Feminism

A Struggle Within a Struggle

Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel Persepolis depicts her upbringing in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. Although Persepolis is a story about growing up in Iran during a time of great turmoil, the works can be easily analyzed through a feminist perspective. Marjane Satrapi’s particular experience, as a woman, influences the story greatly. Her point of view is different from that of a man’s because of the extreme gender ideologies embedded in her culture. Her story is about her, a woman, growing up during the revolution, but at the same time, growing up in a culture that is notorious for being oppressive toward women. Her experience, and that of all women of her time is not only about the revolution of their society, but their own revolution against sexists standards. Even though Marjane Satrapi has identified herself as a humanist, and not specifically as a feminist, Persepolis can be perceived as a feminist work because while showing Satrapi's struggles during the Iranian revolution it also inevitably, as an autobiography of a woman, shows her struggles against a sexist culture. The story is not meant to be solely a feminist commentary, but there are subtle mentions of this perspective throughout the story.

From the time she is young, Marjane is a very spirited girl and tells us about her dreams of being a prophet, and in one small panel, the prophets comment "a woman?" The story does not elaborate, does not focus on this point but it is still there.

There is more evidence when Marjane's mother is verbally attacked in the street by fundamentalist men who tell her women like her should be thrown in the garbage because she was not wearing a veil.

Feminism however, is not only about women, boys are also targeted in this revolution and sexist ideas are engrained in their minds from a young age. Boys were told that dying in war would merit a reward from heaven and as part of this reward there would be women. This objectifies women and is engrained in boy's minds at a very young age.

Marjane is eventually sent away to protect her as a young woman from the atrocities in her country.