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Iranian Stereotypes In Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

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It is possible to say that a stereotype is nothing more than a weapon. It exists merely in thought, but is able to hurt a person as well as a nation. Yet, it is what many people believe to be true, even despite the overwhelming lack of evidence. One of the more accepted stereotypes are those of the people of Iran, in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, the author tries to redefine Iranian stereotypes by illustrating that when individuals and their hopes are taken into account, stereotypes are not as simple as they seem. Throughout the book, Satrapi portrays, dispels, confirms, and challenges stereotypes all to show that people are much deeper than stereotypes and to get to that truth, sometimes rejecting stereotypes is necessary. There are a variety of stereotypes of the people of Iran, some are admired and some are despised. A stereotype, according to the Encarta Dictionary, is an oversimplified standardized image of a person or group, a surface appearance or a misconception. Throughout Persepolis Satrapi illustrates some of the common stereotypes of Iran which include that Iranian men treat women like property, Iranian women are not allowed education or to go out alone, …show more content…

There were occasions in the book where atrocities took place, atrocities that were proven accurate. There were demonstrations where people who participated were massacred, innocent people tortured for information, women being threatened of rape, and religious fanatics burning places down. These monstrous events that people far away hear of are how stereotypes are made. Even if Persepolis dispels some stereotypes, the events that influence some stereotypes are nonetheless true. The past cannot be unwritten, nor can the stereotypes that came out of them, but once must accept that not everybody should be defined by a stereotype that few people created. That is the message Satrapi’s is sending through her

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