Different Perspectives

Throughout the book, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood the author; Marjane Satrapi illustrates through her autobiographical graphic novel about the Iranian Revolution and her perspective of the events that occurred her early ages from when she was ten to her teenage years. The book in general, revolves around on the different aspects of conflicts— including those conflicts occurred both individually or socially between good and good, as well as good and evil. The good, according to the Oxford dictionary is defined as “Possessing or displaying moral virtue,” whereas evil can be described as something or someone being “Profoundly immoral and wicked.” As an autobiographical writing, although Satrapi may not accurately show the specific time and events of her own life of when she was a child, stilling learning and growing up, she shows her own beliefs and thoughts on the conflicts involving throughout in the Islamic Revolutions. As the general conflicts such as good between good and evil between good are portrayed endlessly in the book Persepolis, within the Islamic regime a well as the land itself arise, there are importance to them in relation to the growth of the region itself.

One of the major aspects of conflicts related to good versus evil is shown in the beginning of the book when Satrapi introduces the veil. In the book, she states that, “In 1979 a revolution took Place. It was later called “The Islamic Revolution”. Then came 1980: the year it became obligatory to wear the veil at school.” By introducing the topic of the Islamic Revolution, Satrapi shows a clear distinction of evil and good. To do this, she adds the information of the Cultural Revolution, that all bilingual schools needed to be closed; needing to be separated and veiled from the classmates. Through this historical context, Satrapi shows the processes of how the veil created a large conflicts between those who wanted to have the veil as well as those who did not. The veil culturally, showed that an individual wearing it was religious and a traditionalist. However through the narration of Satrapi, her family is described to be “very modern and avant-garde”.

By the disregarding of these modern and avant-garde families, such as that of Satrapi’s the Islamic regime and government portrays the idea of evil in the relationship in between good versus evil; whereas Satrapi’s family would play the good in the topic of good. Although the general idea of the veil have a correlation to the ideologies of politics and how people view Islam— in this case either traditionally or modernly, due to the limitations of choice and the requirement of all Islamic people needing to wear the veil, it shows the evil aspect of the government and their use of trying to limit the progressive and modern mindsets of the Islamic people.

Relating to the ideas of the veil and the political matters it had contributed to, the propagandas the Islamic regime creates; shows the different aspects of another “good versus evil” example. For instance, starting from Marjane Satrapi believing that the king was “chosen by god” and how she states that she loves the king in page 19, the readers can understand the true meaning and understand that the usage of propagandas within student’s educations is unjust. As a way to brainwash students into believing the immoral and unjust act is rather equitable, the regime shows the evil situation in the conflicts between the good and the evil.

Connecting to the idea that it was unjust and evil for the Iranian regime to use the different forms of using propaganda to promote that what they are doing is valid, another similar scene that represents this is shown in the last few pages of the book— page 144 when Marjane Satrapi states that her uncle was “imprisoned by the Shah’s regime but it was the Islamic Regime that ordered his execution.” When her religious studies teacher tells her students the false information, when she states that “since the Islamic Republic was founded, we no longer have political prisoners.” As another example that shows the distinct line separating the moral and the good act between the unjust and immoral act, this is also relevant to back the idea that the Islamic regime continues to use education as a way for form and receive positive viewpoints from students and children— eventually trying to make them support them politically as well as socially.

Not only this, but some groups of people including the Guardians of the Revolution is `another notable people who showed the perspectives of that of the evil. The Guardians of the Revolution; specifically the Women’s Branch is depicted to be traditionalists and work under the Islamic regime, as Marjane Satrapi states in the chapter Kim Wilde, that “their job was to put us back on the straight and narrow duties of Muslim women.” From this explanation and the role of what they played, the Guardians of the Revolution portrays how the regime tried to repress the outside culture and limitations of individual freedom. For instance in the same Kim Wilde chapter, Satrapi is shown wearing her Nike shoes, Michael Jackson’s album Thriller pin, her jacket, and tight skinny jeans. As Satrapi gets caught by the Guardians of the Revolution Women’s Branch, she narrates how she almost gets taken to the committee where it was “the HQ of the Guardians of the Revolution.” She further describes that at the committee, they had the right to detain her without having to inform her parents, and that anything could happen to her during the stay. By controlling the Islamic people with evident fear and terror, the regime is represented as the main evil throughout the whole graphic novel.

Despite all the diverse conflicts between the evil and good given in Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis: Story of a Childhood, some of the scenes throughout the chapter includes the best representations of the ideas of good versus good. Within all the evil described throughout the book— including the oppression of the regime and general internal conflicts, there were people who had fought or were in conflicts for their own good. For instance in the chapter, The Letter, Satrapi is seen to be talking to Mehri that they were both going to attend the demonstration which happened to be the “Black Friday”. In this scene, Satrapi’s mother realizes that both Mehri and Satrapi were gone to demonstrate and slaps them on their faces, thus “attacking them” in the words of Satrapi. However, this action that Satrapi’s mother shows to both Mehri and Satrapi represents the best representation of good versus good. Although she did not realize that it was Black Friday, Satrapi had a good intention to go out and demonstrate; as she wanted to express her own opinion and partake with the opinions with the others of how the Shah’s regime is unjust and thus, should come down from the reign and depart the country. However, her mother hits her for the same reason and mostly due to the fact that they both could have been killed and hurt from the demonstration. Despite the fact that the actions were from harsh movements, she shows that she cares for them, as she and Satrapi’s father had prevented them from participating in the revolution even in the past.

Not only this, but the general idea of family shows the good in many conflicts. The scene when Satrapi and her mother sees a fight between two Islamic women in the supermarket is another best representation of the conflicts relating to good and good. In the chapter The Jewels, the women depicts the strong conflicts between the conflicts of good due to the situation that the supermarkets were empty from the war. This scene shows how the two different families were trying to do their best for their own. Although they were fighting for the same cause and possibly for the wrong cause, as Satrapi’s mother states that “if everyone took only what they needed”— implying that they took more than necessary. Despite this actions, they were fighting for their own good, rather than evil.

In the graphic novel, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood shows the different perspectives in conflicts in relation of individual’s morality and their benefits. Thus, creating a opposition for different actions and choices given. Due to the distinct and decisive view of the good and the evil, the book provides series of examples and the differences of the real life and historical perspective of the conflicts between the good and the good, as well as the good and the bad— all through one viewpoint of an individual.