Blog Post 15: Blood in the Veins of Society
Answer the following prompt. Use at least six specific
pieces of information total and at least three
specific pieces of information no one
has yet used in their blog posts, ONLY from pages 103-153 of Persepolis, with a page citation for each; also, use at least 300 words in your answer.
1) The Iran-Iraq War lasted from 1980 to 1988, leaving over a million dead. During this time, there was also an internal war in Iran against enemies of the Islamic Republic. How did each of these "wars" affect Satrapi and her relationships with friends and family? Which one do you think affected her more, and why?
1) The Iran-Iraq War lasted from 1980 to 1988, leaving over a million dead. During this time, there was also an internal war in Iran against enemies of the Islamic Republic. How did each of these "wars" affect Satrapi and her relationships with friends and family? Which one do you think affected her more, and why?
After the Border Towns, Tehran became the Bombers’ main target. Together with the other people in our building, we turned the basement into a shelter, ever time the siren rang out, everyone would run downstairs. (103)
ReplyDeleteIt wasn’t just the basements, the interiors of homes also changed, but it wasn’t only because of the Iraqi planes. Across the street, the neighbors are totally devoted to the new regime, a glimpse of what goes on in our house would be enough for them to denounce us! (105)
In spite of all the dangers, the parties went on. “Without them it wouldn’t be psychologically bearable.” We had everything. Well, everything that was forbidden. Even, alcohol, Gallons of it. My uncle was the vintner. (106)
Iraq proposed a settlement, and Saudi Arabia was willing to pay for reconstruction, to restore peace to the area. But our government was against it. They declared “we refuse this imposed peace!” “We shall conquer Karbala*!” (114-115)
What struck Satrapi the most because of the gory imagery was: “To die a martyr is to inject blood into the veins of society.” (115)
The government admitted that the survival of the regime depended on this war. (116)
Satrapi had to be on guard at home and outside of her home. She had to worry about bombs, guardians who were on patrol, and neighbors who were devoted to this new regime. No one was safe. Her friends along with Satrapi were not able to be regular kids. They had to look a certain way, they were supposed to think and speak a certain way. They were not supposed to show individualism. She had close friends, who shared her ideals. She was lucky in that aspect. She was a head strong young lady, this caused her to get into trouble at school. Her ideals caused her to be expelled from school. Her family was breaking the law on a regular basis. They were trying to hold on to what they knew before the war. That was how they were able to endure it. Even though she would fight with her family, they were very close. Bombs were dropped close to home, while she was out. She was frightened, hoping her family had not been killed. She realized how much she loved her family.
I think when she was told that she was going to be sent away from home to go to school in Austria, affected her most. Her parents wanted her to be safe. She was in danger due to her ideals. Especially when her parents told her they would follow her at a later date. She knew that they would never live together again as a family. They might come to visit but life would never be the same.
The “wars” affected Satrapi and her relationships with family and friends in several ways. First, the internal war in Iran caused Satrapi and her mother to have some conflict. When Satrapi cut school, her mother was angry not because of the actual skipping but in fear that Satrapi would have missed something, limiting her chances of survival in Iran. “Now is the time for learning. You have your whole life for fun! In this country you have to know everything better than anyone else if you’re going to survive” (113). Another way the “wars” affected Satrapi was again causing conflict with her mother; one felt the war was still relevant the other did not. “Even if it’s true, what difference does it make to us? May I go to the basement, ma’am? …The basement was my hideaway” (114). The Iran-Iraq war clearly caused tension within Satrapi’s own house which is one of the few changes in Satrapi’s life.
ReplyDeleteAnother way the “wars” affected Satrapi’s relationship with her family was when the Islamic Regime (internal war) caused Satrapi’s uncle, Taher to have his third heart attack and eventually die. “They threw a grenade…Taher couldn’t deal with it…Three weeks after these events, uncle Taher was buried” (121, 125). One other way the external war affected Satrapi’s relationships is that the bomb near her house pushed her parents to send her to Austria. This act clearly affected their relationship because Satrapi knew that they would never live with each other again. “We feel like it’s better for you to be far away and happy than close by and miserable. Judging by the situation here, you’ll be better off somewhere else” (148). This event again put strain onto Satrapi’s life and caused another relationship to go south.
I believe that the external wars affected Satrapi more. I believe this was the case because her parents did not send her off to somewhere else when a new dress code was put into place or when an Iranian officer pulled their car over (108-109). The internal conflict did not keep Satrapi’s parents from letting her out of the house by herself. When the missile almost hit their home, I believe that was the turning point for Satrapi’s life. Her parents were scared for her well-being and this forced them to make the choice of sending her to somewhere new (147-148). When Satrapi had to leave, she mentioned on the last page that she wished she didn’t look back. Usually when someone says that after they see something they don’t want to the prior event has affected them greatly. “I couldn’t just go. I turned around to see them one last time. It would have been better just to go on” (153).
Throughout the course of the novel, it is clear that Satrapi and her family are affected both by the Iran-Iraq war and the internal war in Iran. Specifically, between pages 103 and 153, this can be observed in several places. First and foremost, this is seen when Satrapi and her family are forced to take shelter during an attack, “After the border towns, Tehran became the bombers’ main target. Together with the other people in our building, we turned the basement into a shelter. Every time the siren rang out, everyone would run downstairs” (103). Not only did Satrapi’s family convert the basement into a shelter, but changes were being made to homes as well, “It wasn’t just the basements. The interiors of homes also changed...The masking tape is to protect against flying glass during a bombing and the black curtains are to protect us from our neighbors” (105). Another time Satrapi’s family is affected is when they are stopped by patrolmen on the way home from a secret party, “Halt! Halt! Open the door and get out! ID, registration and driver's license” (108). The men continued to follow the family home and search the house for alcohol, “You say you haven’t been drinking. We’re going to see what you have at home...They followed us all the way home” (109). Lastly, her family is affected when her Uncle Taher has a heart attack and needs to get a passport to travel to England for his surgery, “He needs open heart surgery but they’re not equipped here. They told me that he has to be sent to England. To do that, he needs a permit. They gave me the name of the hospital director. If he agrees, Taher will get a passport so he can go” (121). The problem with this is that it is incredible difficult to get a passport in Iran and as a result, Uncle Taher does not receive one in time and passes way, “Three weeks after these events, Uncle Taher was buried. His real passport arrived the same day” (125). I believe that all of these events strengthened Satrapi’s relationships with her friends and family because the war forced them to come together and remain strong despite the current situation. Also, I feel that the internal war affected her the most because it was incredibly violent, “The internal war had become a bigger issue than the war against Iraq. Anyone showing the slightest resistance to the regime was persecuted” (118).
ReplyDeleteHeather Penna
ReplyDeleteDuring the Iran-Iraq War, the physical war was not the only conflict the people of Iran were forced to endure. The Islamic Republic brought many about many internal struggles for everyone affected. Like any struggle, these situations were effective in both weakening and strengthening relationships.
During this time, Satrapi and her family had to live in constant fear. They were forced into their basement during bombings (pg.103), had to put up blinds to keep people from seeing the parties they throw, the card games they played, and the wine they drank (pg.105), as well simply not being to live life the way the wanted to. Satrapi found herself in big trouble for not dressing the standards of the Islamic Republic. A group of women enforced the dress code of the Islamic Republic strictly, saw Satrapi on the streets in jeans, tennis shoes, and jean jacket. She was clearly breaking dress code and they almost detained her for it (pg. 132-134). All this pressure and sneaking around is what finally pushed Satrapi’s parents into sending her to live in Austria with a close family friend (pg. 147-148).
All this conflict would change the dynamic of any relationship. Satrapi made new friends with 14-year-olds, who were rebellious like her (pg. 111). This rebellious nature got Satrapi into trouble and caused a little bit of tension between her and her parents (pg. 113). While her parents supported her and believed she had the freedom to dress how she wanted, go where she wanted, and listen to whatever she wanted; however, they feared for her safety and wanted to know that she was okay. The bombing led to many tragedies such as the death of her neighbors (pg. 142) and her uncle (pg.125) were hard on Satrapi and her family. I believe that these events drew her family closer together but played a role in her parents fears that ended up straining their relationship.
During the Iran-Iraq War, there was an internal war in Iran against enemies of the Islamic Republic. Although “Iraq proposed a settlement, and Saudi Arabia was willing to pay for reconstruction, to restore peace to the area,” the Iranian government was against it (114). The government “eventually admitted that the survival of the regime depended on the war… [and] naturally, the regime became more repressive” (117). It was during this time that Satrapi’s life began to change even more, since “the internal war had to become a bigger issue than the war against Iraq” (118). She had to kiss her childhood goodbye and become a grown-up (117). When Satrapi went out to buy tapes, two women who were part of the women’s branch of the guardians of the revolution stopped her on the street. “This group had been added in 1982, to arrest women who were improperly veiled, like [Satrapi] for example” (132). This scene in the novel highlights how much control the government was imposing on the Iranians and how much power a lot of the supporters of the regime had. Not only did this scare Satrapi, but it also shows how in this midst of all the conflict, she was still trying to be a teenager and did not want to tell her mom so her freedom wouldn’t be taken away (132-134). When Satrapi finds Neda’s bracelet still attached to her deceased body, she states that, “no scream in the world could have relieved [her] suffering and [her] anger” (142). She goes on to say that, “after the death of Neda Baba-Levy, [her] life took a new turn…in 1984, [she] was fourteen and a rebel…nothing scared [her] anymore” (143). It is at this point in the novel that Satrapi can finally no longer hold in her anger any longer and begins acting even more against the regime. She later learns about how Niloufar was killed, “500 tumans (equivalent to $5.00) for the life and virginity of an innocent girl” (147). This angered Satrapi, and because of her parents’ fear of what could happen to her “because of the person [she was] and the education [she] received…that it would be better if [she] left Iran” (147). I think Neda’s and Niloufar’s death affected her the most, which is probably why her parents decided to send her away to Austria soon after. It was during this time also that she realized that once she left, her parents “would come to visit, but [they’d] never live together again” (152). At the end of the novel she writes that “nothing’s worse than saying goodbye… it’s a little like dying” (153). This scene really describes how much these conflicts not only affected her and her family, but every Iranian regardless of which side they were in. In the end, everyone in Iran lost someone to these wars and everyone’s life was changed drastically.
ReplyDeleteThe war with Iraq affected Satrapi in her overall living situation. With the shortage of food, bombings and other attacks to be wary of caused her and her extended family constant anxiety (104). Their very home was also affected by the war by her mother putting masking tape on the windows to keep any broken glass from falling on the floor (105). For her Uncle Taher, sending his son away to Sweden, brought more anxiety and illness into her family. When his third heart attack happened, during a bombing, his fate was sealed. With the borders closed, his opportunity for surgery in Britain was unlikely to happen before his death (121). Her father’s attempt to get her uncle a fake passport was unsuccessful when the man who was to make the passport had to flee from the Iranian government (125). As it was, her Uncle died on the day his official passport came through (125).
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, it was the war within Iran that affected Satrapi more. Since she was raised in a liberal household and had attended French school, her religious views did not match the new regime’s. Since her family essentially “rebelled” by having parties in their home with forbidden items such as alcohol, music and dancing, it is easy to see why she would take the stance of a rebel against the ridiculously strict government regime. Their rules intruded on her everyday life and had altered it in such a severe way, she felt angry and resentful (111-113). She wanted to live the life of a free teenager and the rigid rules of the government made that nearly impossible. Being the same age as Satrapi, I understand how important Nikes and jeans were in the early 80s. Every girl was known by the clothes she wore and the posters that hung on the walls of her bedroom. Satrapi wanted to be free to wear what she wanted. The biggest impact of both wars was felt when her parents sent her to Austria (147). I cannot imagine having to leave my family and entire way of life behind to start over in another country, alone at 14 years old. This final act of sacrifice on her parents’ part probably saved her life; however, the effects of both wars were forced upon on to a young girl all at once. This was a most defining moment in Satrapi’s life.
Dalton Shettle
ReplyDeleteDuring the Iran-Iraq War, many people were physically harmed and killed. In addition to being physically harmed due to the war, civilians were also mentally harmed causing them to have their own mental battles. People made many changes to the insides of their homes to prepare for the attacks that were evident to happen. The first piece of evidence that shows how Satrapi's dad made changes to the inside of their home can be found on page 105 where her dad says, "The masking tape is to protect against flying glass during a bombing and the black curtains are to protect us from our neighbors" (105). An example of how these internal changes affected the relationships between friends and neighbors can be found on page 105 where Satrapi's mom says, "Across the street. They're totally devoted to the new regime. A glimpse of what goes on in our house would be enough for them to denounce us!" (105). During this time, Satrapi was asked to do many things by her parents in order to protect them from the law, one of these things involved her parent's alcohol. Evidnece of this can be found on page 109 where it says, "Grandma! Marj! When we're home, get out first. I'll try to stall him. Flush all the alcohol down the toilet" (109). During the war, Satrapi made friends with lots of different people, an example of this is on page 111 where it says, "The war had been going on for two years. We were used to it. I was growing up and I even had friends older than me" (111). When Satrapi was making new friends, she did lots of things that upset her mother. One piece that upset he mother is on page 113 where her mom says, "You dare to lie straight to my face? So maybe it's me who cut class? You tell me the truth right now or else you'll be punished twice" (113). After reading through these pages, without a doubt the relationship between her parents, and her mom in particular affected Satrapi the most. The last piece of evidence that solidifies this is very dramatic between Satrapi and her mom. On page 113 Satrapi's mom says, "This time I covered for you but it's the last time! Now is the time for learning. You have your whole life to have fun! What are you going to be when you grow up?? In this country you have to know everything better than anyone else if you're going to survive!!" (113).
Tess Song
ReplyDeleteSatrapi and her relationships with her friends and family were affected in many ways. Indirectly, I believe Satrapi began to have a internal issues when her whole family gathered to celebrate the arrival of her new cousin. However, the celebration was cut short when sirens began to go off and her aunt left the newborn baby in Satrapi’s arms. In that moment, Satrapi questioned the idea of “maternal instinct” (107). She was astounded by the fact that her aunt was able to run off so quickly without her new child.
Later on, there is an argument between Satrapi and her mother because she skipped school. Satrapi had older friends that she wanted to be in with so she skipped class to go get food. However, her mother found out and was angry. Satrapi describes her mother’s tactics as “the same tactics as the torturers” (113). The discord between the mother and daughter stemmed from the war because her mother communicates to Satrapi that “in this country you have to know everything better than anyone else if you’re going to survive” due to the situation occurring (113). This comment incited in Satrapi a need to identify her mother as a “dictator…[a] guardian of the revolution of this house” (113). Hence on, Satrapi continues to rebel as she smoked “the cigarette…[she had] stolen from…[her] uncle” (117). She used this as a mark to establish her transition from childhood to adulthood. I believe Satrapi became rebellious because of the atmosphere around her.
Satrapi continues to clash with her parents as she rebels. Her mother suggests that she would be “better off without nail polish” (119). However, Satrapi responds by saying she will put her hands in her pocket (119). Her parents converse with each other on the stubbornness of Satrapi. Her mother verbalizes her fear for Satrapi because of “how blunt she is” (119). Satrapi continues to rebel in a variety of ways against her parent she sees as dictators. All of this angst stemming from the war going on and the tragedy that occurs on a daily basis.
Katie Lebo
ReplyDeleteThe Iran-Iraq War, combined with the internal war in Iran, changed Satrapi’s life greatly. During this time Satrapi and her family were constantly living their life on the edge. Due to the bombings that were plaguing their country, they always had to rush down to their basements for safety (104). Her mother also installed masking tape to protect them from the glass during the bombings. On page 105, Satrapi’s mother hung “black curtains to protect them from their neighbors.” Their neighbors were devoted to the new regime and anything that they saw go on in Satrapi’s house would have them turned into the government. Because of these neighbors Satrapi and her family have to be very careful with what they do and how they act in their house. This is why her mom sets up the curtains around the house, so the neighbors do not spy on them and turn them into the government. On page 111, Satrapi decided to be rebellious and skip class with some of the older kids in her school. Due to this rebelliousness, Satrapi and her mom got in this huge fight (113) and changed the dynamic between her and her parents. During this fight her mom tells her that it’s her turn to start learning from her mistakes and taking responsibility for them. One of the ways that Satrapi’s family is changed is by the death of her Uncle Taher (121). Her uncle had a heart attack and needed a passport to travel to England to receive surgery. It was very difficult to get a passport in Iran and despite all their efforts to get one, Satrapi’s uncle ended up dying. Another big change that happened in Satrapi’s life was her being sent to live in Austria to get away from the danger of the war (147-148).
For many people one national conflict is enough to go through. But to go through two at the same time can cause much distress among the people of the country at hand. This is exactly what Satrapi had to go through. She had the worry of being attacked by an outside force, the Iraqis, and also had to worry about being harassed by her own people. The issue of the Islamic republic tormenting its citizens who don't agree with their ideals can be seen all throughout the book. When Satrapi and her family go on a car ride they are pulled over by a nationalist and her father is called "westernized trash" (108). Then they are followed home by the armed men because they wanted to "see what they [had] at home" (109). This just shows the continued harassment of innocent people who just have different views the those loyal to the Islamic republic. Then as the war raged on the repressive government began to "systematically [arrest] and [execute]" those who opposed them (117). Then the government "wanted to arrest some communists," but ended up giving her uncle his "third heart attack" (121, 120). But despite all of this danger at home, there was still the danger from the Iraqis that was affecting Satrapi's life. When the Iraqis began to launch missiles on Tehran, it sent Satrapi and the rest of her family into a mass panic. Satrapi "realized just how much danger" she was in and how she should be more fearful of the approaching Iraqi army (136). But between these two threats I believe that the one she faced from her own people affected her more. Being persecuted and shamed for having different believes from the government made a huge impact on Satrapi's life. It basically shaped who she became as a person and drastically altered her lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteThe internal wars in Iran affected Satrapi and her family in many ways. First of all, they had to change the way they lived including remodeling the interior of their basements and homes because of the bombs (104-105). Although it was not allowed to throw parties, they did anyways. “Without them it wouldn’t be psychologically bearable” (106). This was such a tumultuous time, and it had an impact on their emotions due to the high risk of danger they were in. Everything they did, they walked on egg shells. There was a constant fear in Satrapi and her family. On top of the fear of bombing, they augmented their fear by breaking the laws just to have fun and feel better. Her uncle built a wine making lab in his basement, alcohol was forbidden but they had gallons of it (106). They are living their whole life in fear, by doing things that make them happy or that takes away the outside fear. Satrapi’s family was also affected when they were stopped by the guys who followed them home to search their house for alcohol (108). We can see internal wars with Satrapi and her mother when she gets mad at her for skipping class. Satrapi says her mother used the “same tactics as the torturers.” (112). Satrapi uses an analogy of her mom being the “guardian of the revolution of this house.” (113). Everything in their lives revolves around this revolution occurring. When the Iraqi government opposed the peace settlement (114), the external and internal wars got worst. In Iraq, anyone who opposed the regime got executed or arrested (117). This affected her family directly. Her uncle Taher was so saddened and stressed that he had three heart attacks 118-120). People (civilians) all over the hospital suffered from chemical attacks from Germany selling these weapons to Iraq (122). I think that the the relationships and disagreements affects Satrapi the most. She was rebelling just to rub it in her moms face. She wanted to be free, but she couldn’t because of this revolution.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this last section of the novel, it is clear to the audience that both of the conflicts present in the book deeply affect Satrapi. The Iran-Iraq war caused Satrapi and her family to be in a constant fear of bombings. “After the border towns, Tehran became the bomber’s main target.” (103). It is apparent to the audience how horrifying this must be for the characters involved. Satrapi says, “Together with the people in our building, we turned the basement into a bomb shelter. Everytime the siren would ring out, we would run downstairs.”(103). This kind of adapted lifestyle had to strain relationships by putting Satripi’s family and friends in a state of constant fear. Satrapi’s family also rearranged their house in order to protect themselves from their bombs and their neighbors (105). In one moment, the sirens were going off and Satrapi’s aunt placed her own baby in Satrapi’s arms and fled (107). This just shows how much stress people were under. A mother of a newborn baby abandoned her in a heartbeat out of pure terror. The internal rebellion of the Islamic Republic against its enemies affected relationships between Satrapi and her family too. On page 111, we see an example of Satrapi starting her own personal rebellion. Her drive to make older friends caueses her to break rules and skip class. After this act, her mom finds out about her disobedience. Obviously, she is very displeased and unhappy with this choice (113). This causes a pretty obvious tension between Satrapi and her own mother as seen from the dialogue on page 114. Satrapi “escapes” to the basement to get away from her family and have alone time. Both of the conflicts greatly affected Satrapi and her family, one in a more physical way and one in a mental way. I think that the external way affected her more because of the direct impacts that it had on her life by killing loved ones and forcing her to adapt to the hellish conditions of the country she was living in.
ReplyDeleteDuring these many “wars” that Satrapi has had to endure, her relationship with her friends and family have changed a drastic amount. Satrapi and her parents went to her uncle’s house for a party one night and on the way home, they were stopped by the police. The police followed them “all the way home” to check their house for alcohol which was now illegal (109). Satrapi also changed the friends that she surrounded herself with. She was twelve and began spending time with fourteen year olds. One day, the older girls decided that they were going to skip class to get some food, and since Satrapi did not want to be “chicken,” she tagged along with them (111). Her mother found out because the school called her and she was mortified, not because her daughter had skipped class, but because she believed that now was the time to learn. She believed that Satrapi had to know everything better than the rest of the people if she wanted to “survive” in Iran (113). Satrapi’s parents still saw her as a child, while she now viewed herself as an adult because she had “kissed her childhood goodbye” when having her first cigarette (117). Her uncle was struggling in health and when a grenade went off, he became so scared that he had a heart attack that left him in critical condition. He needed additional medical care outside of the country, but they could not grant him a passport in enough time (125). Her own uncle had passed away due to the horribly strict rules. Soon after, a missile went off in her neighborhood, killing her next-door neighbor who was her friend. Satrapi was full of “suffering” and “anger” (142). Finally, her family decided to send her to Austria (147). They believed that she would be safer and have a good education there. Even though they promised to come in 6 months, Satrapi believed that they would never live together as a family again. I believe that the internal wars affected Satrapi the most because it had become “a bigger issue” than the outside wars (118). People were being killed even if they showed the “slightest resistance” (118). It was during this time that Satrapi began to act differently and create altered relationships with her family and friends.
ReplyDeleteSatrapis life is affected by the internal war and external war in Iran. Every time the bomb siren would go off, her and her family would have to take cover in the basement as shelter. “After the bombs and the instinctive fear of death, you’d think of the victims and another kind of anxiety seized you” Pg. 104. This affected her relationship with her family because they would have to stop what they were doing and rush to the basement. The family had many parties to take the edge off from the war “In spite of it all, the parties went on, without them it wouldn’t be bearable… without parties, we might as well bury ourselves” Pg. 106”. After leaving a party, Satrapi and her family are stopped and questioned at a check point by some guards.
The guard questions the way the father was dressing and smells the wine on his breath. “I can tell by the tie! Piece of westernized Trash” Pg. 108. Satrapis uncle tells her about anyone who showed the slightest resistance to the regime would be persecuted. He had also had two heart attacks and the stress of the war wasn’t good with his condition. “The internal war had become a bigger issue than the war against Iraq” Pg. 118. Uncle Taher was sent to a hospital after a grenade went off close to his house. He had a third heart attack. “Three weeks later uncle Taher was buried” Pg. 125. The borders then reopened and her parents planned a vaction “As soon as I get my passport, we’ll go on a big trip” Pg. 126. After Satrapis parents get back from Turkey she wears her “western clothing and is stopped. “they were guardians of the revolution, the women’s branch… to arrest women who were improperly veiled” Pg. 132.. Iraq claimed they had missiles and were going to target Tehran. “Now that Tehran was under attack, many fled” Pg. 137.. Satrapi was shopping when a bomb went off near her home. “we were in the midst of a shopping Euphora when boom” Pg. 138.. All of these events show the struggles she would have to go through from losing friends to family to not even being able to dress like herself.
Ashton Peckinpah
ReplyDeleteThe Iran-Iraq War as well as the internal war simultaneously affected Satrapi , her friends, and family. First off, the Islamic internal war greatly affected Satrapi's uncle by making him have a heart attack. The enemy threw a grenade toward Taher and Taher wasn't able to hold out from the wounds (126). The book explains how he soon passed. Another way the external war affected Satrapi's relationships was her having to move away. Her parents did not want her staying in a dangerous war zone, so Satrapi ended up moving and never seeing her parents again. Her parent's recalled it as feeling better about Satrapi being far away and happy compared to being at home and miserable (148). He parent's added comments only made Satrapi's life harder. The so-called war of wars affected her relationships against through the internal war in Iran. This especially stirred up conflict between Satrapi and her mother. One time, Satrapi decides to cut class and go out for a day of fun. Her mother soon finds out and is extremely angry at her for putting herself in harm's way. "In this country you have to know everything better than anyone else if you're going to survive. Now is the time for learning. You have your whole life for fun" her mother recalls (114). The wars also affected Satrapi by causing a conflict with her mother. They both bickered for both sides arguing about the war (113). The Iran-Iraq war clearly caused tension within Satrapi's own house which is one of the few changes in Satrapi's life. Overall, both war's caused an intense amount of tension between Satrapi and all of her relationships. With that said, I personally believe that the external war had the biggest impact on her life and her future. During the internal war, her parent's did not send her off when she got into trouble (108). It was only when the grenade hit her house that her parents became scared for her own well-being (150). Unfortunately, Satrapi was greatly affected by these wars and has decided to not look back on them (152). She knows that by not looking back, she is able to focus on the future and the better road that is ahead.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the Iran-Iraq war, Satrapi and her loved ones lived in constant fear of the unknown. It prodded the incredible change that took place during the Iranian civil war—dissenters would weaken the Iranian resolve. Satrapi’s life changed because of these wars, and her freedom as a child and a woman decreased drastically. Because the civil war, she watched a mother (her aunt, actually) abandon her own child—her faith in the “maternal instinct” dissipated (107). Her family could not drink alcohol (106). She was severely chastised by a stranger for not properly wearing her head covering (134). Ultimately, I think the Iranian civil war affected her more because it was directly what separated her from her family. Her parents wanted her to pursue an education when they knew freedom of thought would be impossible in Iran due to the internal Revolution (147). Satrapi’s mother covered the windows of their home because their neighbors were devoted to the New Regime—not even Satrapi’s home was safe (105). Satrapi’s parents feared for her safety as a girl, too. When an eighteen-year old communist girl was discovered by the Iranian government, she was forced to marry (essentially was raped) and was then executed because her beliefs did not coincide with the government’s (145). Essentially, Satrapi was forced to leave Iran because her parents wanted her to have freedom, but the civil war prohibited that freedom. Her father said, “considering the person you are and the education you’ve received, we thought that it would be better if you left Iran” (147). The Iran-Iraq war sparked tension among the various political groups in Iran, and this promulgated the Iranian civil war. The civil war is directly what lead to Satrapi’s parents sending her to Vienna for her education and personal development because freedom of thought was so limited in Iran due to the civil war.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Iran-Iraq war many people were placed in situations that they had never found themselves in before. Families were displaced and the goal was to stay safe “your cigarette out. They say the glow of a cigarette is the easiest thing to see in the sky. But we are in the basement!” (103). Satrapi’s family was in hiding. They were protecting themselves from the outside world, and had to stay as hidden as possible. Even the slightest light of a cigarette bud was frightening. There was fighting and turmoil spreading throughout the country. Friends and families were worried about one another and tried to maintain communication to ensure that everyone was safe during this time of danger. “and it was over Well? Well?! I no one is answering! fine! Oh those poor people! Lucky nothing happened to you! He wans to talk to you! After the bombs and the instinctive fear of death you think of the victims and other kind of anxiety seized you.” (104) Everyone was trying to find out what was happening, and they were focused on finding out if anyone was hurt amongst them. Families were worried about themselves and there homes from being damaged from the Iraqi planes. “ It wasn’t just the basements. The interior of homes also changed. But it wasn’t only because of the Iraqi planes” (105). Planes were hovering over the country and the family was constantly worried about the danger that was looming. “ Mom what are you doing? The masking tape is to protect against flying glass during a bombing and the black curtains are to protect us from our neighbors (105). Extra precautions were being taken to ensure the protection of all the family members from the bombings that were occurring. The war had been going on for approximately two years now (111) and Satrapi had made friends that she mentioned were older then her (111). Satarpi was making friends with people who were influencing her in ways that weren’t the best. She was breaking the rules. “ It wasn’t chicken, so I followed them. I had already broken the rules once by going to the demonstration in 79. This was the second time” (111). While this was happening Satrapi grew a strenuous relationship with her family specifically her mother. Since she was disobeying rules her mother wasn’t happy, and lectured her about it, which didn’t bode over well. “ Didn’t you meet dad when you were fourteen? You’re not fourteen! So? I’m Twelve! DICTATOR! You are the guardian of the revolution of this house!” (113). I think the shift in her dynamic within her family and her friends really affected Satrapi. She started breaking rules, arguing with her mother and worst of all thought that by smoking a cigarette she was now an adult. “It was awful But this was not the moment to give in. With this first cigarette, I kissed childhood goodbye.” (117)
ReplyDeleteDuring the Iran-Irag War, there was an internal war in Iran which affected Satrapi’s daily life and relationships. The small “war” of obtaining a passport for her uncle not only showed the impossibility of getting one but showed what measures people would go to, just to escape the country. During this passport problem, as they walked into the hospital to visit her uncle, they were getting yelled at to donate blood to help the soldiers and people injured by the war. “ I felt both embarrassed and angry.” (119) Satrapi felt this way because she was there to visit her uncle for an unrelated war health condition while soldiers and injured civilians surrounded them. One Satrapi’s parents came back from Turkey, she went out to buy tapes in her new jean jacket, tight pants, and nike shoes. The Guardians of the Revolution pulled her aside and shamed her for what she was wearing. They took her down to the committee against her will. Whenever Satrapi escaped from the Guardians she went home and lied to her mother about what happened. This small “war” of women’s attire and public shaming made Satrapi feel like telling her mother what happened would change how she was expected to dress and if she was allow to go anywhere by herself. (133) On the night that they were celebrating Satrapi’s cousin’s birth with a party and alcohol, the sirens went off and Satrapi’s aunt immediately thought that the officials were coming to get them. In her instant of panic, she threw her newborn baby into Satrapi’s arms and took off, it was just that wasy to abandon her child. From here Satrapi got a bad taste in her mouth about her family and didn’t believe the “maternal instinct.” (107) While at school, Satrapi’s friendships have changed because of the war. In the beginning of the book, they would play dress up and pretend and now they sit and talk about how many planes and tanks have been destroyed so far showing that the war is part of even a child’s everyday conversation. (111) Satrapi became friends with some older girls and was invited to skip class and go to get hamburgers. Satrapi felt if she didn’t go with them and break the rules, there was not way they were even going to consider being her friends because teenagers in that time of the war felt that being rebellious was cool. (111) In the end of the book, we see her parents ship her off the Austria for protection and tell her they will “meet up with her in six months or so.” (147) Satrapi’s parents make this decision out of love and want to make sure she has a great life but Satrapi is smart enough to realize that this will be the last time she sees them. As she turns around before she gets on her plane she sees her family falling apart, she says that she didn’t realize how much they loved her. (152) This is a sad realization because it took a tragedy and a war to let Satrapi see her family’s true emotions and ideas rather than just in her everyday life prior to the war starting in 1980.
ReplyDeleteIn Persepolis, Satrapi and her family and friends were obviously affected by the Iran-Iraq war and the internal Iran war. For instance, Tehran became the main focus for bombings after the Border Towns and this immediately sent Satrapi and her family/friends into turmoil. (103-105) What was interesting to see was that the thing that created initial fear, the thing that changed the whole mood and emotional atmosphere was the siren. The siren was the signal of destruction, the signal that the bombs were near, the signal to panic (103-105,136). These wars added so much chaos and change, such as the people of these populations hiding out in basements and transforming their own homes to hide away from doing simple pleasures such as playing cards or hosting parties/ get-togethers. (105) For instance, when Satrapi’s mom taping windows to avoid flying glass from the bombings and also avoid ending up like victims that were caught, such as their neighbors, Tinoosh and his family (105,141). These wars also created great change in the lively routines of Satrapi and her family, especially Satrapi as she began to skip school, smoked her first cigarette to symbolize her coming to adulthood, and also standing up and fighting with officials. (111-113, 117, 143) The combination of the wars affected Satrapi and her family/friends the most due to both wars feeding off of each other. The internal war lead to ambushes, harassment on the street of Tehran and possible persecutions, but the external war kept all of this going and eventually both wars led death of her Uncle Taher, Niloufar (an 18-year old girl who was a communist) and her friend, Neda Baba-Levy due to the bombings and missiles (124-125; 132-134; 140-142). These wars, although strained Satrapi and her relationship with her parents, due to her rebellion, allowed her to grow a closer bond with her parents, especially her mother (128-130,140-142,145-148,152-153)
ReplyDelete