Gender Roles in The United States and Iran

Ever since we can remember there have been inequalities found within societies, specifically between men and women. The United States has come a long way in terms of administering equal rights to females, but that only makes me grateful that I didn’t have to live in the past, because we are not even close to being treated as competent members of society. The effect of the pressures instilled by the media on young American girls is represented well in the 2011 documentary “Miss Representation,” directed and produced by Jennifer Siebel. But this isn’t the only place, nor is this the first time women have been suppressed on this earth. In the country of Iran, 7,000 miles away from the United States, women are also being influenced and restricted by their media and government. The laws and restrictions were much worse during the time of the Iranian Revolution (1978-1979). In the graphic novel, Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi the reader shadows the life of an independent young girl, Marjane in her early years, trying to break away from the gender roles found in her society. The oppression of women (or men) in any society will negatively affect half of a country’s population by limiting their freedom and opportunities. In Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, one can learn about how it was like to live in Iran during the Revolution of 1979. But before one can fully understand Persepolis, they must understand the condition of Iran in the 20th century. Before the Iranian Revolution, the type of government was a monarchy, but after the Shah was taken out of power, an Islamic republic was set in place. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was the one who started the revolution after he realized how corrupt the government was. The causes for the revolution include the country’s discontent with the Shah’s rule, the exile of Ayatollah Khomeini, and social injustice. The people used demonstrations, strikes, and civil resistance as methods to overthrow the Pahlavi dynasty. The