Persepolis' Social Class Essay

In Iran, there are different regulations and laws for women living in the country. Iran has different policies that men and women have to follow. The rules for women can restrict their freedom. In the book Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi shows an upper-middle-class woman growing up in Iran and the different restrictions that even women of her class have to endure. The gender norms in Iran have negatively affected the women in Iran. The culture, religion, and gender norms in Iran put women in positions where they have restricted freedom and rights.

There is extensive evidence that women in Iran are restricted in their freedom and rights by their culture. During the Islamic Revolution, women were supposed to cover their faces and hands because they weren't allowed to tempt men. They would have to segregate themselves from men for instance they were NOT allowed to be in the same hierarchy as a man. Also being frisked by moral police, to see if they are wearing the proper attire and living up to the Islamic laws. In the article Women in Iranian Society, the author Win News_____ states “The Muslim woman should understand her important role in society. She should not be influenced by Western propaganda. She must also understand the aim of the political activity in the Muslim community. Islam supports the protection of the family and cherishes all its members. Women must stick to the Islamic instructions which strengthen the Islamic society.' (p. ). This shows how women are supposed to follow codes and rules to support this extremist government. If you would like to petition this government or hold a protest about how they are treated in society can uphold them to be restricted or imprisoned. But that is how women are represented in their culture. By Iranian law, a woman is treated as half of a man. In court, the declaration of two women equals that of one man. A man’s son inherits twice as much as his daughter, and the accidental death of a man is twice that of a woman in Iranian society. In a WHAT YEAR article by Cover Uup Quick: Iranian Women, the author _______ states “Recently a big Iranian trading company offered one of its female staff promotion to a post that would involve regular trips abroad. She turned down the job because her husband would not let her get a passport. A simple letter to the passport office, with no explanation is enough to ensure that his wife will not be allowed into the country, even if she has a passport.” This is a huge example of cultural inequality because women are supposed the ones who stay home and take care of household duties, without the man thinking that the woman in the household can help with the economic status inside of the household., A man in Iran might choose to choose that he has a higher in his mind to think that will become more of a social hierarchy in his status of being a man. If a man doesn’t wouldn't let his wife travel abroad to receive a promotion from her job, this shows that women are in a position in Iran where they have restricted freedom and rights even if it is to support themselves and the people around them.

Furthermore, There is extensive evidence that women in Iran are restricted in their freedom and rights by their religion. One example of religion affecting freedom and rights Men can marry non-Islamic women (males are allowed up to four wives, provided that they can provide equally for all of them), but women cannot marry non-Islamic men. A woman can get a divorce only under extreme conditions. A man can divorce a wife without cause. In the book Persepolis pages 132 - 133, panel 5 states “ Older Muslim women were guardians of the revolution and has been added to arrest women who are improperly wearing the veil. Their jobs were to put them back in check by expecting the duties of Muslim women.” A woman will be subject to arrest if they do not wear the veil correctly that just sounds awful and wrong because every woman should be to subject what to wear and do because that expresses their freedom. Also, women should be veiled from head to toe, Housewives, Always need permission from their husbands. In an article by Ava Homa, Mandatory hijab Law In Iran Inspires Protests “Officially, 35 women are confirmed to have been arrested in the Iranian capital since December for protesting the mandatory hijab requirement. However, activists believe the actual number is much higher.” This shows women that who are fighting for their rights and beliefs should not be acquired to be in jail because of that because they need to wear something on their heads. This article can also relate to Persepolis On page 75 panel 1 because it shows how women are looking in their country such as the fundamentalist women with something covering their entire body and the more modern that showed their opposition towards the veil would leave a few strands of hair show. Iranian women can drive, vote, and stand for office, but they have to get permission from their husbands. They must, however, get permission from male relatives to marry, work, and obtain passports.

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In addition to Culture and religion affecting women, it would be the gender norms that affect women and their freedom and rights because discrimination against women remains prevalent in Iran. Iranian women do not have custody of their children, compulsory veiling is still enforced and domestic violence is insufficiently condemned by law. With inheritances, a man is entitled to twice as much as a woman. In the book Persepolis On pages 73 - 75 it states “ Men didn’t think much of women who chose not to wear the veil. saw them as trash”. Marji’s mother encouraged her to defend her rights as a woman. This shows that men didn't expect much from women because of something covering and discovering women who would like to express their beauty to the world and be free. I believe because of that it would not encourage any woman to do more and follow what perception that society has placed on them. The encouragement of Marji’s of Marji mother has enforced on her to be an independent woman who can follow her dreams and change society on how women are perceived in her country. In an article by Off Our Backs, titled (Iran: only Irish Women allowed at Soccer. (Asia), states “Since the Islamic revolution of 1979, Iranian women have been banned from attending soccer games, supposedly to protect them from hearing bad language and seeing rude gestures. The Iranian women who tried to attend a playoff with Australia in 1998 were beaten and barred from the stadium.” This also shows that gender norms can affect Iranian women enormously, as simple as going to a soccer game. For example, if a child is playing soccer every day and would love to pursue it in the future and is very passionate about won't be able to bring their mother to the game event or game, we can just imagine how their mother would feel about that. The laws inside of the country that are restrict women to the core of the mind and the system of Iran manipulates women to be something that they are not. The people of Iran make women feel less than men because of all the laws and restrictions against women so they cannot express themselves. In Iran, women should take extra care, particularly when traveling alone or with friends of the opposite sex. If you’re a woman traveling in Iran you should wear local dress codes and customs and avoid isolated areas, if you don’t want to be beaten or thrown in jail for it.

To add to the book Persepolis explains a lot of key points about how women and children are affected by culture, religion, and gender and how it can restrict their freedom and rights to be women in society. Iranian women face discrimination in personal status matters related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody. Iranian women cannot pass on their nationality to their foreign-born spouses or their children like men. In Persepolis, on page 101 panels 4 - 6, it states “ It’s awful every day I see busses full of kids arriving. Putting kids in jail. The kids come from poor areas, you can tell... First, they are convinced that the afterlife is even better than Disneyland. Then they are placed in a tray with all their songs. It's nuts! They hypnotize them and just toss them into battle. Absolute carnage”. This is just outrageous and insane, to believe how bad their social equality towards women and children can be worsening in the country. Instead of kids going to get an education and improve their government and society they are being thrown into war. Also on page 177 panel 5 states “It’s true what they say about Iranians. They have no education.” Since Iran is heavily dependent on war, government, and what women should do and not do, The country of Iran isn’t heavily dependent on its source of education. That is said because if you have no education you cannot improve anything about your country in any such way. Most of these children are not orphans but usually have drug-addicted parents, which forces them to live on the streets. Others are children of refugees or unemployed parents, which forces the children to work to help support their families. This shows the people of Iran won’t invest in the children and the people who want to create a change which is why it is so corrupted as it is.

There are a lot of things affecting Women in Iran and there are a lot of restrictions for women inside the country such as culture, religion, and gender norms. The new regime interfered with the daily lives of women. Unless related as brother and sister, father and daughter, or husband and wife, men and women could not walk together on city streets, be together in a car, attend movies, or shop together. This makes women feel less than others and can’t have any freedom or rights to be inactive inside of their country. Even the political system would twist and manipulate how women should be inside of the country. Four decades after the revolution, the old tactics of repression, intimidation, imprisonment, and even torture continue, but they haven’t intimidated or silenced women, and they can’t. Sooner than later women will have equal rights as men not being oppressed in their country anymore.