Persepolis and dogma

We’re currently finishing up the second unit of our humanities course, dogma. In this we were exploring various different books that were banned because of a specific dogma as the center the book revolved around. We also went to WBEZ to talk to Natalie Moore about her book, the almighty p stone nation, being banned in prison. After all of that insight, we were ready to start the action project.

We picked a banned book and read it to understand the dogma of its story. I chose Persepolis which is a story written by Marjane Satrapi about the Iranian revolution. After we read it, we were to hold a mock interview asking questions to a character and imagining their response. Here is my podcast/interview with the script underneath.



I want everyone listening to close your eyes for just the next four to five minutes. Use your imagination and think about the year 1979. What was going on at that time? I bet you’re thinking of the McDonald’s Happy Meal or the official release of the Sony Walkman. Both good guesses, but that's not really what I was going for, even if that Walkman was pretty cool. I’m specifically talking about the Iranian Revolution and its impact on Iran and the rest of the world, which took place from 1978 to 1979.

This dream we’re about to enter starts in Iran with one little girl and her family and friends. Her name is Marjane Satrapi. She ended up being a dedicated but quite unofficial activist, protesting the effects the Iranian Revolution had on Iran. During that time, there were the people that felt the Shah was the law and there were also those who felt that The revolution was a terrible time in Iran’s history. Marjane’s life story is one that is meant to be censored by many as it provides the perspective of many little girls during this time. All grown up, here she is now.

JH: Hello, Marjane. Thank you for coming in to speak with me.

Marjane: It's my pleasure.

JH: So Marjane, can you start by telling me a little bit about what life was like before the revolution? Was it nice and peaceful; was it about the same? Tell me about that.

Marjane: Um… Yea, I feel like before the revolution and all of the change and chaos there was a decent amount of tranquility to Iran. There weren't any silly rules about all females wearing a veil, or buying certain things. It was just like any other time without a whole revolution going on.

JH: Ok, yea thank you. So you said that all females were to wear the veil.

Marjane: Yes, that's right.

JH: Why did the females have to wear the veil at all times?

Marjane: The veil, for the newly appointed supreme leader, was a symbol. "It was a symbol that women were to be “respectful” in the presence of men by covering themselves, as to hide their curves for they would tempt men" (94). It even affected children and schools. All girls must wear the veil at all times to show respect and to show that we followed the supreme leader’s new authority. Of course, I wore it so I could stay safe, but the fire of will burning in me to rip it off and tear it to shreds was so great.

JH: I can only imagine how you must have felt being confined to something so…constricting, as a young girl. Do you think that you could tell me if there was punishment for not wearing the veil and what it was?

Marjane: There was, in fact, a punishment for not wearing the veil, though it wasn't capital. It could lead to punishment, rather. If a female was seen without her veil, she would be subject to harassment from the police. They may accuse her of prostitution and other false charges in which she did not partake.

JH: Interesting...so you had no choice but to succumb to the dogma of the revolution.

Marjane: Yes

JH: Let me ask you this...do you think that life is better for women now than when you were growing up?

Marjane: As you may already know, that question is a very difficult one to answer. For me specifically, it has no answer. I mean...women have never really been in a good spot. We’ve always had predicaments that we were in, whether it be in the past or the present. And currently I can't even start. Of course there’s no revolution going on, but women are still facing discrimination, abuse, and complete lack of respect. I’m not really sure of any other way to answer that.

JH: Yea I feel like you hit the nail on the head. I think the exact same thing. When you were a child back in Iran, what made you want to challenge the revolution? You were just a child, wouldn't it have been better for you to blindly follow?

Mrjane: You are correct it may have been easier to just go with everything but it would not have been the best decision. “I want to be justice, love and the wrath of god all in one”(9). That came about after, “I had learned that you should always shout louder than your aggressor"(143).

JH: Yes Ok thank you Marjane, unfortunately that's all the time we have, but thank you for coming in and sharing a little about your story.

That was Marjane Satrapi, the author and protagonist of the autobiographical comic, Persepolis. I’m really glad that she came in to speak about her life because it was really informative. Just the fact that she was able to come and talk about her terrifying life in Iran is really powerful in and of itself. But that's all we have for this podcast for today and I would like to thank Marjane again and everyone for tuning in. Have a good rest of your day.



Work cited:

Condé Nast. “Emma Watson Interviews Persepolis Author Marjane Satrapi.” Vogue, Vogue, Aug. 2016, www.vogue.com/article/emma-watson-interviews-marjane-satrapi. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.

“Iranian Women - before and after the Islamic Revolution.” BBC News, 8 Feb. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47032829. Accessed 27 Feb. 2020.

‌Wikipedia Contributors. “Iranian Revolution.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution. Accessed 27 Feb. 2020.

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Panthean books: NewYork, 2001

داریوش اسفندیاری. “Be Pish - Mohammad Golriz (1979 Islamic Revolution Memorial Song).” YouTube, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qX8QhH_RJ0&t=37s. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.

“Persepolis Quotes by Marjane Satrapi.” Goodreads.Com, 2020, www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3303888-persepolis. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.
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