"I'mnotahistorian,notasociologist.I'mapersonbornintoaplacewhereI'veseensomestuff.

"
MARJANESATRAPI::PERSEPOLIS

HistoricalContext
ThestorylineofMarjane
SatrapisPersepolistakesplace
duringthelate1970sinthe
IraniancapitalcityofTehran.
Duringthistimeperiod,the
countryofIranwasundergoing
majorpoliticalchangesthat
wouldforeverchangethe
socialandpoliticallandscapes
ofthenation.Duringthis
periodoftime,asocialand
politicalmovementknownto
historiansastheIranian
revolutionhadbeenincreasing
popularityasthegoverningmonarchyoftheShahhadlostsupportfromcitizens.Thiswasthepublicreactionafter
manyyearsoftheShahsdealingwithwesternnationsandmakingweakpoliticalandeconomicdecisions.Also,this
wasaneraofidioticwarbetweenthecountriesofIranandIraq.Oneofthemostinterestingaspectsofthehistorical
referencesmadeinthenovelistheperspectiveinwhichPersepolisistold.Theperspectiveisthroughtheeyesofa
youngMarianne,growingupduringtherevolution,bornintoaworldthatshedoesnotquiteunderstand,yetcontains
astrongurgetofindmeaninginherlife.Thehistoricalperspectivereceivesvariousopinionsduetothegraphic
novelseyesofachildnarration,becauseinsomecasesitcancausesympathyandinothers,doubt.Althougha
childasasourceofinformationcanbeunreliable,theeventwasstillexperiencedandshouldnotbeoverlooked.
TheIslamicRevolutionisreferredtoasthemostsignificanteventtohaveevertakenplaceintheIranianhistory.The
revolutionwassparkedbyagroupofIslamicfundamentaliststhatweredisgustedbythemodernizedculturethatthe
previousrulerhadadopted.Thepeoplessupportforwesternwaysoflifehadgrownlargelyduringthetimeofthe
Shah..ThiscapitalisticlifestylewasseenassacrilegiousinthenameofIslamandneededtobeoverthrownbyanew
governmentthatwouldreinforcethewordanddoctrineofAllah.ThisledtotheremovalofShahMohammadReza
PahlavifromhismonarchialpowerandusheredinanIslamicregimewhichcontinuesstilltothisday.Thisnew
governmenthadreceivedsupportfromthemajorityofthepopulationlivinginthecountry.ThisIslamicregimewas
leadbyaShiaclericnamedAyatollahRuhollahKhomeini.Khomeiniattainedpoliticalfameduetohisradical
positionsagainstthegoverningShahsrule.Hebelievedwesterncountries,suchastheUnitedStates,hadseizedthe
powerofthecountryandsimplyusedtheShahasapuppetasawayofcontrollingwesterninterests.
TheIranianrevolutionwasviolentduetotheaggressivenatureofKhomeinisruling,whichwastofollowtherulesof
AllahasstatedintheQuran.Thisnewtheocracyhadmanyfollowers,whoweremostlyShiaMuslims.Althoughthere
wasmuchacceptance,therewerealargenumberofpeoplethatopposedthestringentregulationsputintoorderby

Khomeiniandbegantorevoltagainst
thenewgoverningsystem.Satrapis
parentsbeganprotestingagainstthenew
governmentandwitnessedharsh
treatmentandfullscaleriotstaking
placeinthestreets.Therevolution
failedtotakecontroloutoftheharsh
rulefistofKhomeini.
Aftertherevolutionoccurredand
Khomeinisgovernmenthadjustbeen
putintoplace,theIranIraqWarbegan.InSeptember1980,theSunniMuslimdominatedregimeofSaddamHussein
inneighboringIraq,invadedIraninanattempttotakeadvantageofrevolutionarychaosanddestroytherevolutionin
itsinfancy.IranandIraniansralliedbehindtheirnewgovernment,helpingtostopandthenreversingtheIraqi
advance.Byearly1982,Iranregainedalmostalloftheterritorycapturedduringtheinvasion.Satrapidescribedpublic
appealofthewarasstartingoffhighcitizenapprovalandsupport.Towardstheendofthewar,itseemedpointlessin
theeyesofthoseinoppositiontotheIraniangovernment.InPersepolis,Satrapidescribestheexcessivepower
exercisedbygovernmentofficersduringthewar,inordertokeepthecitizensoppressed.
ThetitlePersepoliswasusedinreferencetothePersianempiresancientcapitalcity.Persepolis,whichisnowIrans
TakhtiJamshd.ThisancientcitywasthecenterofthePersianEmpireuntilAlexandertheGreatconqueredthearea,
burninganddemolishingPersepolistoruins.IbelieveMarjaneSatrapidecidedtousethistitlebecauseitreminds
Iraniansofatimewhenmassdestructionoccurredinthecapitalcity.DuringtheIslamicRevolution,thedestructionof
Tehran,Iranscapitalcity,ledtoariseinciviliandeaths,strandingcitizenswithoutanytrueknowledgeofwhythese
liveswerebeingcutshort.
ThehistoricalcontextisunlikeanyotherbookIhaveeverread.Itscontentprovidesafreshlookintoahistoryofa
countrythatremainsinamysteriouslightforWesterners.TheIranianRevolutionwasoneofthemostsignificant
eventsinIranianhistory.Persepolisportrayedthisrevolutionaryeventinanentertainingandclarifyingmanner.
MarjaneSatrapiwroteanincrediblebookthatwillcontinuetoeducateandentertaintheWesterncountriesforyearsto
come.
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mhall10 RebeccaChambers