The veil is one of the most prominent objects that represent the Iranian culture. In the 1980s, the year the leaders of the Islamic revolution made it mandatory for all women to wear a veil (Satrapi, 3). In the opening of the memoir, the frames portray a group of girls who are wearing the veil, immediately it depicts the importance of the veil during the revolution in Iran. In fact, Satrapi narrated, “Everywhere in the streets there were demonstrations for and against the veil”(Satrapi, 5). The veil was very controversial during the beginning of the revolution and people were able to demonstrate their own believes without punishment and it gave them a bit of freedom. Although the leaders of Islamic revolution has already demanded all the women …show more content…
But, once the fundamentalist became more violent and strict towards the Iran people, “It wasn’t only the government that changed. Ordinary people changed too”(Satrapi, 75). The veil becomes a part of the women’s social values, and shows the political ideology in Iran. However, the veil symbolizes something different for Satrapi; it symbolized they could be repression, a loss of identity, and a possible need for a revolution. As a result, Satrapi shows her personal identity, which is the western political and social beliefs she and her family holds. She expresses herself by wearing her denim jacket with a Michael Jackson button and Nike, along with her headscarf. This displays Satrapi’s multiple personal identities where she is forced to wear the veil but also adding on her own style to her …show more content…
As a child, Satrapi often refuses to follow customs and school rules. This is shown in the beginning of the last chapter of the book: ‘The Dowry’, in which the school principal tries to take Satrapi’s jewelry away, Satrapi exclaims, “With all the jewelry you steal from us, you must be making a pile of money”(Satrapi, 143). Then as Satrapi tries to pull away she accidentally pushes the principle to the floor, and the principle expels her. This scene is significant because it shows how Satrapi assures her personal identity by rebelling against traditions and rules. Since the principle was repressing her from wearing jewelry and she does not like to have her freedom taken from her, her first instinct was to defend herself. Satrapi throughout the novel is known to stand up for herself, however her way of standing up for herself is to insult her opponent. Although this is not the best way for her to communicate her believes but it shows the readers that she is not shy, instead she posses courage and moxie. Alternatively, Satrapi explains her rebellious behavior, “I think that the reason we were so rebellious was that our generation had known secular schools”(Satrapi, 98). She sees the root of her rebellious nature as being rooted in the education that she had received before the regime took over. Therefore, by becoming educated, Satrapi sees the power of her family to reject the strictures of the regime and to