Defy Gender Roles
Christina G. Tarango
Professor John
ENGL 2342
April 21, 2013
Conform or Defy Gender roles in the society of the human race have always been that the women bare the children and take care of the home while the man is out working and bringing home the money to support his family. In certain societies this is still true and women do not have a say in what they do. The role and identity of women in certain societies has been shaped and it is up to the woman under this conformity to conform or defy. The roles of women through the eyes of Marjane Satrapi as a young girl were quite “normal” for her. As a young girl she did not realize how different of a life style she was living from other young girls her age living in Iran. For example when she was six she says, “I wanted to be a Prophet because our maid did not eat with us.” Later on in the story she reveals that their maid named Mehri was eight years old when she had to leave her parents’ home to come to work for Marjane and her family. As a teenager, Mehri begins falling in love with the neighbors’ son. When Marjane’s family finds this out her father goes over to the boys home and tells him, “I know that Mehri pretends she is my daughter. In reality she is my maid.” Marjane does not understand why this cannot be. Her father says, “You must understand that their love was impossible, because in this country you must stay within your own social class.” Marjane begins to understand the whole concept of the Revolution and wants to demonstrate against it.
Women in the novel conform to and also defy the expectations that are placed on them by going out and demonstrating during the Revolution but also confirm by wearing the veil. Over a broadcast a man declares, “Women’s hair emanates rays that excite men. That’s why women should cover their hair! If in fact it is really more civilized to go without the veil, then animals are more civilized than we are.” Marjane says, “In no time the way people
Professor John
ENGL 2342
April 21, 2013
Conform or Defy Gender roles in the society of the human race have always been that the women bare the children and take care of the home while the man is out working and bringing home the money to support his family. In certain societies this is still true and women do not have a say in what they do. The role and identity of women in certain societies has been shaped and it is up to the woman under this conformity to conform or defy. The roles of women through the eyes of Marjane Satrapi as a young girl were quite “normal” for her. As a young girl she did not realize how different of a life style she was living from other young girls her age living in Iran. For example when she was six she says, “I wanted to be a Prophet because our maid did not eat with us.” Later on in the story she reveals that their maid named Mehri was eight years old when she had to leave her parents’ home to come to work for Marjane and her family. As a teenager, Mehri begins falling in love with the neighbors’ son. When Marjane’s family finds this out her father goes over to the boys home and tells him, “I know that Mehri pretends she is my daughter. In reality she is my maid.” Marjane does not understand why this cannot be. Her father says, “You must understand that their love was impossible, because in this country you must stay within your own social class.” Marjane begins to understand the whole concept of the Revolution and wants to demonstrate against it.
Women in the novel conform to and also defy the expectations that are placed on them by going out and demonstrating during the Revolution but also confirm by wearing the veil. Over a broadcast a man declares, “Women’s hair emanates rays that excite men. That’s why women should cover their hair! If in fact it is really more civilized to go without the veil, then animals are more civilized than we are.” Marjane says, “In no time the way people
Cited: Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. United States: Pantheon Books, 2003. Print. Satrapi, Marjane. "Persepolis." The Story of a Childhood. 2003: 6. Medium. Satrapi, Marjane. "Persepolis." The Story of a Childhood. 2003: 36-37 . Medium. Satrapi, Marjane. "Persepolis." The Story of a Childhood. 2003: 74-75. Medium.