HUMAN 1C Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Marjane Satrapi, Music Of Iran, Iranian Revolution
5 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Jessica Mangold
HumCore
Dr. Connell
Week 10 Seminar 1
6/5/18
Revisiting Persepolis
Music Scene
- Marji goes out to buy cassette tapes + gets caught by two women
- makes herself a punk jacket + wears sneakers
- looking for Iron Maiden + negotiates for tape
- has to lie in order to get out of getting in trouble
- lies in order to get sympathy
- emotional manipulation of the women
- says her mother is dead + evil step mother will punish/abuse her
- why would the film emphasize music?
- shows Western influence in form of musical presence
- despite Iran closing itself off from the West
- created black market for Western products
- punk + metal music -> supports revolutionary ideas
- reflects that time period in Iran
- helps her develop into outspoken person that she is
- very confident young women despite social pressures on her
- resists some aspects of traditional Iranian culture that can be repressive
of women
- music is way of revolting against status quo
- even though not Iranian music
- makeup, lipstick, nail polish, etc. -> seen as symbols of Western influence
- Iranian women not supposed to use makeup
- culture did not accept it because seen as symbol of sexual license
- blending of music scene with scene about war + bombing
- revolution glorified -> soldiers seen as brave
- juxtaposed in that way in order to show her individual rebellion in
comparison to the revolution
- can be revolutionary in different ways -> in music or literally
- contrast between the scenes
- syncs music with the bombings -> while she is being careless with her
music there are people dying
- shows a luxury of people not involved in war
- women not part of military effort
- shows Marji as privileged -> mother has money to give her
- from upper middle class family
- cultured, educated, live in good home, strong women
- have extra money to indulge in things like music
- Marji can fanaticize about revolutionary politics while some are actually
dying
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
- demonstration of Marji’s individuality
- goes beyond culture that oppresses young girls
- still has lots of free will + ability to make choices
- cutting over to war scene -> emphasis on uniformity
- people are working together towards same goal
- lose their individuality + sacrifice their lives
- focus on dying as a martyr -> “like injecting blood into the veins of
society”
- individual death directly benefits the collective
- self only matters in how can contribute to collective cause
*not only seen in Iran -> language resonates in nations that are involved in
war -> sacrificing for larger mission
- individual desires can be problematic
- can hurt progress towards collective goal
- soldiers look like they are being used as decoys -> part of some larger
strategy
- seen as disposable in some way
- conflicted in a way since was affected by her uncle’s death
- life as individual is contrasted with the revolution happening in Iran
- Marji spends most of film wondering if Iran has permanent space for her + feels
sense of alienation
Study Questions for “How Can One Be Persian?” and Persepolis?
1. Marjane Satrapi argues that in the Western imagination Iran belongs to a “legendary East of
[…] fantasies and dreams and hatreds.” How does hatred figure in a landscape of dreams and
fantasies? What are the sources of this hatred?
• touches on concept of Orientalism
o East seen as exotic + other
o creates body of stereotypes that remains influential today
o used to create power dynamic that elevates the West as superior + controlling
• fantasies can reinforce a negative stereotype → over-exaggerating certain elements
o negative stereotypes objectify people + reduce them to false assumptions
o take away individuality of Iranians
• hatreds come from these negative stereotypes - “angry fanatics”
o continue to be seen through objectifying + exotic lens
o as relations between the West + East have worsened over time due to international
conflict -> stereotypes have become more negative
o harder for Iranians to distinguish themselves as unique
o ignorance + refusal to try to understand another culture
o West gets angry when East does not fit into the stereotypes + worsens the image
of the East that is propagated through media (+ such)
• ex. Marji tells guy at party that she is French + is later made fun of by European girls for
being Iranian + lying
o does not want her identity to be controlled by where she is from
o would rather associate with the West + those stereotypes
o wants to feel part of her environment rather than alienated due to her heritage
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Says her mother is dead + evil step mother will punish/abuse her. Resists some aspects of traditional iranian culture that can be repressive of women. Helps her develop into outspoken person that she is. Makes herself a punk jacket + wears sneakers. Looking for iron maiden + negotiates for tape. Has to lie in order to get out of getting in trouble. Marji goes out to buy cassette tapes + gets caught by two women. Shows western influence in form of musical presence. Despite iran closing itself off from the west. Punk + metal music -> supports revolutionary ideas. Very confident young women despite social pressures on her. Music is way of revolting against status quo. Blending of music scene with scene about war + bombing. Iranian women not supposed to use makeup. Culture did not accept it because seen as symbol of sexual license. Revolution glorified -> soldiers seen as brave.
