Persepolis: perceptions of the veil
Persepolis; Perceptions of the veil
[Satrapi, (b) p52]
“And say to the believing woman that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty...that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty...” Sūrah 24:31
The autobiographical novel “Persepolis” depicts the early stages of its author, Marjane Satrapi’s life. It shows her growing up in Iran, to her studies in Vienna, and her return. In an interview in 2008, she stated that she composed it in the style of a graphic novel instead of a regular autobiography because “...it needed to be understandable to everybody” [(c) 2008]. This is also the case in terms of its film adaptation in 2007. The idea of the veil is extremely prominent throughout both media. They highlight the views of the young girl, Marji and the woman Marjane. At first glance of either form, the veil is one of the first images seen. In a Western point of view, this can be seen as confusing. It is something which not many people in that society would be used to, especially in more Christian countries. In a way, it seems easier to interpret and see the veil in a more graphic form than it is to be given a description in a text. Depending on which medium was seen first, the viewer would be given a slightly different stance (in the novel it is first shown on the young Marji on her own, but in the film Marjane is putting it on in an airport bathroom). There is more of a Western perception in the film, where a woman looks at Marjane’s veil with a disconcerted, almost disgusted look, while in the novel, Marji looks more innocent and with no emotion shown.
The idea of the veil itself is something completely different in Muslim society. After the overthrowing of the Shah1 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, an Islamic Revolution took place throughout the country. Almost immediately after the founding of the new leader of the now Islamic Republic of Iran, women were forced to obey Islamic dress code,
[Satrapi, (b) p52]
“And say to the believing woman that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty...that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty...” Sūrah 24:31
The autobiographical novel “Persepolis” depicts the early stages of its author, Marjane Satrapi’s life. It shows her growing up in Iran, to her studies in Vienna, and her return. In an interview in 2008, she stated that she composed it in the style of a graphic novel instead of a regular autobiography because “...it needed to be understandable to everybody” [(c) 2008]. This is also the case in terms of its film adaptation in 2007. The idea of the veil is extremely prominent throughout both media. They highlight the views of the young girl, Marji and the woman Marjane. At first glance of either form, the veil is one of the first images seen. In a Western point of view, this can be seen as confusing. It is something which not many people in that society would be used to, especially in more Christian countries. In a way, it seems easier to interpret and see the veil in a more graphic form than it is to be given a description in a text. Depending on which medium was seen first, the viewer would be given a slightly different stance (in the novel it is first shown on the young Marji on her own, but in the film Marjane is putting it on in an airport bathroom). There is more of a Western perception in the film, where a woman looks at Marjane’s veil with a disconcerted, almost disgusted look, while in the novel, Marji looks more innocent and with no emotion shown.
The idea of the veil itself is something completely different in Muslim society. After the overthrowing of the Shah1 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, an Islamic Revolution took place throughout the country. Almost immediately after the founding of the new leader of the now Islamic Republic of Iran, women were forced to obey Islamic dress code,
Bibliography: mpottash [sic]. (2008). Meanings of the Veil: Representations of Veiling in Persepolis. Available: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/3331. Last accessed 14th March 2011. Naccarato, Cristina. (2010). Marjane Satrapi 's Persepolis, the Visual Construction of Identity, and "The Veil". Available: http://uwindsorcomics.blogspot.com/2010/04/marjane-satrapis-persepolis-visual.html. Last accessed 14th March 2011. Qur’an 24:31 Satrapi, Marjane (a) (2003). Persepolis 2. Paris: L 'association. Satrapi, Marjane (b) (2003). Persepolis 4. Paris: L 'association. Satrapi, Marjane (c). (2008). Persepolis: A State of Mind. Literal Magazine.pp 44-47.