It’s very easy to dream of a better
world. Ideologies are born, gain momentum and popularity during turbulent
political and sociological climates. It is not helped if the current regime in
any government is running poorly and the ideology, such as Marxism, seem like
the better alternative to a happier lifestyle. And thus, once an ideology becomes
popular in times of political and sociological turmoil, it can only lead to one
result: revolution! It’s very easy to dream of a better world. While an
ideology sounds perfect in theory, putting it in practice is a different beast
altogether. What are the consequences of applying a new set of ideals onto an
entire nation? Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir Persepolis illustrates her growing up in post-Iranian Revolution Iran
and the radical changes she and her family experienced as a result of the
revolution.
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The
book opens with a cartoon representation of Satrapi’s 5th grade
school photo, the most striking feature is that she’s wearing a veil. Several
panels after the first go on to explain it being the first of many new policies
implemented in the Revolution’s aftermath, in which women are now required to
wear veils in public. Naturally, many women, especially young girls, are very
resistant to this repressive change. Shortly after in the chapter “The Water
Cell” Satrapi goes into detail of Iran’s history and the politics that led to
the Iranian Revolution. Reza Shah Pahlavi was appointed Shah of the Kingdom of
Iran by the British Empire, whom they saw as a patsy as he was basically an
uneducated nobody who they could use to exploit Iran’s resources, namely oil.
Satrapi conveys this information by first having her child self recite it like
a lesson she learned from school, then depicted the story as a fairy tale told
from her father, with the Shah resembling a stereotypical king. A king possibly
serves as a template for child-Satrapi for any absolute ruler or official of a
nation.
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Reza Shah was originally meant to be a
patsy, however, his synergistic relationship with the British Empire prompted
him to modernize the Kingdom of Iran by introducing western culture and
technology to its citizens. The BBC documentary provides old footage of British-Iranian
cultural merge, which comments: “Everyone seems to be acting a part, the
effects smack more of a copy of nineteenth-century European court than of
Iran’s older traditions of royal life.” Britain’s dominating influence and
Iran’s fading cultural identity heavily contributed to the country’s
dissention, and the situation was exacerbated further once the Shah was
succeeded by his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Satrapi explains the difference
between the reign of the current Shah and his predecessor through her
grandmother:
You know, my child, since the dawn of
time, dynasties have succeeded each other but the kings always kept their
promises. The Shah kept none; I remember the day he was crowned. He said: “I am
the light of the Aryans. I will make this the most modern of all time. Our
People will regain their splendor. (27)
In
addition to the dynasty’s goal to modernize Iran and the issue regarding
cultural identity, the Shah had also been wasteful by spending the country’s money
on extravagant parties, frivolous goods, and trying to transform Iran into a
military superpower. The documentary explained:
“The Shah needed a strong army. But by
becoming the fifth most powerful army in the world needed economic, cultural
and industrial foundations which Iran wouldn’t have for years. But the Shah
didn’t understand this. He just couldn’t grasp it.”
It’s
questionable as to why the Shah needed his toys in the first place, however, Iraq was
on the verge of becoming rogue and Mohammad did not believe peace would last, while
also wanting to compete with other countries like Britain and France in terms
of military power. Nevertheless, any one who opposes the Shah, whether
violently or peacefully, are arrested as political prisoners. Most of the Iranian citizens agreed that
Reza’s reign, as Shah, was tough; it’s universally agreed that his son was ten
times worse. Once the revolution was in full swing, the Shah abdicated the
throne and Iran returned to an Islamic state.
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While
many had hope the revolution would bring Iran back to prosperity again. The
country, however, now governed by Islamic fundamentalism, is now undergoing
many changes that affect many citizens personally, including Satrapi. For
starters, women and young girls are now required to
wear veils when out in
public, according to religious dogma, but also under the sexist belief that a
woman’s hair emits rays that cause a man to become crazy and lustful,
regardless of the woman’s age or sexual maturity. The new regime also
personally affected Satrapi when she was young by executing her uncle Anoosh,
whom she was close too. Uncle Anoosh was a socialist who tried to escape the
country and reconnect with his estranged family, only to be imprisoned for nine
years and then released when the Shah abdicated. However, once the Islamic
fundamentalists came into power, they arrested and executed Anoosh because he
opposed their ideals. Uncle Anoosh was allowed one visitor before his
execution, and he chose Satrapi. The event impacted her so greatly that she
renounced her faith in God, whom by that point, had a relationship with Satrapi
akin to an imaginary friend, or Merlin considering her earliest ambition was to
become a prophet, and thus God was mentoring her for the role.
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The
Islamic fundamentalist’s main ideal is to ema
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ncipate Iran from Western culture
and ideals, including capitalism. The result is a stifling environment no
different than Orwell’s 1984 in which
bystanders will have no qualms selling out other people if they feel they are
not upholding the new standards. This image is best illustrated in the chapter
“Kim Wilde” in which a teenage Satrapi goes shopping, hoping to expand her
growing taste for punk and rock and roll. Her sources are black market dealers,
hoping to hawk luxury goods such as Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden,
and other secular goods like chess, make-up, and playing cards. Then once she
makes her purchase, sinister nuns appear suspicious and hostile towards the
young Satrapi and if she hadn’t been so crafty, the nuns would most likely
report her to the Islamic Guardians where she would be punished severely and
possibly killed.
Satrapi
had been expelled from various instructors because of her rebelliousness and
confrontational demeanor. During a lesson at school from her newest teacher,
the teacher declares: “Since the Islamic Republic was founded, we no longer
have political prisoners” (144). Satrapi, speaking from personal experience
with her uncle and witnessing many of her friends and family either fleeing or
dying as a result of the Republic’s rise to power, however, disagrees and
proceeds to poke truck-sized holes in the teacher’s claim. While awesome and
mike drop worthy on Satrapi’s part, her mother, nevertheless, chastises her for
making that mistake, which could have resulted in what the nuns would have done if
they hadn’t lost interest; or arrested and executed by firing squad like the
daughter of a passport-forger being hunted and recently martyred for being a
communist; or being forcibly married to a guardian, then raped by said guardian
so the government could bypass the law against killing virgins. Because of her
character, Satrapi’s parents think it best for her to leave the country so as
to avoid potential repercussions of hers or their beliefs.
It’s
easy to dream of a better world. The Islamic Republic and the supporters of the
Islamic revolution had noble intentions in regards to the political climate.
However, the Republic’s extremism and favor for the nation have led them to
disregard the rights of the individual. In addition, Satrapi conveys their
extremism in putting their ideology, in its “purest” form by removing all
sources of Western culture, as something repressive, regressive, hypocritical,
stifling, and dangerous to the citizens of Iran, especially to a child growing
up in such a place.
Work Cited
Satrapi,
Marjane. Persepolis. Paris: Pantheon.
2003. Print.
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