Persepolis: Social Separation in Iran

ENG 160

May 3rd, 2014

Social Separation in Iran

In the graphic memoir, “Persepolis” Marjane is a ten-year old girl living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Her memories consist of her family and friend’s struggles in Iran, which leads to a change in Marjane’s perspective of the Iranian people. Satrapi’s memoirs touch upon many issues during the Iranian revolution and exposes what it is like for a child to grow up during that time. One of the main issues that Satrapi seems to focus on the most is the division of society by class differences. The difference between social classes is relevant to the story because it is the reason for the revolution. Although Marjane is young, she finds out that a boy rejects her maid due to her social class, which sets off a realization in Marjane sparking the start of her rebellion that establishes the tone for the rest of the story. Through Marjane’s memoirs and illustrations, the reader is able to grasp a full understanding of how the Iranian people can differentiate between social classes through relationships, gender, and financial standings.

“Persepolis” begins with a very powerful image demonstrating the gender differences between boys and girls at Marjane’s elementary school. In 1980, the boys and girls were divided into separate schools because the government felt that bilingual schools were symbols of capitalism. In panel 1 on page 1, there is a picture of Marjane in a veil sitting at a desk and the next panel there is a class photo that Marjane explains she is not in. You are unable to tell that Marjane is in the picture or not because all of the girls look the same with their veils on, proving that the government has stripped these young girls of their identities, while young boys were still able to dress as they pleased. (Satrapi, 1, p.1.2) The government establishes these social differences in the young minds of children so they eventually grow accustomed to it, proven as Marjane says, “We didn’t really like to wear the veil, especially since we didn’t understand why we had to wear it” (Satrapi, 3).

Marjane came from a rather wealthy family and was considered a middle class citizen. However, the people that surrounded Marjane were less fortunate and as Marjane started to grow up she began to notice how the difference in social classes played major roles in people’s lives. Marjane first noticed the difference between social classes when she read a book by Ali Ashraf Darvishian that discussed how lower class children would work to support their families. Marjane immediately felt troubled with the fact that little kids had to work for their families as she says, “I finally understood why I felt ashamed to sit in my father’s Cadillac…The reason for my shame and for my resolution is the same: the difference between social classes”