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What Is The Cultural Context Of The Prisoner Of Tehran

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A quote from the memoir Prisoner of Tehran, written by Marina Nemat, that allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of the cultural context of the story was when Marina witnessed the torture of two girls in the Evin prison: “It was announced that they had had a homosexual relationship and therefore were going to be punished according to the laws of Islam. Everybody was horrified. We watched as two of the guards lashed the girls’ backs”(Nemat 117). Based on this quote, it is evident that heterosexuality was the only accepted sexual orientation in the culture of Islam during the 1970s. Consequently, those who did not follow cultural standards were alienated and treated with disgust, contempt, and disrespect. In addition, this quote depicted the harsh extent to which people were penalized for this “crime”, thus showing the intense cultural disapproval on homosexuality in Iranian society. …show more content…

Many women had been attacked and beaten for wearing lipstick or because a few strands of their hair had been showing from under their scarves”(Nemat 124). This quote presented the Iranian cultural ideas of women’s clothing and physical appearances. As women were brutally tortured for showing their beauty, it shows that women were expected to hide their beauty, which can also be seen as hiding their true identity. Furthermore, this delivered the message that women were forced to remain as inferior individuals within Iranian society, as they were forbidden to reveal their attractive and powerful

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