The Veil In Persepolis

In the book Persepolis, the author, Marjane Satrapi, writes a graphic novel in a first person point of view in order to clearly demonstrate her views from childhood to adulthood on the topics of modern versus cultural settings along with how these two aspects affect the division of gender. Satrapi writes the book during the Islamic Revolution, which is an indication of how the time period plays a role on the separation of the social culture in her life. Specifically, Satrapi often uses the veil in order to represent the difference between modern society and religious or cultural traditions. In addition, the veil can symbolize of the restrictions put on women in comparison to men. Due to the many obligations, the people of Iran face, some choose

As this revolution takes place, bilingual schools are not acceptable anymore and the boys and girls have are segregated. Along with this physical separation, the girls and the women not in school are also obliged to wear veils (4). This clearly angers many of the Iranians as “everywhere in the streets there were demonstrations for and against the veil,” (5/1) including Marjane. Due to this ‘new era’ and disagreement about this different code of conduct, there were often two different types of men and women that would be found: “the fundamentalist man [or women]” and the “progressive man” or “modern women.” Satrapi does mention that one of the few ways to rebel against these new dress codes was for women to “[show their] opposition to the regime by letting a few strands of hair show,” for women or “more or less shaving” for the men. (75) The leaders and officers during the Islamic Revolution stayed on the streets in order to monitor the clothing of the men, and rather especially women. This is shown when Marjane’s mother is out on the street and runs back to the family saying, “they insulted me. They said women like me should be pushed up against a wall and fucked and then thrown in the garbage…and if I didn’t want that to happen, I should wear the veil,” (74/4-5). The officers in the street also survey how the men and women act between each