Essay on Persepolis Captivity V. Freedom - 1793 Words

A Contained Country Searching for Freedom â€Å"It was too late. Too many of those who had at least tolerated the Shahs rule had been lost. Demonstrations continued.† (â€Å"The Pahlavi Monarchy Falls† 2) In Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, the country of Iran undergoes a series of governmental changes which restricted the citizens. Ironically, when the Shah’s regime fell, the citizens believed they would gain a limitless freedom with no boundaries; however, the citizens were experiencing an unhappy life full of fear and misery. Happiness is tied to the freedoms in doing whatever you want, the citizens of Iran never fully obtained freedom or happiness because of the strict clothing, call of actions, and material goods. In the opening scene†¦show more content†¦THE SCARF OR A BEATING!† (Satrapi 76) but did that stop the army or any opposition? No. Citizens were stabbed, beaten, thrown into jail, and/ or killed. When someone went against the norm and fought for freedom, their actions were considered heroic. The government, however did not recognize any heroic action during the Shahâ⠂¬â„¢s regime, Islamic Revolution, or during the the Iraq-Iran War, they simply used the citizens as objects and as a clearing when it dealt with reforms or any demonstrations. During the war, military leaders recruited young children to be â€Å"soldiers† and the Fig. 5 (p. 101) leaders would then hypnotize them into thinking what they are doing is commendable and promised them a better life using them as a â€Å"human wave†. (Fig. 5) When in reality, the children who were â€Å"promised a better life, exploded on the mineï ¬ elds† never having the chance to obtain actual freedom or happiness. (Satrapi 102) (Fig. 6) Once again, the government molded and manipulated the children to follow their rules and regulations simply for their own purpose. Not only did the the government have a huge impact on the citizens’ lives physically, they also challenged the citizens’ knowledge of freedom during drastic situations. In order for the citizens Fig. 6 (p. 102) to avoid being thrown into jail or tortured, they had to follow and obey the