Freedom is the true way to live

In the novel Persepolis, the author captures the unique reality of how people have ever thought about having to lie and act up just so they wouldn’t get taken away or judged by other people while also revealing a universal truth: people have the right to have freedom. First, the author represents the unique experiences of Marji fighting for what she believes in even if she has to lie or act up to get to believe in what she wants to.

This captures the time and place of the novel by showing how back in the Iran/Islamic revolution there were very strict rules on how young girls/women had to dress in a very strict way because if not they would be judged, called horrible words, and punished.

Marjane’s point of view is first introduced when. Marjane’s writes, “Lower your scarf, you little whore! Aren’t you ashamed to wear tight jeans like this?? They Shrank!! Go on, get in the car, we’re taking you down to the committee. The committee was the HQ of the Guardians of the Revolution. At the committee, they didn’t have to inform my parents. They could detain me for hours, or for days. I could be whipped in short, anything could happen to me. It was time for action. I’m sorry ma’am! I’ll never do it again… Get in the car! Ma’am, my mother’s dead. My stepmother is really cruel and if I don’t go home right away, she’ll kill me… She’ll burn me with the clothes iron! She’ll make my father put me in an orphanage. Maybe she believed me, maybe she just pretended to. But, miraculously, she let me go.” (Pg 132)

This moment reveals Marjane’s point of view by revealing Marjane had to lie to the Guardians of the Revolution so she wasn’t sent away without her parents ever knowing and she was going to be whipped and tortured and Marji keep making lies after lies just so she wouldn’t get taken away for days. Because of Marjane lying to save herself from getting sent away without her parents ever knowing, we can see that in Marji’s mind she was afraid to get in the car with the guardians of the revolution and she had to lie to save herself. Overall, this moment captures Marji’s way of thinking fast in the kind of situation she was in at that moment. It just shows that Marji would fight for what was right and even if she had to lie to get out of a bad situation. Additionally, this point of view is revealed when Marjane starts to miss school and acts up to her mother.

“The wonderful day was spoiled by my mom. So how was school? Ok, why? Do you dare to lie straight to my face? I’m not lying! So maybe it’s me who cut class? What class? You tell me the truth right now or else you’ll be punished twice! My mother used the same tactics as the torturers. But all I had was religion class! I don’t give a damn! You don’t cut class? And you just lied again! The school called and said you had grammar this afternoon! I had said religion to try to make my mother less angry, but it hadn’t worked. This time I covered for you, but’s it’s the last time! Now is the time for learning. You have your whole life to have fun! What are you going to be when you grow up?? In this country, you have to know everything better than anything else if you’re going to survive!! Didn’t you meet dad when you were fourteen? You’re not fourteen! So? I’m twelve!? Dictator! You are the guardian of the revolution in this house!” (Pg 117)

This moment reveals Marjane’s point of view by revealing that Marji missed school and went with her friends somewhere and when she gets home her mother is waiting for her and Marjane mother’s screams at her for skipping school and Marjane gives her attitude. Because of Marjane acting up, we can see that in Marji’s point of view that she could do whatever she wanted as her parents did including that she had to lie and not be judged by anyone for her actions. Overall, this moment captures Marji’s actions and her way of thinking because Marji was only twelve and she wanted to be basically free and do whatever she wanted and even if it had to be to act up and have an attitude towards her mother.

Marjane Satrapi believes that people should have the right to be free and express their opinions but she did listen to authority, this describes how the time and place captured how Marjane wanted to have some freedom and feel like she can do something that no one has to approve before she does it. For example in the book Persepolis specifies that “There is the demonstration… We shouted from morning till night. It’s late. We have to go home. Yes. Long live the republic! Down with the Shah! Good lord! Where the devil were you! We had demonstrated on the very day we shouldn’t have: On “Black Friday.” That day there were so many killed in one of the neighborhoods that a rumor spread that the Israeli soldiers were responsible for the slaughter. But in fact, it was really our own who had attacked us.” (42–43)

This moment reveals that Marjane and Mehri her maid went to the demonstration and they went to protest with other people for what they believed in and it was called Black Friday. That specific day when Marji and Mehri went to Black Friday they were a lot of people killed and that they blamed the Israeli soldiers. Because Marji went to that demonstration because she wanted to do be free and she finally was at least a day while her parents were gone. Overall this shows that Marjane left her house without permission because she wanted to go to this demonstration which just shows that Marji for freedom and what she believes in.

A quote from the novel Persepolis says “Jimmy Carter, the president of the United States, refused to give refuge to the exiled Shah and his family. It looks like Carter has forgotten his friends all that interests him is oil! It’s Anwar al-Sadat who will accept him in his country. He is the president of Egypt. And why is he taking in the Shah? They’ve been friends for a long time. They both betrayed the countries of our region by making a pact with Israel. In any case, as long as there is oil in the Middle East we will never have peace. Lets’ talk about something else. Let’s enjoy our new freedom! Now that the devil has left! Maybe Sadat welcomed the Shah because his first wife was Egyptian. Surely not! Politics and Sentiment don’t mix.” (47)

This moment reveals that people have freedom but Marji’s father explains how the president of the United States Jimmy Carter refused to help Shah and his family and basically threw him out. The only thing Carter cared about was the oil and the money he got from it. Then the president of Egypt which his name was Anwar Al-Sadat helped Shah and his family and they both betrayed both of their countries. Marjane’s father was very happy that the president of Iran had left because then they would have some freedom. Overall this shows that Marjane’s father wants to have some freedom as well even though he is not like Marjane that does actions to show that she wants to have freedom, Marji’s father just speaks his opinion to his family.

Overall, the novel both allows us to learn about the differences in our world and relate to back in the Iran Revolution how people weren’t allowed to have freedom as much as in our world today. This is powerful and meaningful because it shows that not everyone in this world has freedom or the right to what they believe in. The book remains relevant to people all around our current world because it tells a significant story of a girl named Marji and her wanting to fight for freedom for her and people to be free in Iran.