Roles of women in Iranian society in Persepolis

Persepolis, a memoir, written in French as a graphic novel is a semi-humorous take on the author's experiences of growing up in revolutionary Iran.

Persepolis begins with the depiction of Marjane in 1980. She is 10 years old and part of a group of girls who are all wearing the veil. Almost hidden on the left hand side of the page, she is dour as are all the others who do not understand why they have to wear this veil. All complain that it is hot and some take off the veil and continue jumping rope without it.

In pre-Revolutionary Iran, Marjane had studied in a school that was sexually mixed. The "Cultural Revolution" closed all bilingual schools that were alleged to be manifestations of capitalism and so the schools became gender segregated. In 1980, Marjane had to transfer to an all-girls school.

Demonstrations occurred both for and against the Cultural Revolution, and in one of these demonstrations, published in major European newspapers; a picture is shown of Marjane's mother who looks defiant and rebellious. Afraid of results, Marjane's mother takes to dying her hair and wearing glasses.

Marjane cannot comprehend the veil. She sees her family that although being "very modern and avant-garde" are still religious. In fact, they brought her up with religion, and as a young child had believed that she would be "the last prophet." Although she knew (and fantasized) that the Prophets had questioned whether a female could join their ranks, she believed that she wanted to be one "because our maid did not eat with us. Because my father had a Cadillac. And, above all, because my grandmother's knees always ached." Using a fantasy holy book as her guide, she imitates the modes and mannerisms of the first prophet of her country, Zarathustra, who proclaimed that all human conduct must be based on the trilogy of "Behave well, speak well, Act well." Her grandmother is her confidante and she tells her about this holy book and about her Commandments which include the tenets that all people should have cars and that maids should eat with others as well s that "no old person should have to suffer." When her grandmother asks her how that can occur, she tells her that "It will simply be forbidden."

In her imaginary conversation with God (which she repeats to her father), God tells her that she will be a prophet one day and although Marjane begs for more time, God considers her currently ready to be one. When Marjane, however, announces in school her belief that she is a prophet, the students ridicule her and the teacher calls in her parents to speak to them. Her parents defend her, and when walking home and they ask Marjane what she wants to be when growing up, she tells them 'a doctor', although she still believes that she is, and wants to be, a prophet. Later confessing to God, she tells Him that she wants to, and is going to be, a concealed prophet. She promises God that she is going "to be justice, love, and the wrath of God all in one."

The entire take is one that questions that traditional Islamic perspective of female in Islam society. Marjane wants to be, and believes that she is, a prophet. She even has God on her side. She and many of her classmates rebel against the veil. Her family -- grandmother, mother, and father -- all abet her in her ambition to become a prophet, and her mother, indeed, seems to e as tricking, educated woman. The memoir seems to be a farce on Islamic society as practiced by the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary period in the Islamic Middle Eastern world with woman taking a central focal role. The veil is thrown off and the woman emerges as prophet of God.

It is interesting how the veil -- the introduction to the series -- seems to be a key leitmotif of Persepolis. Persepolis starts off with the statement that: "In 1979, we were in a religious school / Where boys and girls were together. / And suddenly in 1980 / & #8230; / We found ourselves veiled and separated from our friends" (Satrapi 2003a: 4). The children playing together are made indistinguishable by the al-encompassing veil. Satrapi, in that picture, also draws herself to the side as though indicating the marginalization of woman and of the individual that she has become. The public areas are separated for men and women everywhere. Women, form the earliest ages must be protected by the state and mindful of the fact ah they must behave as an "embodiment of correct values." In fact, later on, on the first day of university, Satrapi is lectured on the theme of "moral and religious conduct" where women are admonished not to behave loosely and to watch their conduct and clothes. Whilst men colleagues can wear whatever they want, women have to wear the veil and be cloistered and Satrapi reflecting on this comments: "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?" (Satrapi 2003, 143).

The veil was not only the issue by Revolutionaries. The Shah too made it an issue when he punished women for wearing it wanting them to become as 'liberal' as possible (Najmabadi, 1991; Keddie, 2003). Ironically, women under the Shah wanted even more political and social liberation and many of them participated in the Revolution in the hope of them gaining equal rights to men. Not only was their metaphorical veil tightened, but they had to don a physical veil too and were punished if they removed it (Tabari 1986). Over and again, women are seen by their refusal or inclination to wearing the veil rather than by whom they are in actuality and the importance of the veil in pre -- and post-revolutionary Iran was noticed too by Satrapi (2003) who commented on the number of protests that were held on the subject in both periods.