Iran is a country in the Middle East and is also for a brief period of time was called Persia but was later changed to Iran. The story “The Complete Persepolis” takes place in Iran during the 1980s which is right around the time the Iran and Iraq war starts. Marji’s story details how impactful the war was to her and her family, the first chapter of the story shows the very beginning of the tension build-up which eventually lead to a breakout of the war and the beginning of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The majority of the people living in Iran are Muslims, as you can see in the story especially in the first chapter “The Veil” there is a conflict between people who support wearing the veil and those who are against wearing the veil. This creates tension within Iran and Iraq which later start to attack each other as you can see in the 11th chapter “The F14s” when Iraq sends bombs to Tehran.
Category: Persepolis Study Guide (Page 2 of 2)
According to Britannica by The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi born October 26, 1919, Tehrān, Iran and died July 27, 1980 in Cairo, Egypt. He was educated in Switzerland and returned to Iran in 1935. He was the shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979, and maintained a pro-Western foreign policy and fostered economic development in Iran. He was the eldest son of Reza Shah Pahlavi, an army officer who became the ruler of Iran and founder of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1925. He replaced his father on the throne September 16, 1941. He was then overthrown in 1941 by an invasion of allied British and Soviet troops who thought he was allies’ the enemy, Nazi Germany. This relates to the story of Persepolis because in the story it mentions the fall of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi who is known as just Shah, in the Chapter “The Party”. It illustrates that he was trying to impose democracy on the people of Islam after so many people were killed. He tried to appoint dozens of prime ministers and with that people took down his statues. After he was overthrown by the people, the country had a party. Which is slightly different then what happened in real life.
Babylon is one of the most famous ancient cities. Its ruins are located in Iraq, and in the ancient world was one of the largest cities. The city thrived and flourished under the rule of the sixth king, King Hammurabi. He is most well known for creating the Code of Hammurabi. Which housed 282 laws and served as a reference for establishing justice in other cultures and regions. It helped establish the Hebrew Scripts which helped create common religions like Christianity. Which is the largest practiced religion in the world. The scripts also helped created Islam which within the context of the book is the main religion within Iran. Babylon is also well known for its unique architecture housing walls that were 40 feet tall. This monument used to be open to tourists but closed. As a result of the constant warfare, the once-great city has suffered widespread damage and severe contamination. Archeological sites were damaged and looted as well. Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage with the World Monuments Fund or UNESCO collaborated together to protect Babylon. It is now on the World Heritage Sites.
Marji indicates that in her textbooks, it claims that the “king was chosen by God”. But her father, upon hearing this proclamation, decides to tell the true story of how the emperor was chosen. Marji’s father tells her about a person named Reza Pahlavi coming to power. He is the father of the current Shah(emperor) named Mohammand Reza Pahlavi. He succeeds his father and serves as Shah prior to the Islamic revolution. In simple terms, Reza Shah is the father of the current shah.
Marji’s father tells the story of how the first emperor, Reza Shah, came to power. He tells the story of how British looking to gain access to Iranian oil needed a puppet emperor as leader. Reza Pahlavi was a good candidate. He had no schooling and was unable to read or write. The British were not permitted to gain access to the oil fields in Iran, so they created their own path, using Reza Pahlavi as the puppet. British enticed Reza Pahlavi with the promise of great wealth and power. In return to giving the British access to the oil fields, Reza Pahlavi would have to do nothing else. But Reza, with so much power in his hands, did not do nothing else. He confiscated others wealth and only gave power to those who were like him, illiterate. This ensured that no one will challenge his views, indoctrinating the Iranian people in the process. He used religion as a ploy to stay in power.
A prophet is a proclaimer of the will of God. In religion, a prophet is someone who has communication with the divine and delivers teachings, messages, and signs to the ones in need. I believe that being a prophet is something very special and a gift that is given to a selected group of people. I also believe that being a prophet is not an easy job. This is a job that is only meant for the ones with pure souls and kind hearts. In addition, Marjane is the Prophet of the story. Marjane said that she always liked religion. She wanted to become a prophet because she wanted to be good for her family and the Iranian people. Although her family was not religious, she said, “I was born with religion,” By the time she was six, Marjane knew what she wanted to be when she grew up; “At the age of six I was already sure I was the last prophet.” This was a few years before the revolution. Furthermore, her desire to become a prophet can be seen by the relationship she had with God. She was seen as a rebel because she was against the revolution, however her desire to show that Iran was not what it seemed was always there.
The Islamic Revolution of 1979 dealt with Islamist revolutionaries going against western policies from the authoritarian Shah of Iran. The people of Iran began to protest this social injustice and forced a hold on all these new policies which made them go from being a United States ally to an opposing force against them. There were immediate strikes and protests in 1979. In January of 1979, the Shah of Iran left and people celebrated this as a victory and a change in the system. Thus, the monarchy was eliminated, and the Islamic Republic took its place. This event has a heavy influence on the story of Persepolis as the Islamic Revolution is the main issue of the story. The story begins with Marjane showing all her peers and explains after this revolution all the girls had to wear veils. Then the next page she explains how the boys and girls were separated at school due to the impacts of the revolution. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 is essential throughout Persepolis as Marjane suffers the aftermath from it.
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