Shah In Persepolis

Most countries have at least a slight respect for their leader, but that isn't always the case. It is very rare for middle eastern countries to disrespect a ruler, let alone speak out on their opinion. In the book Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, the Satrapi family were adversaries of the Shah. They joined a plethora of other Iranian citizens in speaking out against the Shah. All of the Iranian adversaries banded together to bring down the rule of Reza Shah. The strength of all of the revolutionaries, including Marjane’s parents, easily matched the Shah. Essentially, the Shah and the Iranian people, such as the Satrapi family, had a negative relationship.
Reza Shah was the successor of his father, and may have been even less popular with the Iranian people. Having a leadership style too unique for the Iranian’s taste, he quickly became very unpopular. The Shah “increasingly involved himself in governmental

A long time before Marjane was born, her grandfather had ties to the Shah, until he expressed his opinion. In Persepolis, Satrapi said that the father of the Shah took everything from her grandfather after he spoke up for his political views. This was the beginning of the Satrapi's loss of respect for the Shah. Reza Shah’s father had confiscated everything from Marjane’s grandparents and left them in poverty. It was said by Marjane's father that, “[t]he kings always kept their promises. The Shah kept none” (27). This was the perspective of many adversaries of the Shah. Because of the manipulative nature of the Shah, the citizens felt that they couldn't trust him. As a community, the Iranian citizens “wanted only one thing: his departure!” (41). This mutual drive for the Shah’s departure led to “the country [having] the biggest celebration of its history” (42) the day the Shah left. The country of Iran, including the Satrapi family, was brought together by their shared lack of respect for Reza