shops it out. I felt that Satrapi made this idea of physical change very relatable to a wide-ranging audience in a way. Everyone goes through puberty, and as a result endures a great physical change. Satrapi emphasizes this on page 189 when she first describes puberty, and each aspect of the description has its own panel. By using separate panels, Satrapi is able to narrow in on each specific change Marj endures, showing just how much she changes physically, which foreshadows the great change she will undergo mentally in the coming months and years.
Something else interesting to consider is how the visuals/physical appearances are used to draw common distinctions between different individual’s experiences. For example, both Marjane's grandmother (110) and Marjane's friend (308) have the same expression of fear while dumping alcohol in the toilets. Also, the presentation of dead bodies toward the end of the Shah's reign (40) look very similar to the ghosts of the war (251). Although Marjane has made drastic strives toward becoming the woman her parents can be proud of, Satrapi makes it clear that the country itself has some serious work to do. This is especially evident when her project is denied by the Mayor’s deputy when major religious symbols take precedence over local mythology (331).
Kassie, I love the visual connections that you point out. I didn't notice that! The quote that you picked, Felicity, with Majane ready to meet her destiny reminded me while I was reading of how at the beginning, she wanted to be a prophet. I see the same pattern - like the kind Kassie points out - between the hope and perseverance she has to become what Reza wants and when she wanted to be a prophet. It is like she is starting over from there after she attempts suicide.
Marjane uses relationships as a way to justify the changes she makes to her body or her ideals. She is never truly happy because she never really learned to be on her own so there is a constant change when she cant look at herself in the mirror. And when she does look at herself in the mirror she doesn't like what she sees or who she is. Through her relationships weather it is with friends or in a relationship Marjane can't find her niche. There are a lot of people like this who think they will find who they are through their relationships. But the only way a person is going to find out who they are or what they like is by spending time alone and doing things alone. And if they realize they need to change something about themselves it comes from deep with in themselves. And that stem for change does not come just because they feel they need to in order to gain love or to fit in. Moving to france alone was one of Marjane's best decisions to make for herself as her own person.
Marji's use of transformation of her appearance was one of my favorite aspects of the book. In addition to everything mentioned here, I also think that her taking control of her appearance was a crucial factor in the construction of her own identity, which is a recurring theme in the book and strategically juxtaposed with the theme of oppression. I love how Marji's physical changes represent her pushing back against the system, taking control over herself, and trying to figure out who she is as a person.
On page 304 to 305, Satrapi uses both the visual and written rhetoric to expose the stereotypes that people outside of her culture have towards Iran and veiled women, which furthers the notion that the personal is political. She states, “The more time passed, the more i became conscious of the contrast between the representation of my country and the real life of the people, the one that went on behind the walls. Our behavior in public and our behavior in private were polar opposites. This disparity make us schizophrenic” (305 -305). This is important because she shows us and tells us what the world sees of Iran and how people outside of that culture interpret their behavior as monotonous and devoid of freedom. Satrapi, however, shows us that isn’t true and that their agency in privacy. When they are alone, together they can truly be themselves and there is power and creativity and strength in their private lives which Satrapi exposes because the world doesn’t get to see that. Instead, the world sees the same repetitive story over and over again. And it’s interesting that she intentionally points it out in the written rhetoric and then uses the visual rhetoric to depict the stereotype and the personal. I think that she is trying to tell us that the world misses a lot of the personal stories because it only focuses on the one story and when you focus on that one story, you only get one representation of a multitude of different people
I also think that Satrapi does a good job of showing the personal life of herself and the people of Iran. I think that her descriptions of the parties and the things that they all did in private were very helpful in understanding the difference between how we perceive them to be and how they actually are when they are not in the public eye. I think that how she shows the difference in appearance between how they are when they are veiled and how when they are in the privacy of their own home wearing their own clothes and makeup allows the reader to see the major differences.
I really loved how you touched on the fact that non-Iranian cultures falsely stereotyped Iranian culture for their image and habits. Satrapi does a fantastic job of illustrating that large bodies of people are often only subjected to certain information that only gives them a single story of a culture. She does this both with the quote you presented, and with the overcompensation of freedom in her friends over western culture. Because they abused their single story of western culture, and expected both too much Iranian modesty and western freedom, they were ultimately disappointed when the two came into conflict with each other. Satrapi’s showing of Marji’s personal life really opens the minds of the audience up to show that many people practice their agency, and that most single stories couldn’t be further from the truth.
Great post, Tramel! I love how the panels you chose directly depict the discrepancy between the way much of the world sees Iranian women (as veiled) versus how Iranian women see themselves (as expressive individuals). These panels, one on top of the other, visually draw focus to this contrast. As you and Natalie both said, the top image of the women with their veils on is reflective of the single story concept that Adichie discusses in her Ted Talk. People often make assumptions about Iranian women without any second thoughts, labeling them as oppressed, reserved, veiled, etc. Satrapi emphasizes how different this viewpoint is from Iranian women in reality by setting these two panels up next to each other. She also demonstrates the discrepancy between these women’s public selves and their private selves in these images, by visually representing these separate selves. I thought this was interesting because it reflects how these women are required to switch these two different selves so often.
I really liked how Satrapi showed the differences between Iranian culture in and outside of the house, too. It really gave an insight to, as Felicity says, how we perceive them to be and how they actually are." Also, like Diana said, it reminds me of not only Adiche and the One Story concept, but also of the stats we talked about in class of the perception and presentation of veiled women in the news / media. Natalie, I like how you present the concept of western freedom vs. Iranian modesty. Can we go as far as to say 'Eastern modesty'? Or is that too broad of a generalization?
We’re constantly presented with the concept of ‘other’ing for the better, heroines in films and television: teens who turn their nose up at mainstream culture because they’re “not like everyone else”, men choosing women because they’re “not like the others”. Individuality is something that we strive for, ways to set ourselves apart from everyone else. One of the many ways that we do that is through our appearance: how we dress, how we style our hair, what kind of makeup we use, if we use makeup at all.
However, the Iranian government sought to strip women of their individuality, and in doing so, to silence them: “The regime had understood that one person leaving her house while asking herself: ‘Are my trousers long enough? Is my vein in place? Can my make up be seen? Are they going to whip me?’/ No longer asks herself: ‘Where is my freedom of thought? Where is my freedom of speech? My life, is is livable? What’s going on in the political prisons? / It’s only natural! When we’re afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection, our fear paralyzes us. Besides, fear has always been the driving force behind all dictators’ repression. Showing your hair or makeup logically became acts of rebellion.” (pg 302)
In the panels just above the ones quoted, Satrapi pictures two stylish women wearing makeup, hair expertly done. She also mentions that she once spent “an entire day at the committee because of a pair of red socks” (pg 303). Things like wearing a certain amount of makeup or having more than a little hair showing became acts of rebellion to Marjane, and to many others, as they were the only safe ways that they could act out against the Iranian government. However small these acts may be, however, they are crucial to the identities of women such as Marjane, who are faced with a expressively repressive society daily.
This post made me think of all the past novels we have read, and how each of the protagonists have shown some sort of rebellion against society. I think Marj’s and Offred’s society has demonstrated the most immediate danger, but I think Edna’s rebellion was the largest. She completely changed her life, her home, and her relationships with family and friends, all for the sake of defying the patriarchy and finding her own self. The idea of identity is one I have been discussing a lot this semester, specifically in my global Anglophone literature class, where we look at novels written outside of Europe or America. The Complete Persepolis fits into this category as well. Marj is split between her Iranian and European identity, but is only split because of society wanting to box her into one identity or another. In reality, Marj is just herself and shouldn’t have to answer to society’s demands. Nonetheless, she is troubled by them, which caused part of her depression.
As women, quite often, we set each other into categories. I often hear women saying they're "not like other girls" which takes away dimension from people's personalities. Not being like “the other” sets up a single-story. Obviously, the situations in Persepolis are more extreme than my day-to-day life, but this post reminded me that we create single-stories about all people. Marjane struggles with her identity throughout the graphic novel, but in the end she seems stronger and happier. She tries on different veils, just as all women do through their lives. Our outward appearances help portray who we are, and it’s important to note the level of exploration Marjane goes through to become the woman she is. Her veils ultimately lead her on the path she needs to be.
What's particularly interesting about Satrapi's story is that while she has the opportunity to escape a legitimized form of oppression (by the Iranian government), for a while she still prefers oppression that she knows and understands to the forms of oppression which make her an outsider (during her time in Austria). When she was free in Austria, Satrapi lacked a strict guidance which had been provided to her for her entire life and drove herself onto the streets; as a result, she got very sick and was forced to return home. However, Satrapi was more comfortable being rebellious in Iran than in Europe and was able to figure out her place between Western and Iranian culture. Only after regaining the strict regulations of Iran is Satrapi able to recognize how important her individuality and accomplishments are.
I agree. In America, we see individuality as important-- as long as the individual in question is not "too different." That's where the other notion of othering comes in, and I feel that in that way, every society, even a society like our own which seem to value individualism, provides a backdrop for a struggle against the majority, with minorities, obviously, taking the forefront. Satrapi's struggle and the struggles of her friends and relatives are particularly difficult and particularly admirable, since they dare to be individuals in a society where standing out from the crowd could get you arrested or worse.
Worse than being a victim of this totalitarian society is being a female victim, as women are completely stripped of their identities when they are forced to wear a black shapeless garment. Of course, those who choose to wear the veil are entitled to that, and those people would probably say that the veil is their identity, and that's fine, but it's when a government makes unwilling citizens comply to notions they do not agree with that it becomes oppression.
14. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi & “Unveiling Persepolis as Embodied Performance” by Jennifer Worth - QuoteS from Satrapi: Grandma: “HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO YOUR GRANDFATHER WAS? HE SPENT A THIRD OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON FOR HAVING DEFENDED SOME INNOCENTS! AND YOUR UNCLE ANOOSH? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HIM TOO???! HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS IDEAS! WHAT HAVE I TAUGHT YOU? HUNH??? “INTEGRITY”!!! DOES THIS WORD MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?” (291) - “ . . . I HAD SUDDENLY BECOME A MARRIED WOMAN!I HAD CONFORMED TO SOCIETY, WHILE I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO REMAIN IN THE MARGINS” (317). I find these two passages very important in the narrative that Satrapi tells because one is advice from her grandmother and one is a vocalization of her self-realization after she marries Reza. Her grandmother seems to be a human embodiment of her conscience; she admires her grandmother because of her strength, her perseverance, and her wisdom. Her grandmother then passes on her wisdom through advice that she gives to Marjane. Her grandmother comes to mind whenever she has done something that she wouldn’t have been proud of Marjane for doing; usually, it involves her not being true to herself.
I think that it's interesting that during that section, she shows herself in a cell which depicts that she is trapped by marriage. I don't think that she is against marriage. I think that marriage just wasn't for her during this time in her life and I think she's trying to tell us that marriage should always be for the right reason. You shouldn't get married because of societal pressure but you should marry for love and you should marry when you are ready for it. It's interesting that marriage essentially makes her become someone that she didn't want to be, which she depicts on page 318. I think you right that when she married Reza that she wasn't being true to herself, which her grandmother and father can see. I also liked that he father arranged for her to get the right to divorce because he acknowledges Satrapi's independent spirit and wants for her to have agency in her marriage. Additionally, i love that she shows that her and Reza were both very mean to each other because, again, she shatters the stereotype that veiled woman have no power or agency in their marriage by showing that she can be just as strong and cruel as Reza can be.
Marjane and Reza's relationship really went against Orientalist stereotypes. As Tramel mentioned, they were both very mean to each other which granted her agency. Although the relationship did not end well, I respected their balance. I respect Satrapi because she is so independent and she got out of the marriage because she was unhappy. This goes against the single-story that women have no say in their relationships OR that marriage is an ideal. Satrapi did not need Reza to protect her and I admired her will/way of moving onward with her life. Satrapi has such strength and agency within her life, just reading Persepolis and seeing how much she changed throughout was refreshing because we so often see women from the Middle East as one specific way. Satrapi crushed those stereotypes and wrote an inspiring piece that reminds the reader there is always time to move forward and grow. Nothing is entirely permanent.
Marjane had a lot of guilt especailly when she did something she knew other people wouldn't like or approve of. people make mistakes that doesn't mean they should be guilty for it for the rest of their lives. They need to learn from it and not make those mistakes again. Marjane is always on this road to please people and never please herself so she does not know how not to be guilty when she does something "wrong". Once she learns how to be her own person and not be in a relationship or please other people she wont feel like she needs to escape or doesn't fit in. This is a hard thing to do for some people, especially Marjane. Going back to Europe by herself was the best thing she could have done to become her own independent person.
"We went home...when the apartment door closed, I had a bizarre feeling...I was already sorry! I had suddenly become 'a married woman.' I had conformed to society, while I had always wanted to remain in the margins. In my mind, 'a married woman' wasn't like me. It required too many compormises. I couldn't accept it, but it was too late." (Satrapi, 317)
"The goodbyes were much less painful than ten years before when I embarked for Austria: There was no longer a war, I was no longer a child, my mother didn't faint and my grandmother was there, happily..." (Satrapi, 341).
So I have been obsessed with margins and framing, both visually as a graphic novel and how Satrapi sets up her narrative. I want to mention framing first because Satrapi does it SO WELL. The parallels between certain pivitol points in the story are done consciously, such as we discussed in class with the first page and the veil and the veil in the mirror when she goes back to Iran. Satrapi also likes to end her story on cliffhangers almost, both the end of volume 1 and 2 are Marjane in the airport. That departure signals a growth for her as a character, and a mystery of what is to come for her. Satrapi totally could have added more to the end of the story, but she keeps the ending in Iran, at the airport, probably to show how much she has grown and learned since the last time she was there. This is not a sad farwell, but a triumphant one. It is also very interesting to see how Marjane changes her mind about being marginzalized. In Austria, she decides she does not want it, but in Iran she does not want to be inside the norm, the framework of what a person should be. Does that have to do with time and space? Does being marginalized in Iran mean something different than it does in Austria? Or is it how she is being marginzalized that makes the difference?
I think time and space do play a significant role in Marji's character differences when in different countries, in terms of cultural heritage or being an "outsider," but I think it also has a fair bit to do with the ideals she was taught from birth and maintained even as she moved around quite a lot. Being marginalized in different places can be a reflection of the place, or of the person, or some combination of the two, clearly. For Marji, I think it leans more heavily toward the personal (who she is, what her motives are, etc.), and how she reacts to the situations she's presented with. The setup of Persepolis is completely consistent throughout the book and, like what we were talking about with the mole as identity, it is a grounding point that shows no matter where she is going, Marji remains the same in some fundamental way.
Interesting post, Jill! I agree, the concepts of framing and marginalization are used in fascinating ways throughout Satrapi's graphic novel. To answer one of your questions, I do think the ways in which Marjane is marginalized in Austria are different from how she's marginalized in Iran. In Austria, she is targeted for her Iranian heritage. In Iran, she's targeted for not being "Iranian" enough (that is, measured by how traditional she is, her obedience to the government, etc.). It is interesting to me how marginalization can be used in different ways. For example, it can be used as a harmful tool to impose isolation on another person, to separate that person with malicious intent. Yet it can also be used in empowering ways, as Marjane demonstrates. By the end of the novel she embraces difference, and strives to break away from the norm. Marginalization in this sense is positive. So to answer your last question, I personally think yes, the ways in which one is marginalized make all the difference.
I would argue that Marjane is marginalized whether she wants to be or not both in Austria and in Iran. In Austria, she initially fights to be considered punk, but eventually sheds her punk identity when she embraces her Iranian heritage. As an Iranian in Austria, she is marginalized as a foreigner. She is also marginalized as a woman. When she returns to Iran, she is both admired AND marginalized as someone who has assimilated Western culture—illustrated in the “what’s the difference between you and a whore” scene. She is seen as an individual and admired for it, but simultaneously seen as too different. No matter where she goes, until she embraces herself and becomes the young woman she wanted to be, she is seen as an outsider. Sometimes, this suits her, such as when she was young and wanted to seem punk, and other times it doesn’t, such as when her friends as her “what’s the difference between you and a whore”.
Much like “The Awakening” and “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Marjane finds herself feeling trapped in her marriage as she no longer feels independent and is married to Reza, someone she was not in love with or clicked with. Marjane’s struggling with independence is prevalent throughout the novel, but in this last portion is where she struggles the most. She feels guilty about her time in Vienna and how she had premarital sex, for which she is shamed for and she struggles with mental illness. Her independence is lost once again while she is clouded by antidepressants and tries to commit suicide. Once she survives, she undergoes yet another physical transformation that has a deeper meaning behind it. Often throughout the novel, Marjane has used her physical appearance to express her emotions and use her appearance as a form of independence and non-conformity. Expressing herself was what helped Marjane feel the most independent, even though it was frowned upon in Iran, but she uses that strive for freedom to design school uniforms that included a short head scarf and wide legged pants, a small difference that meant a lot to the women of Iran. Marjane’s freedom and independence came from within, but she always stayed true to expressing what she felt on the inside, on the outside.
I feel like perhaps Marjane did love Reza once, but perhaps not deeply. I feel, however, that she loved him for the wrong reason. She does remark that they found things in one another: in her, he found a lightheartedness, and in him, she found a piece of Iranian identity that she felt was missing. While their relationship did not last, it did end up leading to better things. The two of them planning their future together led to the both of them studying for and passing their exams, and going to school. Their marriage, though unhappy, led to Marjane realizing that she wanted different things. Reza could not complete her-- she needed to complete herself.
Great post, Nicollette! I also found it interesting how Satrapi emphasizes the idea of expressing one's internal self externally, through the body, and how physical changes can be reflective of inner transformations. I think on good example in the novel of characters using appearance as a means of non-conformity is when Satrapi talks about how Iranian women would often show their wrists, or wear makeup (as two examples) to exemplify their resistance to the government. In these instances, subtle and deliberate changes in physical appearance literally signify non-conformity. Like you said, Marjane's journey towards independence is often marked by her external changes as she grows. We discussed in class how the mole on her face acts as a sort of anchor, remaining a consistent aspect of her body from the beginning to the end of the novel. In just about every other aspect, she grows and changes, and Satrapi emphasizes these external changes as physical manifestations of inner transformation and development.
While I agree with Danielle that the relationship was not one of true love, I think Satrapi's relationship with Reza was the most beneficial relationship she had with someone outside of her family. While each person provided the other with something the other lacked in a somewhat selfish fashion, they worked together in an attempt to improve themselves. And as they began to fight more while waiting for their passports, Reza did not try to stifle Satrapi as other Iranian men might have done; but, rather, Reza let her explore her own interests and be her own individual.
I thought Marj's marriage in the novel was interesting, because Reza isn't entirely a bad guy, yet the marriage still represses her. At the surface, they both just ended up falling out of love with each other, but that may have been because Marj's independent nature did not suit well with the idea of marriage. Immediately after getting married, Marj says, "I had conformed to society, while I had always wanted to remain in the margins. In my mind, 'a married woman' wasn't like me. It required too many compromises" (317).
The only time that Marj describes the marriage as going well is when her and Reza take on the project of designing an amusement park: "From June 1993 to January 1994, we were so busy that we didn't even fight once" (328). I also believe that, besides being busy, the marriage was smooth during this time because Marj and Reza were working as equals. She was not conformed to the "wife" role, and he didn't have to play the "husband" role; they both worked as academics in something they both enjoyed, ultimately pulling them out of their separate spheres.
Talking about their partnership on the amusement park is a really good point - in Iran in this time there is no outward or real equality between the two sexes, and Reza doesn't really treat her like a fully functioning, autonomous human being all of the time, but when they work together and shed the typical views of man and woman, things work out really well for them. Gender roles or societal conventions are irrelevant when they work together on something that, notably, requires no traditionally feminine or masculine mindset. They just have to use their intelligence, which both possess in abundance. And can we truly blame Reza for some of the things he does? I mean, yes, but as we all know, every citizen is a victim to corrupt systems, whether they know it or want to believe in it at all. Reza is just another cog in an enormously absurd machine. And so is Marji. But she doesn't like to take things sitting down. As terrible a thing to do as it was, when she accused a random man of saying something perverse to her, she was trying to remain hidden, and still defiant at once. Do I condone her actions? Nah, son. I'm with her grandmother on that one. It also says something, though, about the person one can be when in a relationship with someone who isn't good for them, as we see how much of a kick Reza got from her actions.
I think it's incredibly important that both of Marjane's parents recognized that the marriage was going to fail, and were accepting of her choice to enter into the marriage anyway. Regardless of the repressive atmosphere, she is extremely fortunate to have a family that is cognizant of the fact that she must make her own choices in order to grow, even if it means that she will fail. I especially liked the passage where Marjane's father sits down with Reza and sets out the three conditions for his allowing them to marry, the first of which being that a divorce is extremely difficult to come by, and that if the time comes, she must be able to be allowed out of the marriage, as it was something that could not be done without the husband's permission. Marjane's relationship with Reza is one that, I think, is relatable to many. She remarks that once they're comfortable with one another, they fall into the easy habit of picking on one another, which can be detrimental to a relationship. I agree: neither Reza nor Marji conformed to their marital roles, and were more at ease with one another in the academic world.
"Body hair being an obsession of the Oriental woman, I began with hair removal. / ... / Then I got rid of my old clothes. / And had some new clothes made. / A modern wardrobe. / Original shoes. / A fashionable haircut. / A permanent. / Shopping. / Makeup. / I became a sophisticated woman..." (Satrapi 274).
This passage struck me as incredibly important not only because an attractive physical appearance is both an overwhelming standard women are pressured into complying to, but because it's a motif which occurs multiple times in the book. In fact, this passage is a callback to Satrapi's puberty transformation ("My mental transformation was followed by my physical metamorphosis. / Between the ages of fifteen and sixteen, I grew seven inches. It was impressive. / My head also changed in its own way. First, my face got longer..." (189).
The similar pattern these two pages share draws a parallel between two transformations: first, a mental transformation as Satrapi begins to assimilate into western culture marked by her body changing, then a mental transformation when she decides she was "not made to die" (273) and gives herself a makeover. This physical transformation is a voluntary one, and whereas Satrapi was pushed out of her childhood and into her teenage years when she grew seven inches, she climbs into adulthood with agency.
Still, the image she crafts of herself as a young woman is one of societal norms. Though she is initially comfortable in her own skin, this mask of a becoming physical appearance is what she attributes to her failed marriage, as she says her first husband "He married: [illustration of Satrapi with curled hair, made up and grinning,] / and found himself with: [image of a standoffish Satrapi with straight hair, wearing pajamas and unhappily gripping a cigarette]" (318). In order to ascend from the low point her life was in, she made of herself someone made-up, put-together and polite-- someone who, though she was mentally in a better place than before, betrayed the honest, though not always perfectly happy or polished, person who Satrapi truly is.
These are really good examples of Marji's transformations throughout Persepolis, conflicting ideas that Marji has about who she is supposed to be, who she is perceived as, who she wants to be, and who she is. Although what we see is mostly physical transformations (it is, after all, a graphic novel), they are all reflective of what's going on inside Marji. And I don't think she ever really "loses" who she is. One can make terrible decisions or have unfairness inflicted on them heavily from the outside world, and still come back to a central feeling or position inside of them. And one doesn't have to be a "good person" to grow. And Marji really pushes this growth through her physical appearance at different times in the novel, and you mention here, the most striking of which (to me) is the "womanly" transformation after her failed suicide attempt. Realizing she has a purpose that involves still breathing, Marji decides to be the person she wants to be, instead of who she is "supposed" to be. However, there is no escaping the expectations of others, and her terrible marriage is evident of that. With their separation, though, we see a big change beyond the physical: we see Marji's growth as a woman and a human being, as she decides to take control of her life.
I think that bringing up Marji's multiple transformations is an excellent way to show how she grows as a person. When she's a child and does the rebellious punk phase, when she is in Europe and is kind of uncomfortable with her appearance and chops her hair here or there, putting her veil back on and going home, and then the phase of trying to be more "womanly" after her suicide attempt. These all show how she was in her mentality. Trying to rebel, unsure of what she wanted but trying to fit in, home and a little lost. I think that what Jade said, "there is no escaping the expectation of others" is right, but Marji does take control of her life mentally and physically.
I hadn't really thought about the fact that Marji's changing of her appearance in an attempt to figure out her identity as her conforming to the standard of women appearing a certain way or manipulating their appearance. Originally, I viewed this concept as empowering for Marji in the creation of her own identity, but your response allowed me to see this concept from another perspective and consider how Marji's physical transformation is both empowering and conformist; it is empowering in the sense that she is taking control of herself and her life, but she is conforming to societal norms in the sense that it is almost expected of women to do so. Your response was very thoughtful and interesting, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to think about this.
"from the moment I arrived at the Mehrabad airport and caught sight of the first customs agent, I immediately felt the repressive air of my country" (246).
"So what's the difference between you and a whore?" (270).
I think that these two quotes from Persepolis do a great job to illustrate repression. In the first quote, when Marji is first back in Tehran, all of the veils around her that are mandatory for women to wear shows a physical representation of the repression and a bit of a double standard for clothing between the sexes. The women have to worry about not being indecent or accidentally showing skin on top of the violence going on while men only really have to worry about the later of the two. As my fellow peers have been commenting, the sexual liberation that is shown as a very western thing, seems like something that the women of Iran want, but when it comes down to it (because of the society that they are in) they show that they still hold with the ideals that their society has instilled in them. They may have wanted to have the gossip and stories, but in actuality they judge the Marji and the women who have sex before marriage (and with more than one partner).
I find the "What's the difference between you and a whore" quote to be very ironic, since Marji is so modest. She was in her youth, and remains to be, either bashful, private or both about sex and her sex life. Her autobiography is entirely implicit rather than explicit about sex, with no graphic depictions or descriptions. Her sexuality is communicated through her confidence, her ownership of her language and her body, and her mental liberty. But she is anything but a "whore," or whatever one who would use that word determines it to be (I think it's a mythological term myself-- there's no such thing as "whores," only women who make their own choices about their bodies.) That being said, sexual liberation may still exist in Iran in a different form. There may be women who enjoy themselves in their sexual relationships with their husbands, if that's what is accepted or the norm, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are sexually repressed /within/ their marriages or that every Iranian woman disapproves of people having sex outside marriage. Of course, it's likely that many are indeed unhappy in their sexuality since their individualism is being oppressed as well, and that, due to the traditionalist values of the country, perhaps the majority do disapprove of sexually active women who aren't married.
The first time I was Persepolis, we were only required to read the first half. The ending disturbed me (it ended when Marjane leaves the first time and her mother faints at the airport) and I felt uneasy about it all. So, I went to the library to take out the second half. I felt so much better knowing what happened afterwards, knowing she would see her mother again, that the future was open for her. I'd love to discuss the very end of the graphic novel. Satrapi writes, "The goodbyes were much less painful than ten years before when I embarked for Austria: There was no longer a war, I was no longer a child, my mother didn't faint and my grandma was there, happily..." (349).
So much changes between Marjane's first excursion. Obviously there are the bigger, more obvious events (the war has ended) but I want to argue that her stronger sense of self helps her carry through and onward in life. As I'm sure many other people have mentioned, she wears different veils through the graphic novel, there is a strong sense of completion, as if the struggles had been worth it. Also, the visual rhetoric of the last page is particularly striking because although Marjane has grown so much and is such a unique individual, she is just another face in the crowd at the airport. This reminded me of the importance of stories. How everyone has their stories to share, just as in 'Their Eyes...' Janie tells her story to Pheoby. Satrapi argues with Orientalism or single-stories by showing although she is unique and revolutionary, she is still another face in the crowd among a sea of unique, powerful people.
“It wasn’t just the veil to which I had to readjust, there was also the images: the sixty-five-foot-high murals presenting martyrs, adorned with slogans honoring them, slogans like ‘the martyr is the heart of history’ or ‘I hope to be a martyr myself’ or ‘a martyr lives forever.’ … / Many [of the streets] had changed names, they were not called Martyr What’s-His-Name Avenue of Martyr Something-or-Other Street. / It was very unsettling. / I felt as though I were walking through a cemetery. / …Surrounded by all the victims of a war I had fled” (Satrapi 251). “That day, I learned something essential: We can only feel sorry for ourselves when our misfortunes are still supportable… Once this limit is crossed, the only way to bear the unbearable is to laugh at it” (Satrapi 266).
Upon returning to Iran, Satrapi is forced to deal with the war memorials and the repercussions of the traditional social customs. In Iran, it is their custom to commemorate the dead in such a way as to remember those who died during battle. Following her encounter with her childhood friend, Satrapi comes to realize that if one spends their life wallowing in sadness they will eventually wither away and die (sort of like she did while being homeless in Austria). If one takes control of their life and chooses to laugh about their struggles rather than cry more progress can be made toward bettering the future.
I really admire Satrapi's point of view. Her agency with life and her ability to never get completely knocked down are particularly admirable. Through Persepolis, it's almost like she lived ten lives, always changing and adapting. She gives the reader a sense of hope, something to look forward to. This is rhetorically effective because it smashes the expectation that Middle Eastern women have no hopes or dreams. The media force feeds us information that Middle Eastern women do not know that they are oppressed, it's as if some "white hero" is supposed to come in and save them. We forget that they are people too, they have hopes, dreams, dislikes, and passion. Marjane amazes me because of this. She continually pushes towards a better life and learns from her mistakes instead of dwelling on them. It's effective that she realizes this after meeting a childhood friend because she is not bound to who she once was. Just as she wears different "veils" throughout the graphic novel, she also adapts. She is never too bound to what she chooses. There is always room for growth.
The Complete Persepolis, Pages 296-297: “…You don’t hesitate to comment on us, but our brothers present here have all shapes and sizes of haircuts and clothes. Sometimes, they wear clothes so tight that we can see everything…Why is it that I, as a woman, am expected to feel nothing when watching these men with their clothes sculpted on but they, as men, can get excited by two inches less of my head-scarf?”
In this passage, Marjane is responding to a lecture that has just been given to her college class, about how the women need to wear “less-wide trousers and longer head-scarves” (296). Here, Marjane is directly attacking the sexualization of the female body that these clothing limitations imply. She argues that men practically have permission from society to get excited by even the slightest glimpse a woman’s hair or figure, yet women are not allowed to be excited by the male body in any way. Not only are women being forced to cover themselves up as much as physically possible here, but they are also being generalized as non-sexual beings. That is, the lack of clothing restrictions on men imply that women have less sexual desire than men. In other words, men are inherently more sexual, therefore women must cover up so that men will not become excited. Women, on the other hand, are implied to be non-sexual here. To me, it seems that female sexuality is restricted here in two ways. First, in that these clothing requirements prohibit women from physically conveying their sexuality through the exposure of their bodies. Secondly, it is implied that they are forbidden from displaying any sexual desire towards men in public, no matter how much of his figure is showing. Women are expected to contain any sexual desire towards men they may have, to appear as non-sexual beings. Marjane attacks this mindset here, and I think this example demonstrates the idea that Satrapi carries throughout the graphic novel: that the body is a medium of self-expression.
Wow, I completely agree with your point! Satrapi also shows the body as a means of self-expression through the panels where Marjane designs a uniform for the other artists at her school, forming a compromise between the beliefs of the school authority that a woman should be covered and the young women artists' needs while creating art. The limitations that women in Marjane's situation face show their lack of freedom in their culture. Like Diana said, it is self-expression and sexual freedom that they lack.
"I decided to take this little problem as a sign. It was time to finish with the past... and to look toward the future." (249)
"A few months later, I learned via the director of the department of art that the mullah who had interviewed me had really appreciated my honesty. Apparently, he'd even said that I was the only one who didn't lie. I was lucky. I had stumbled on a true religious man." (284)
The first quote here implies the creation of a new identity for Marji -- quite literally, a clean slate. She scrubs her walls of things she used to identify with, particularly punks and prepares herself for the future, and finding and settling into an identity that is all her own, and not one she created by imitation.
In the second quote here, I really feel like Marji has settled into an identity she is content with. She was completely honest during her interview, which shows how much she has changed since childhood, when she would very literally hide parts of her identity (nail polish, jewelry, etc), but now feels secure enough in her beliefs to be honest about them.
Marjane feels trapped in the marriage that she is in. She feels trapped because she does not have her own sense of being independent but also because she is married to a man that she was not in love with. The struggles that Marjane endured is seen throughout the novel.From having sex before marriage to struggling with her mental health, she almost came close to suicide. After surviving her attempt of committing suicide Marjane went through another change...this time being physical. She states, “Strong and invincible like this, I was going to meet my new destiny” (274-275).Later on in the novel, after realizing that by changing her appearance wasnt helping her she decided to do something more constructive, by helping to make clothes...as a way to better herself but to also help out others. That helped Marjane realized her in dependency and to take full advantage of it.
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Sexual liberation is touched on at different points in Satrapi's novel, but it is usually done with subtlety. Only at certain points is sexuality very overtly referred to. Before I get into those instances, I want to think about the intention behind this - it is most likely due to how Satrapi is a native Iranian and was raised in a religious family and religious country, and with the differences between the ruler of the country and her parents, she still has many values of her heritage, which come across strongly in her writing.
ReplyDeleteOne of these moments that was especially prominent in this section of the reading was when Marji's friends ask her about her sex life in the years she was gone in Europe. At first they seem very excited about the prospect of Marji having had sex, but when she says that she slept with multiple people one of her friends responds: "So what's the difference between you and a whore?" (270). Which Marji responds in narration by thinking, "Underneath their outward appearance of being modern women, my friends were real traditionalists" (270). As Satrapi is showing, despite the years that Marji went away and experienced different cultures, her friends were still actively participating in a culture that doesn't believe in sex outside of marriage or, if there is sexual involvement, certainly not with more than one person. This really emphasized the cultural contexts of the time, showing the different perspectives - the friends, who are consistently immersed in Iranian culture; Satrapi, who gets to experience more than one; and the reader, who doesn't necessarily know anything about Iranian culture at all.
It is reminiscent of Marji's first "encounter" with sexual liberation: Julie, of her roommate who had sex with eighteen men, and who Marji was present for when she slept with her nineteenth. Julie and her lover come out into the living room where Marji is, and she thinks, after seeing them, that "it was my first big step toward assimilating into western culture" (188). This shows us the thing that Marji speaks of, the "sexual revolution," where individuals don't have to worry about who they sleep with, because the emphasis is on different things, on liberation. So, with this, Marji edges away from the ideals she grew up with, and takes on new ones, even if not fully. The old traditions still linger, but ebb as time goes on.
You make a good point about sexual liberation in this novel. I too believe that since Marji had the opportunity to experience various cultures and see the ways that they live their lives she was able to be more liberated herself. Unlike her friends in Iran who have not been able to live through the same experiences as her Marji is able to realize that the traditional culture that she grew up in is immensely different than the life that she had been able to live in Europe. I think that throughout the novel Marji is shown becoming more of an individual who has her own views and doesn’t only base her opinions on the type of culture that she may have grown up in and been a part of when she was younger.
DeleteI agree that sexual liberation is a large theme in Marji’s journey towards finding her identity, but was not directly spoken of a lot. I find it incredibly interesting that even in an Iranian government, Marji’s dad was so open and honest about telling her what testicles were (in detail). Marji’s parents being very open and defiant of governmental control definitely also played a lot into Marji’s self-identity.
DeleteI also found the conversation that Marji had with her friends about sex very interesting. This scene, for me, showed that not only Marji was struggling between her westernized self and her Iranian self, but her friends doing the same. In the scene before, Marji’s friends were surprised that Marji was not all dolled up, being a fashionista and going to nightclubs. They had a single story of what they thought western culture was like, and they wanted to become fully westernized. The thing is, when they were fully confronted with a western was of sexual identity, almost immediately, one of then snapped back into her Iranian morals. This showed me that she also did not know how exactly to act or where she belonged, just like Marji did.
Marji's family definitely plays a role into how open she was with sexual liberation compared to others, like Natalie was saying. I agree with that 100%. I think that this, along with her getting to experience first hand in Europe, what they saw as western with Julie and what she herself experienced definitely shaped her. She got to see more than just that single story of the west that her friends didn't get while they were still in Iran with all of the rules and roles that women had to play. I think that it's interesting thinking about how different their views on sex and sexual identity were once they really talked about it.
DeleteI think the theme of sexual liberation is important throughout Persepolis because it’s something that Satrapi is trying to understand throughout the novel. Sexuality is a part of her identity and she embraces and acknowledges sexual liberation, but she prefers to be more traditional about sex by keeping it private. I think that this is because of her bicultural identity since she’s trying to balance her traditional values with western values. She also shows that there is agency in sexuality in Iran. Non-Iranian people would interpret Iran as a sexually repressed state, but Satrapi shows that there is sexual agency can lie in privacy in regards to sex and sexuality.
DeleteI also think that sexual liberation and her sexual agency at times helps define her intersectionality. You can literally see her transformation from one of the more traditional girls, in her encounter with Julie, to a more western one in the scene that you were talking about. Marjane is stuck somewhere in between traditional and modern, much like she is stuck between western and eastern and that seperates her and depresses her at the same time. She can't express her sexuality in Iran, but she can't get rid of it either. I agree with Tramel that the only way she can resolve her sexual agency with her culture is to be private about most things. Though perhaps she may want to express it in other ways (such as makeup), it is the only way it will peacefully resolve itself with the Iranian culture
DeleteI agree on the sexual liberation part that was discussed about in the novel. Not only that but Marji did have a lot opportunity to experience different cultures. By experiencing different culture it opened up Marji's mind and it also influenced her to be liberated herself. Despite Marji being from Iran and experiencing the culture and way of life in Iran she noticed a big difference between culture and the way of life in Europe compared to Iran. For Marji to experience both the culture in Iran and in Europe, she herself is growing to be more independent by having a different views and opinion on certain things...by far distancing herself from her culture when it comes down to having different views on things.
Delete"I wasn't able to take a step back even though I knew that it was the only way to get out of my funk"( 267). There comes a time when every one feels this way and they just start to shut down. Marjane was back in Iran where it was worse then it was when she left. Things had gotten out of control and when things get out of control a person feels like there is no escape. There was no possible way for her to go backwards. Yet the hardest thing for her to do was move forward. Even in the hardest of times we have to keep going even if we dont want to. Marjane did just that.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine going from a place where you are free but have no identity to a place where you still dont have an identity and are no longer free. To lose your identity is to loose whom you are, you slip in a place of conformity. Marjane didnt want to conform. Yet she had no other choice. Marjane did not have the power to follow what was in her heart. “To believe your own thought to believe that what is true for you in your private heart, is true for all men,- that is genius” Emerson's Self Reliance. Marjane does come to these terms after a while which in the end leads her to France which was the best possible outcome.
I'm happy that you mentioned Satrapi's depression and attempted suicide because I think that she shatters a lot of the stereotypes that revolve around mental illness and depression. She shows the world how depression truly works by depicting in one panel how her family gave her advice like to find a husband or join a gym. And then, in the panel right after she shows us that all she really wants is for someone to talk so that she doesn't feel so alone. She also shows us that depression isn't something that you can overcome within a few hours. And finally, she shows us that people who suffer from a mental illness cause more harm to themselves than others, which is something that you don't get to see in the media because the media likes to tell us that all mentally ill people are essentially Patrick Bateman. I like the fact that Satrapi shows us her depression not only because she shatters the stereotypes, but because she shows us how it affects an individual and furthers the notion the personal is political because her depression isn't representative of all mentally ill or depressed people.
DeleteI love the fact that you connected this back to an Emerson quote! I agree with you that I think Marjane's depression is a culmination of not belonging and her intersectionality. She is unable to conform because she has expirenced freedom outside of Iran. However, she goes back to Iran because she is unable to get ouside of her Iranian idenity. She exists between the two worlds, and since she is unable to truly fit in either, she becomes depressed. I kind of get her understanding, is it better to exist at all than exist in the in betweens? Everybody wants a solid identity of who they are, and Marjane can't really have a true one for herself at this moment in her life. Which is why she probably creates one for herself. I think though this originally is not the "real" Marjane, her real self comes through as she settles into her country, identity, and finds pepole like her.
DeleteSatrapi speaking up about her mental illness was very powerful, and the use of the visuals was a great example of showing how living and coping with mental illness/depression really can be. It is not something that is often discussed, particularly in young adults, and the passage where Marjane was explaining her depression was brief, yet very informative. I agree, Marjane’s depression really did illustrate how trapped she felt in her life at that time, she had lost graps of her individuality and identity with the culture shock of returning home to Iran and did not know where to turn. I think is one of the most significant passages in the novel as we really get to go inside of Marjane’s mind and understand her internal struggles.
DeleteI also really appreciated how Satrapi covered so many aspects of Marji's life, including her experience with mental illness/depression. I think that her experiences were very accurately and appropriately documented, especially with a subject so rarely discussed in depth. Satrapi did an excellent job of breaking away from typically depression stereotypes, and Marji's experiences seemed very real. Her struggle with depression also connects back to her struggle with attempting to find her own identity and feeling defeated in that regard, which is undoubtedly where part of her depression stems from.
DeleteI totally agree with what you stated. Imagine going from a place where you are free but have no identity compared to a place where you still dont have an identity and are no longer free. To lose your identity is to loose whom you are. In the novel, Satrapi lost who she was for a little while because of her being depressed. For Marji to be depressed she broke the stereotypes that comes behind being mentally sick or depressed, by showing how depression or being mentally ill can affect an individual.
Delete“That day, I learned something essential: we can only feel sorry for ourselves when our misfortunes are still supportable. Once this limit is crossed, the only way to bear the unbearable is to laugh at it,” (Satrapi, 266).
ReplyDeleteI was raised to laugh at myself. People need levity to make it through life. I’ve been told that is not something that is possible—life is too serious—but life is more than a series of Heavy things happening to us.
I’ve known hardships. Not those like Marji, but I’ve had to fight though life to get as far as I have. The above quote is said right after Marjane was reunited with Kai, her childhood friend who was left disabled after the war. Marji learned the essential lesson that I was raised upon.
This quote is very important in Persepolis, because it is said when dealing with loss. Some struggles in life are so hard to deal with, that the brain doesn’t know where to turn, except to laughter. It is well known (at least in the psych community) that laughing does work as a coping mechanism for many people. It is even recorded in the song “One Week” by The Barenaked Ladies: “I’m the kind of guy that laughs at a funeral. Can’t understand what I mean? You soon will.”
DeleteI can definitely agree that life isn’t something to be taken completely seriously, and sometimes you need to make the occasional fart joke just to crack a few smiles. Satrapi did this in an earlier chapter: “What’s flatulence? Well… FARTS!” (92). This was at a low point for the family, when they didn’t have a lot to be happy about, but because Marji made this joke, she essentially made her family feel better and learned that life doesn’t have to be so serious all the time.
I was also raised with the lesson to laugh at yourself, and at the things that happen in life. Seeing Marji use this as a method to cheer her family and herself up had me think back to times where I've done the same. Also it made me think of figures in the media who do the same. President Obama is an excellent example of this - that time where he showed reporters that video of Simba from the Lion King is a perfect example of it. Making a serious situation less tense on your own terms, to make it just a little lighthearted if you can is somewhat universal. As Marji says, "To each his own way of calming down."
DeleteThis quote is very significant in the novel, especially because Marjane has dealt with such loss and trauma in her life due to the war. It was nice to include some humor in the novel, I really enjoy when dark novels, movies, etc. have a hint of humor in them to make the fictional world not seem so threatening or take the edge off of the situation. Humor is an excellent coping mechanism, sometimes even when it comes to the grieving process which Marjane has experienced. Satrapi also balances darker passages with lightheartedness. After Marjane attempts suicide, the next page shows her physical transformation and includes images of her as a typical 1980’s aerobics instructor. I think it is important to balance the dark with the light, particularly in this novel because it feels more relatable as we have all gone through tough times but are able to come out of them with the help of humor or lightheartedness.
DeleteI have also been taught to laugh at my self. Which I think is a quality all people should have. Being able to laugh at a situation instead of become depressed or stressed over it really makes things so much easier in life. By learning how to laugh at herself Marjanne realizes that there are going to be hard things in life but by taking it a day at a time is a step in the right direction. She also learns that life is to short not to laugh with friends or family. Over all she learned that she will be okay if she has faith that she will and to not sweat the little things because that is a waist of time and energy.
DeleteI stand by this quote. As much as it might be hard to laugh in trying times it can be the best cure for whatever that is taking place in ones life. By laughing it helps people deal with the pain...almost like a drug, but a good drug. Life is hard therefore the only way to make things a bit more easier and cheerful is to laugh it off.
DeleteWhen all of Marji’s friends, family, and neighbors began to line up and welcome her back from Tehran, she barely recognized her friends. They all began to reflect the western standards of beauty and judged Marji for not looking spectacularly glamourous. They thought that she would go to nightclubs and be fashionable, but they were only getting a single story of European customs. Marji, though hesitant of her friendship to them, recognized their feelings: “A part of me understood them. When something is forbidden, it takes on a disproportionate importance. Much later, I learned that making themselves up and wanting to follow western ways was an act of resistance on their part” (259). She noticed that once her friends had gotten a taste of western culture, they wanted to know what the whole lifestyle was like.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons why Marji was so aware of their identity transformations, was because she had been projecting her feelings onto them. As we know, Marji battled with her identity, first being punk with her friends, then rejecting it later. She struggled with her multiple identities and used them to act out against other ones imposed onto her, and she identified this reaction in her old friends. Her friends had also been struggling with their identities.
Though Marji’s friends had seemed to be obsessed with western culture, Marji noticed they were not fully liberated in their minds and bodies. This is reflected when they ask her about sex: “Tell us, have you had sex? / Of course, I’m nineteen! . . . So, do tell, how was it? / Supposedly, it hurts a lot the first time. / it must be great . . . What do you mean? You’ve done the deed with multiple people? / Well I mean… I’ve had a few experiences. . . . So, what’s the difference between you and a whore?” (270). At first they were interested in her sexual experiences, but when they found out she reflected western culture in a way they could not handle, they vocally disagreed with her life choice. This shows that not only Marji is conflicted between the change of culture these women were presented with.
I also discussed how Marji struggles with identity throughout this novel. She takes on many various looks through her life and with each group of people she decides to hang around or relationship that she is in. Marji’s friends from Iran also put on an appearance which is essentially the way that they see or think people from Western culture dress. They copy the fashions and the makeup so they can have an identity that is not fully theirs. I think that this shows that both Marji and her friends are not sure what identity they want to keep. While Marji has more of the same thinking as people from the West her friends from Iran still have the mindset of “traditionalists” because they have never truly experienced anything other than that.
DeleteThe interest in sexual liberation that Marji's friends had in her reminded me of earlier on in the book, when Marji was speaking to Julie about Julie's sexual experiences. She is surprised, initially, that Julie is so open about her sexual experiences before she comes to understand that her openness is something that's deemed normal in Western culture.
DeleteThis rejection by her friends is also not the last time that Marji is faced with judgement for her sexual past. When she accidentally drops her birth control while she's at school, and a fellow student asks if she's on it because she's irregular, Marji easily states that it's because she has sex with her boyfriend. This results in many of her classmates turning against her. However, through her frankness, Marji finds herself in the company of like-minded students: "Little by little, I got to know the students who thought like me." (pg 304)
I like how you mentioned the girls’ single-storied view of Western sex culture. This demonstrates the trap Marj faces through her multiple identities. While in Europe, she was questioned and judged about her Iranian culture, and while back home, she is judged about her Western experiences. Society has expectations for Marj based on what culture they view her as, when in reality Marj has influences from both cultures, and shouldn’t have to act a certain way to appease a specific culture.
DeleteIn regards to the sexual liberation aspect, I think it not only reflects a change in culture, but also a change in times. Obviously, Iran is a repressive nation, and having sex before marriage was highly frowned upon. It is still this way in many other cultures, and was in the past, too. However, sexual culture in this modern society (both today and within the time of the book) has changed. Sex is no longer a sign of commitment, especially in today’s “hook-up” culture. The idea of sex as liberated act is something Marj’s Iranian friends cannot understand, and therefore pin negative judgement on Marj, showing immaturity on their end.
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ReplyDeleteThroughout Persepolis there are many times when Marjane tries to change her outward appearance because she seems to think that by doing this, things in her life will change as well. In the panels after she tries to commit suicide she shows herself changing her appearance by removing her body hair, changing her wardrobe, new haircut, makeup, and exercising. She says, “Strong and invincible like this, I was going to meet my new destiny” (274-275). Marjane seems to think that by changing so many things about her outer appearance she can make her life different and does this throughout which is shown by the multiple looks that she tries.
ReplyDeleteMarjane also shows this when she changes her looks to fit what Reza likes. This is another relationship that she becomes a part of that has a large impact on the way that she looks. She seems to let her relationships define her as a person, changing things about herself to fit the person that she is with instead of staying true to herself. “But after my pitiful story in Vienna, I needed to believe in someone again so much that I continually lied to him” this panel shows her agreeing with Reza about everything just to fit into what he wanted from a woman. (318).
I also discussed the significance of Marjane’s physical appearance and how she used her looks as a way to express what she was feeling on the inside. She does this in ways that both help and hinder her independence however. Her marriage to Reza stripped her from her independence, and she wore makeup to try to impress him or look good for him rather than for herself. Whereas earlier in the novel, she used her appearance to express her rebellion and independence from Iran. It’s interesting how metaphorical Marjane’s appearance is, as it constantly changes throughout the novel as she has an inward battle for her freedom and independence.
DeleteI think Satrapi shows Marjane doing this, besides the fact that it probably happened in real life, to help further the spell of the single story. It's like those articles that are like "celebrities, they're just like us!" only its "Iranian women, they're just like us!" Changing yourself for a romance or crush is just so universal, almost everyone at some point in their life. Satrapi is showing that no matter what the culture, some things remain the same.
DeleteI also really enjoyed Satrapi’s use of changing physical appearance as a metaphor throughout the novel. We somewhat discussed this last class with the appearance of Marj’s mole when she reaches puberty, and how it appears in every picture in which that side of her face is shown. It becomes a defining part of her, so, like we discussed in class, it is ironic that the picture of Satrapi in the back of the book photo shops it out.
DeleteI felt that Satrapi made this idea of physical change very relatable to a wide-ranging audience in a way. Everyone goes through puberty, and as a result endures a great physical change. Satrapi emphasizes this on page 189 when she first describes puberty, and each aspect of the description has its own panel. By using separate panels, Satrapi is able to narrow in on each specific change Marj endures, showing just how much she changes physically, which foreshadows the great change she will undergo mentally in the coming months and years.
DeleteSomething else interesting to consider is how the visuals/physical appearances are used to draw common distinctions between different individual’s experiences. For example, both Marjane's grandmother (110) and Marjane's friend (308) have the same expression of fear while dumping alcohol in the toilets. Also, the presentation of dead bodies toward the end of the Shah's reign (40) look very similar to the ghosts of the war (251). Although Marjane has made drastic strives toward becoming the woman her parents can be proud of, Satrapi makes it clear that the country itself has some serious work to do. This is especially evident when her project is denied by the Mayor’s deputy when major religious symbols take precedence over local mythology (331).
Kassie, I love the visual connections that you point out. I didn't notice that!
DeleteThe quote that you picked, Felicity, with Majane ready to meet her destiny reminded me while I was reading of how at the beginning, she wanted to be a prophet. I see the same pattern - like the kind Kassie points out - between the hope and perseverance she has to become what Reza wants and when she wanted to be a prophet. It is like she is starting over from there after she attempts suicide.
Marjane uses relationships as a way to justify the changes she makes to her body or her ideals. She is never truly happy because she never really learned to be on her own so there is a constant change when she cant look at herself in the mirror. And when she does look at herself in the mirror she doesn't like what she sees or who she is. Through her relationships weather it is with friends or in a relationship Marjane can't find her niche. There are a lot of people like this who think they will find who they are through their relationships. But the only way a person is going to find out who they are or what they like is by spending time alone and doing things alone. And if they realize they need to change something about themselves it comes from deep with in themselves. And that stem for change does not come just because they feel they need to in order to gain love or to fit in. Moving to france alone was one of Marjane's best decisions to make for herself as her own person.
DeleteMarji's use of transformation of her appearance was one of my favorite aspects of the book. In addition to everything mentioned here, I also think that her taking control of her appearance was a crucial factor in the construction of her own identity, which is a recurring theme in the book and strategically juxtaposed with the theme of oppression. I love how Marji's physical changes represent her pushing back against the system, taking control over herself, and trying to figure out who she is as a person.
DeleteOn page 304 to 305, Satrapi uses both the visual and written rhetoric to expose the stereotypes that people outside of her culture have towards Iran and veiled women, which furthers the notion that the personal is political. She states, “The more time passed, the more i became conscious of the contrast between the representation of my country and the real life of the people, the one that went on behind the walls. Our behavior in public and our behavior in private were polar opposites. This disparity make us schizophrenic” (305 -305). This is important because she shows us and tells us what the world sees of Iran and how people outside of that culture interpret their behavior as monotonous and devoid of freedom. Satrapi, however, shows us that isn’t true and that their agency in privacy. When they are alone, together they can truly be themselves and there is power and creativity and strength in their private lives which Satrapi exposes because the world doesn’t get to see that. Instead, the world sees the same repetitive story over and over again. And it’s interesting that she intentionally points it out in the written rhetoric and then uses the visual rhetoric to depict the stereotype and the personal. I think that she is trying to tell us that the world misses a lot of the personal stories because it only focuses on the one story and when you focus on that one story, you only get one representation of a multitude of different people
ReplyDeleteI also think that Satrapi does a good job of showing the personal life of herself and the people of Iran. I think that her descriptions of the parties and the things that they all did in private were very helpful in understanding the difference between how we perceive them to be and how they actually are when they are not in the public eye. I think that how she shows the difference in appearance between how they are when they are veiled and how when they are in the privacy of their own home wearing their own clothes and makeup allows the reader to see the major differences.
DeleteI really loved how you touched on the fact that non-Iranian cultures falsely stereotyped Iranian culture for their image and habits. Satrapi does a fantastic job of illustrating that large bodies of people are often only subjected to certain information that only gives them a single story of a culture. She does this both with the quote you presented, and with the overcompensation of freedom in her friends over western culture. Because they abused their single story of western culture, and expected both too much Iranian modesty and western freedom, they were ultimately disappointed when the two came into conflict with each other. Satrapi’s showing of Marji’s personal life really opens the minds of the audience up to show that many people practice their agency, and that most single stories couldn’t be further from the truth.
DeleteGreat post, Tramel! I love how the panels you chose directly depict the discrepancy between the way much of the world sees Iranian women (as veiled) versus how Iranian women see themselves (as expressive individuals). These panels, one on top of the other, visually draw focus to this contrast. As you and Natalie both said, the top image of the women with their veils on is reflective of the single story concept that Adichie discusses in her Ted Talk. People often make assumptions about Iranian women without any second thoughts, labeling them as oppressed, reserved, veiled, etc. Satrapi emphasizes how different this viewpoint is from Iranian women in reality by setting these two panels up next to each other. She also demonstrates the discrepancy between these women’s public selves and their private selves in these images, by visually representing these separate selves. I thought this was interesting because it reflects how these women are required to switch these two different selves so often.
DeleteI really liked how Satrapi showed the differences between Iranian culture in and outside of the house, too. It really gave an insight to, as Felicity says, how we perceive them to be and how they actually are." Also, like Diana said, it reminds me of not only Adiche and the One Story concept, but also of the stats we talked about in class of the perception and presentation of veiled women in the news / media.
DeleteNatalie, I like how you present the concept of western freedom vs. Iranian modesty. Can we go as far as to say 'Eastern modesty'? Or is that too broad of a generalization?
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ReplyDeleteWe’re constantly presented with the concept of ‘other’ing for the better, heroines in films and television: teens who turn their nose up at mainstream culture because they’re “not like everyone else”, men choosing women because they’re “not like the others”. Individuality is something that we strive for, ways to set ourselves apart from everyone else. One of the many ways that we do that is through our appearance: how we dress, how we style our hair, what kind of makeup we use, if we use makeup at all.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the Iranian government sought to strip women of their individuality, and in doing so, to silence them:
“The regime had understood that one person leaving her house while asking herself: ‘Are my trousers long enough? Is my vein in place? Can my make up be seen? Are they going to whip me?’/ No longer asks herself: ‘Where is my freedom of thought? Where is my freedom of speech? My life, is is livable? What’s going on in the political prisons? / It’s only natural! When we’re afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection, our fear paralyzes us. Besides, fear has always been the driving force behind all dictators’ repression. Showing your hair or makeup logically became acts of rebellion.” (pg 302)
In the panels just above the ones quoted, Satrapi pictures two stylish women wearing makeup, hair expertly done. She also mentions that she once spent “an entire day at the committee because of a pair of red socks” (pg 303). Things like wearing a certain amount of makeup or having more than a little hair showing became acts of rebellion to Marjane, and to many others, as they were the only safe ways that they could act out against the Iranian government. However small these acts may be, however, they are crucial to the identities of women such as Marjane, who are faced with a expressively repressive society daily.
This post made me think of all the past novels we have read, and how each of the protagonists have shown some sort of rebellion against society. I think Marj’s and Offred’s society has demonstrated the most immediate danger, but I think Edna’s rebellion was the largest. She completely changed her life, her home, and her relationships with family and friends, all for the sake of defying the patriarchy and finding her own self.
DeleteThe idea of identity is one I have been discussing a lot this semester, specifically in my global Anglophone literature class, where we look at novels written outside of Europe or America. The Complete Persepolis fits into this category as well. Marj is split between her Iranian and European identity, but is only split because of society wanting to box her into one identity or another. In reality, Marj is just herself and shouldn’t have to answer to society’s demands. Nonetheless, she is troubled by them, which caused part of her depression.
As women, quite often, we set each other into categories. I often hear women saying they're "not like other girls" which takes away dimension from people's personalities. Not being like “the other” sets up a single-story. Obviously, the situations in Persepolis are more extreme than my day-to-day life, but this post reminded me that we create single-stories about all people.
DeleteMarjane struggles with her identity throughout the graphic novel, but in the end she seems stronger and happier. She tries on different veils, just as all women do through their lives. Our outward appearances help portray who we are, and it’s important to note the level of exploration Marjane goes through to become the woman she is. Her veils ultimately lead her on the path she needs to be.
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DeleteWhat's particularly interesting about Satrapi's story is that while she has the opportunity to escape a legitimized form of oppression (by the Iranian government), for a while she still prefers oppression that she knows and understands to the forms of oppression which make her an outsider (during her time in Austria). When she was free in Austria, Satrapi lacked a strict guidance which had been provided to her for her entire life and drove herself onto the streets; as a result, she got very sick and was forced to return home. However, Satrapi was more comfortable being rebellious in Iran than in Europe and was able to figure out her place between Western and Iranian culture. Only after regaining the strict regulations of Iran is Satrapi able to recognize how important her individuality and accomplishments are.
DeleteI agree. In America, we see individuality as important-- as long as the individual in question is not "too different." That's where the other notion of othering comes in, and I feel that in that way, every society, even a society like our own which seem to value individualism, provides a backdrop for a struggle against the majority, with minorities, obviously, taking the forefront. Satrapi's struggle and the struggles of her friends and relatives are particularly difficult and particularly admirable, since they dare to be individuals in a society where standing out from the crowd could get you arrested or worse.
DeleteWorse than being a victim of this totalitarian society is being a female victim, as women are completely stripped of their identities when they are forced to wear a black shapeless garment. Of course, those who choose to wear the veil are entitled to that, and those people would probably say that the veil is their identity, and that's fine, but it's when a government makes unwilling citizens comply to notions they do not agree with that it becomes oppression.
14. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi & “Unveiling Persepolis as Embodied Performance” by Jennifer Worth
ReplyDelete- QuoteS from Satrapi: Grandma: “HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO YOUR GRANDFATHER WAS? HE SPENT A THIRD OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON FOR HAVING DEFENDED SOME INNOCENTS! AND YOUR UNCLE ANOOSH? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HIM TOO???! HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS IDEAS! WHAT HAVE I TAUGHT YOU? HUNH??? “INTEGRITY”!!! DOES THIS WORD MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?” (291)
- “ . . . I HAD SUDDENLY BECOME A MARRIED WOMAN!I HAD CONFORMED TO SOCIETY, WHILE I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO REMAIN IN THE MARGINS” (317).
I find these two passages very important in the narrative that Satrapi tells because one is advice from her grandmother and one is a vocalization of her self-realization after she marries Reza. Her grandmother seems to be a human embodiment of her conscience; she admires her grandmother because of her strength, her perseverance, and her wisdom. Her grandmother then passes on her wisdom through advice that she gives to Marjane. Her grandmother comes to mind whenever she has done something that she wouldn’t have been proud of Marjane for doing; usually, it involves her not being true to herself.
I think that it's interesting that during that section, she shows herself in a cell which depicts that she is trapped by marriage. I don't think that she is against marriage. I think that marriage just wasn't for her during this time in her life and I think she's trying to tell us that marriage should always be for the right reason. You shouldn't get married because of societal pressure but you should marry for love and you should marry when you are ready for it. It's interesting that marriage essentially makes her become someone that she didn't want to be, which she depicts on page 318. I think you right that when she married Reza that she wasn't being true to herself, which her grandmother and father can see. I also liked that he father arranged for her to get the right to divorce because he acknowledges Satrapi's independent spirit and wants for her to have agency in her marriage. Additionally, i love that she shows that her and Reza were both very mean to each other because, again, she shatters the stereotype that veiled woman have no power or agency in their marriage by showing that she can be just as strong and cruel as Reza can be.
DeleteMarjane and Reza's relationship really went against Orientalist stereotypes. As Tramel mentioned, they were both very mean to each other which granted her agency. Although the relationship did not end well, I respected their balance. I respect Satrapi because she is so independent and she got out of the marriage because she was unhappy. This goes against the single-story that women have no say in their relationships OR that marriage is an ideal. Satrapi did not need Reza to protect her and I admired her will/way of moving onward with her life. Satrapi has such strength and agency within her life, just reading Persepolis and seeing how much she changed throughout was refreshing because we so often see women from the Middle East as one specific way. Satrapi crushed those stereotypes and wrote an inspiring piece that reminds the reader there is always time to move forward and grow. Nothing is entirely permanent.
DeleteMarjane had a lot of guilt especailly when she did something she knew other people wouldn't like or approve of. people make mistakes that doesn't mean they should be guilty for it for the rest of their lives. They need to learn from it and not make those mistakes again. Marjane is always on this road to please people and never please herself so she does not know how not to be guilty when she does something "wrong". Once she learns how to be her own person and not be in a relationship or please other people she wont feel like she needs to escape or doesn't fit in. This is a hard thing to do for some people, especially Marjane. Going back to Europe by herself was the best thing she could have done to become her own independent person.
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ReplyDelete"We went home...when the apartment door closed, I had a bizarre feeling...I was already sorry! I had suddenly become 'a married woman.' I had conformed to society, while I had always wanted to remain in the margins. In my mind, 'a married woman' wasn't like me. It required too many compormises. I couldn't accept it, but it was too late." (Satrapi, 317)
ReplyDelete"The goodbyes were much less painful than ten years before when I embarked for Austria: There was no longer a war, I was no longer a child, my mother didn't faint and my grandmother was there, happily..." (Satrapi, 341).
So I have been obsessed with margins and framing, both visually as a graphic novel and how Satrapi sets up her narrative. I want to mention framing first because Satrapi does it SO WELL. The parallels between certain pivitol points in the story are done consciously, such as we discussed in class with the first page and the veil and the veil in the mirror when she goes back to Iran. Satrapi also likes to end her story on cliffhangers almost, both the end of volume 1 and 2 are Marjane in the airport. That departure signals a growth for her as a character, and a mystery of what is to come for her. Satrapi totally could have added more to the end of the story, but she keeps the ending in Iran, at the airport, probably to show how much she has grown and learned since the last time she was there. This is not a sad farwell, but a triumphant one.
It is also very interesting to see how Marjane changes her mind about being marginzalized. In Austria, she decides she does not want it, but in Iran she does not want to be inside the norm, the framework of what a person should be. Does that have to do with time and space? Does being marginalized in Iran mean something different than it does in Austria? Or is it how she is being marginzalized that makes the difference?
I think time and space do play a significant role in Marji's character differences when in different countries, in terms of cultural heritage or being an "outsider," but I think it also has a fair bit to do with the ideals she was taught from birth and maintained even as she moved around quite a lot. Being marginalized in different places can be a reflection of the place, or of the person, or some combination of the two, clearly. For Marji, I think it leans more heavily toward the personal (who she is, what her motives are, etc.), and how she reacts to the situations she's presented with. The setup of Persepolis is completely consistent throughout the book and, like what we were talking about with the mole as identity, it is a grounding point that shows no matter where she is going, Marji remains the same in some fundamental way.
DeleteInteresting post, Jill! I agree, the concepts of framing and marginalization are used in fascinating ways throughout Satrapi's graphic novel. To answer one of your questions, I do think the ways in which Marjane is marginalized in Austria are different from how she's marginalized in Iran. In Austria, she is targeted for her Iranian heritage. In Iran, she's targeted for not being "Iranian" enough (that is, measured by how traditional she is, her obedience to the government, etc.). It is interesting to me how marginalization can be used in different ways. For example, it can be used as a harmful tool to impose isolation on another person, to separate that person with malicious intent. Yet it can also be used in empowering ways, as Marjane demonstrates. By the end of the novel she embraces difference, and strives to break away from the norm. Marginalization in this sense is positive. So to answer your last question, I personally think yes, the ways in which one is marginalized make all the difference.
DeleteI would argue that Marjane is marginalized whether she wants to be or not both in Austria and in Iran. In Austria, she initially fights to be considered punk, but eventually sheds her punk identity when she embraces her Iranian heritage. As an Iranian in Austria, she is marginalized as a foreigner. She is also marginalized as a woman. When she returns to Iran, she is both admired AND marginalized as someone who has assimilated Western culture—illustrated in the “what’s the difference between you and a whore” scene. She is seen as an individual and admired for it, but simultaneously seen as too different. No matter where she goes, until she embraces herself and becomes the young woman she wanted to be, she is seen as an outsider. Sometimes, this suits her, such as when she was young and wanted to seem punk, and other times it doesn’t, such as when her friends as her “what’s the difference between you and a whore”.
DeleteMuch like “The Awakening” and “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Marjane finds herself feeling trapped in her marriage as she no longer feels independent and is married to Reza, someone she was not in love with or clicked with. Marjane’s struggling with independence is prevalent throughout the novel, but in this last portion is where she struggles the most. She feels guilty about her time in Vienna and how she had premarital sex, for which she is shamed for and she struggles with mental illness. Her independence is lost once again while she is clouded by antidepressants and tries to commit suicide. Once she survives, she undergoes yet another physical transformation that has a deeper meaning behind it. Often throughout the novel, Marjane has used her physical appearance to express her emotions and use her appearance as a form of independence and non-conformity. Expressing herself was what helped Marjane feel the most independent, even though it was frowned upon in Iran, but she uses that strive for freedom to design school uniforms that included a short head scarf and wide legged pants, a small difference that meant a lot to the women of Iran. Marjane’s freedom and independence came from within, but she always stayed true to expressing what she felt on the inside, on the outside.
ReplyDeleteI feel like perhaps Marjane did love Reza once, but perhaps not deeply. I feel, however, that she loved him for the wrong reason. She does remark that they found things in one another: in her, he found a lightheartedness, and in him, she found a piece of Iranian identity that she felt was missing. While their relationship did not last, it did end up leading to better things.
DeleteThe two of them planning their future together led to the both of them studying for and passing their exams, and going to school. Their marriage, though unhappy, led to Marjane realizing that she wanted different things. Reza could not complete her-- she needed to complete herself.
Great post, Nicollette! I also found it interesting how Satrapi emphasizes the idea of expressing one's internal self externally, through the body, and how physical changes can be reflective of inner transformations. I think on good example in the novel of characters using appearance as a means of non-conformity is when Satrapi talks about how Iranian women would often show their wrists, or wear makeup (as two examples) to exemplify their resistance to the government. In these instances, subtle and deliberate changes in physical appearance literally signify non-conformity. Like you said, Marjane's journey towards independence is often marked by her external changes as she grows. We discussed in class how the mole on her face acts as a sort of anchor, remaining a consistent aspect of her body from the beginning to the end of the novel. In just about every other aspect, she grows and changes, and Satrapi emphasizes these external changes as physical manifestations of inner transformation and development.
DeleteWhile I agree with Danielle that the relationship was not one of true love, I think Satrapi's relationship with Reza was the most beneficial relationship she had with someone outside of her family. While each person provided the other with something the other lacked in a somewhat selfish fashion, they worked together in an attempt to improve themselves. And as they began to fight more while waiting for their passports, Reza did not try to stifle Satrapi as other Iranian men might have done; but, rather, Reza let her explore her own interests and be her own individual.
DeleteI thought Marj's marriage in the novel was interesting, because Reza isn't entirely a bad guy, yet the marriage still represses her. At the surface, they both just ended up falling out of love with each other, but that may have been because Marj's independent nature did not suit well with the idea of marriage. Immediately after getting married, Marj says, "I had conformed to society, while I had always wanted to remain in the margins. In my mind, 'a married woman' wasn't like me. It required too many compromises" (317).
ReplyDeleteThe only time that Marj describes the marriage as going well is when her and Reza take on the project of designing an amusement park: "From June 1993 to January 1994, we were so busy that we didn't even fight once" (328). I also believe that, besides being busy, the marriage was smooth during this time because Marj and Reza were working as equals. She was not conformed to the "wife" role, and he didn't have to play the "husband" role; they both worked as academics in something they both enjoyed, ultimately pulling them out of their separate spheres.
Talking about their partnership on the amusement park is a really good point - in Iran in this time there is no outward or real equality between the two sexes, and Reza doesn't really treat her like a fully functioning, autonomous human being all of the time, but when they work together and shed the typical views of man and woman, things work out really well for them. Gender roles or societal conventions are irrelevant when they work together on something that, notably, requires no traditionally feminine or masculine mindset. They just have to use their intelligence, which both possess in abundance. And can we truly blame Reza for some of the things he does? I mean, yes, but as we all know, every citizen is a victim to corrupt systems, whether they know it or want to believe in it at all. Reza is just another cog in an enormously absurd machine. And so is Marji. But she doesn't like to take things sitting down. As terrible a thing to do as it was, when she accused a random man of saying something perverse to her, she was trying to remain hidden, and still defiant at once. Do I condone her actions? Nah, son. I'm with her grandmother on that one. It also says something, though, about the person one can be when in a relationship with someone who isn't good for them, as we see how much of a kick Reza got from her actions.
DeleteI think it's incredibly important that both of Marjane's parents recognized that the marriage was going to fail, and were accepting of her choice to enter into the marriage anyway. Regardless of the repressive atmosphere, she is extremely fortunate to have a family that is cognizant of the fact that she must make her own choices in order to grow, even if it means that she will fail. I especially liked the passage where Marjane's father sits down with Reza and sets out the three conditions for his allowing them to marry, the first of which being that a divorce is extremely difficult to come by, and that if the time comes, she must be able to be allowed out of the marriage, as it was something that could not be done without the husband's permission.
DeleteMarjane's relationship with Reza is one that, I think, is relatable to many. She remarks that once they're comfortable with one another, they fall into the easy habit of picking on one another, which can be detrimental to a relationship. I agree: neither Reza nor Marji conformed to their marital roles, and were more at ease with one another in the academic world.
"Body hair being an obsession of the Oriental woman, I began with hair removal. / ... / Then I got rid of my old clothes. / And had some new clothes made. / A modern wardrobe. / Original shoes. / A fashionable haircut. / A permanent. / Shopping. / Makeup. / I became a sophisticated woman..." (Satrapi 274).
ReplyDeleteThis passage struck me as incredibly important not only because an attractive physical appearance is both an overwhelming standard women are pressured into complying to, but because it's a motif which occurs multiple times in the book. In fact, this passage is a callback to Satrapi's puberty transformation ("My mental transformation was followed by my physical metamorphosis. / Between the ages of fifteen and sixteen, I grew seven inches. It was impressive. / My head also changed in its own way. First, my face got longer..." (189).
The similar pattern these two pages share draws a parallel between two transformations: first, a mental transformation as Satrapi begins to assimilate into western culture marked by her body changing, then a mental transformation when she decides she was "not made to die" (273) and gives herself a makeover. This physical transformation is a voluntary one, and whereas Satrapi was pushed out of her childhood and into her teenage years when she grew seven inches, she climbs into adulthood with agency.
Still, the image she crafts of herself as a young woman is one of societal norms. Though she is initially comfortable in her own skin, this mask of a becoming physical appearance is what she attributes to her failed marriage, as she says her first husband "He married: [illustration of Satrapi with curled hair, made up and grinning,] / and found himself with: [image of a standoffish Satrapi with straight hair, wearing pajamas and unhappily gripping a cigarette]" (318). In order to ascend from the low point her life was in, she made of herself someone made-up, put-together and polite-- someone who, though she was mentally in a better place than before, betrayed the honest, though not always perfectly happy or polished, person who Satrapi truly is.
These are really good examples of Marji's transformations throughout Persepolis, conflicting ideas that Marji has about who she is supposed to be, who she is perceived as, who she wants to be, and who she is. Although what we see is mostly physical transformations (it is, after all, a graphic novel), they are all reflective of what's going on inside Marji. And I don't think she ever really "loses" who she is. One can make terrible decisions or have unfairness inflicted on them heavily from the outside world, and still come back to a central feeling or position inside of them. And one doesn't have to be a "good person" to grow. And Marji really pushes this growth through her physical appearance at different times in the novel, and you mention here, the most striking of which (to me) is the "womanly" transformation after her failed suicide attempt. Realizing she has a purpose that involves still breathing, Marji decides to be the person she wants to be, instead of who she is "supposed" to be. However, there is no escaping the expectations of others, and her terrible marriage is evident of that. With their separation, though, we see a big change beyond the physical: we see Marji's growth as a woman and a human being, as she decides to take control of her life.
DeleteI think that bringing up Marji's multiple transformations is an excellent way to show how she grows as a person. When she's a child and does the rebellious punk phase, when she is in Europe and is kind of uncomfortable with her appearance and chops her hair here or there, putting her veil back on and going home, and then the phase of trying to be more "womanly" after her suicide attempt. These all show how she was in her mentality. Trying to rebel, unsure of what she wanted but trying to fit in, home and a little lost. I think that what Jade said, "there is no escaping the expectation of others" is right, but Marji does take control of her life mentally and physically.
DeleteI hadn't really thought about the fact that Marji's changing of her appearance in an attempt to figure out her identity as her conforming to the standard of women appearing a certain way or manipulating their appearance. Originally, I viewed this concept as empowering for Marji in the creation of her own identity, but your response allowed me to see this concept from another perspective and consider how Marji's physical transformation is both empowering and conformist; it is empowering in the sense that she is taking control of herself and her life, but she is conforming to societal norms in the sense that it is almost expected of women to do so. Your response was very thoughtful and interesting, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to think about this.
Delete"from the moment I arrived at the Mehrabad airport and caught sight of the first customs agent, I immediately felt the repressive air of my country" (246).
ReplyDelete"So what's the difference between you and a whore?" (270).
I think that these two quotes from Persepolis do a great job to illustrate repression. In the first quote, when Marji is first back in Tehran, all of the veils around her that are mandatory for women to wear shows a physical representation of the repression and a bit of a double standard for clothing between the sexes. The women have to worry about not being indecent or accidentally showing skin on top of the violence going on while men only really have to worry about the later of the two. As my fellow peers have been commenting, the sexual liberation that is shown as a very western thing, seems like something that the women of Iran want, but when it comes down to it (because of the society that they are in) they show that they still hold with the ideals that their society has instilled in them. They may have wanted to have the gossip and stories, but in actuality they judge the Marji and the women who have sex before marriage (and with more than one partner).
I find the "What's the difference between you and a whore" quote to be very ironic, since Marji is so modest. She was in her youth, and remains to be, either bashful, private or both about sex and her sex life. Her autobiography is entirely implicit rather than explicit about sex, with no graphic depictions or descriptions. Her sexuality is communicated through her confidence, her ownership of her language and her body, and her mental liberty. But she is anything but a "whore," or whatever one who would use that word determines it to be (I think it's a mythological term myself-- there's no such thing as "whores," only women who make their own choices about their bodies.) That being said, sexual liberation may still exist in Iran in a different form. There may be women who enjoy themselves in their sexual relationships with their husbands, if that's what is accepted or the norm, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are sexually repressed /within/ their marriages or that every Iranian woman disapproves of people having sex outside marriage. Of course, it's likely that many are indeed unhappy in their sexuality since their individualism is being oppressed as well, and that, due to the traditionalist values of the country, perhaps the majority do disapprove of sexually active women who aren't married.
Delete(not to mention that the marriages themselves are also a socially imposed norm for many women.)
Delete(not to mention that the marriages themselves are also a socially imposed norm for many women.)
DeleteThe first time I was Persepolis, we were only required to read the first half. The ending disturbed me (it ended when Marjane leaves the first time and her mother faints at the airport) and I felt uneasy about it all. So, I went to the library to take out the second half. I felt so much better knowing what happened afterwards, knowing she would see her mother again, that the future was open for her.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to discuss the very end of the graphic novel. Satrapi writes, "The goodbyes were much less painful than ten years before when I embarked for Austria: There was no longer a war, I was no longer a child, my mother didn't faint and my grandma was there, happily..." (349).
So much changes between Marjane's first excursion. Obviously there are the bigger, more obvious events (the war has ended) but I want to argue that her stronger sense of self helps her carry through and onward in life. As I'm sure many other people have mentioned, she wears different veils through the graphic novel, there is a strong sense of completion, as if the struggles had been worth it.
Also, the visual rhetoric of the last page is particularly striking because although Marjane has grown so much and is such a unique individual, she is just another face in the crowd at the airport. This reminded me of the importance of stories. How everyone has their stories to share, just as in 'Their Eyes...' Janie tells her story to Pheoby. Satrapi argues with Orientalism or single-stories by showing although she is unique and revolutionary, she is still another face in the crowd among a sea of unique, powerful people.
“It wasn’t just the veil to which I had to readjust, there was also the images: the sixty-five-foot-high murals presenting martyrs, adorned with slogans honoring them, slogans like ‘the martyr is the heart of history’ or ‘I hope to be a martyr myself’ or ‘a martyr lives forever.’ … / Many [of the streets] had changed names, they were not called Martyr What’s-His-Name Avenue of Martyr Something-or-Other Street. / It was very unsettling. / I felt as though I were walking through a cemetery. / …Surrounded by all the victims of a war I had fled” (Satrapi 251).
ReplyDelete“That day, I learned something essential: We can only feel sorry for ourselves when our misfortunes are still supportable… Once this limit is crossed, the only way to bear the unbearable is to laugh at it” (Satrapi 266).
Upon returning to Iran, Satrapi is forced to deal with the war memorials and the repercussions of the traditional social customs. In Iran, it is their custom to commemorate the dead in such a way as to remember those who died during battle. Following her encounter with her childhood friend, Satrapi comes to realize that if one spends their life wallowing in sadness they will eventually wither away and die (sort of like she did while being homeless in Austria). If one takes control of their life and chooses to laugh about their struggles rather than cry more progress can be made toward bettering the future.
I really admire Satrapi's point of view. Her agency with life and her ability to never get completely knocked down are particularly admirable. Through Persepolis, it's almost like she lived ten lives, always changing and adapting. She gives the reader a sense of hope, something to look forward to. This is rhetorically effective because it smashes the expectation that Middle Eastern women have no hopes or dreams. The media force feeds us information that Middle Eastern women do not know that they are oppressed, it's as if some "white hero" is supposed to come in and save them. We forget that they are people too, they have hopes, dreams, dislikes, and passion. Marjane amazes me because of this. She continually pushes towards a better life and learns from her mistakes instead of dwelling on them. It's effective that she realizes this after meeting a childhood friend because she is not bound to who she once was. Just as she wears different "veils" throughout the graphic novel, she also adapts. She is never too bound to what she chooses. There is always room for growth.
DeleteThe Complete Persepolis, Pages 296-297: “…You don’t hesitate to comment on us, but our brothers present here have all shapes and sizes of haircuts and clothes. Sometimes, they wear clothes so tight that we can see everything…Why is it that I, as a woman, am expected to feel nothing when watching these men with their clothes sculpted on but they, as men, can get excited by two inches less of my head-scarf?”
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Marjane is responding to a lecture that has just been given to her college class, about how the women need to wear “less-wide trousers and longer head-scarves” (296). Here, Marjane is directly attacking the sexualization of the female body that these clothing limitations imply. She argues that men practically have permission from society to get excited by even the slightest glimpse a woman’s hair or figure, yet women are not allowed to be excited by the male body in any way. Not only are women being forced to cover themselves up as much as physically possible here, but they are also being generalized as non-sexual beings. That is, the lack of clothing restrictions on men imply that women have less sexual desire than men. In other words, men are inherently more sexual, therefore women must cover up so that men will not become excited. Women, on the other hand, are implied to be non-sexual here. To me, it seems that female sexuality is restricted here in two ways. First, in that these clothing requirements prohibit women from physically conveying their sexuality through the exposure of their bodies. Secondly, it is implied that they are forbidden from displaying any sexual desire towards men in public, no matter how much of his figure is showing. Women are expected to contain any sexual desire towards men they may have, to appear as non-sexual beings. Marjane attacks this mindset here, and I think this example demonstrates the idea that Satrapi carries throughout the graphic novel: that the body is a medium of self-expression.
Wow, I completely agree with your point! Satrapi also shows the body as a means of self-expression through the panels where Marjane designs a uniform for the other artists at her school, forming a compromise between the beliefs of the school authority that a woman should be covered and the young women artists' needs while creating art.
ReplyDeleteThe limitations that women in Marjane's situation face show their lack of freedom in their culture. Like Diana said, it is self-expression and sexual freedom that they lack.
"I decided to take this little problem as a sign. It was time to finish with the past... and to look toward the future." (249)
ReplyDelete"A few months later, I learned via the director of the department of art that the mullah who had interviewed me had really appreciated my honesty. Apparently, he'd even said that I was the only one who didn't lie. I was lucky. I had stumbled on a true religious man." (284)
The first quote here implies the creation of a new identity for Marji -- quite literally, a clean slate. She scrubs her walls of things she used to identify with, particularly punks and prepares herself for the future, and finding and settling into an identity that is all her own, and not one she created by imitation.
In the second quote here, I really feel like Marji has settled into an identity she is content with. She was completely honest during her interview, which shows how much she has changed since childhood, when she would very literally hide parts of her identity (nail polish, jewelry, etc), but now feels secure enough in her beliefs to be honest about them.
Marjane feels trapped in the marriage that she is in. She feels trapped because she does not have her own sense of being independent but also because she is married to a man that she was not in love with. The struggles that Marjane endured is seen throughout the novel.From having sex before marriage to struggling with her mental health, she almost came close to suicide. After surviving her attempt of committing suicide Marjane went through another change...this time being physical. She states, “Strong and invincible like this, I was going to meet my new destiny” (274-275).Later on in the novel, after realizing that by changing her appearance wasnt helping her she decided to do something more constructive, by helping to make clothes...as a way to better herself but to also help out others. That helped Marjane realized her in dependency and to take full advantage of it.
ReplyDelete