I really enjoyed reading a graphic novel; it was a nice change. Persepolis was an easy read and it was also quite humorous, as well as touching. I enjoyed the movie as well, especially the contrast between the black and white scenes and the colored scenes. I thought that was very creative.
Question: “Politics and sentiment don’t mix.”
I agree with Marjane’s father when he says, “Politics and sentiment don’t mix.” I think that Marjane and the women in her family believe that as well. However, it doesn’t mean that politics and sentiment don’t come hand in hand. The war and the revolution has a great effect on Marjane and her family. When Marjane is younger, she is not 100% aware of the situation between her country and her parent’s political actions. Her family fought against the Shah by completely disobeying the law. Her parents drank wine and held parties and allowed Marjane to wear Western clothing and listen to rock music. They raised her to stand for what she believed in, even at the risk of being arrested or killed.
Politics and sentiment never mix well together, but the politics of Iran greatly affected Marjane and her family’s emotions. I think that Marjane’s father wanted to believe that politics and emotions are not suppose to comingle, but I don’t think he quite believed that himself. The war and the revolution had a huge impact on the Satrap’is lifestyle. Even with the deaths of so many loved ones, including Marjane’s uncle and grandfather, they tried their best to carry on living their lives in revolt. They still disobeyed the laws. I think they did this partially in a way so that their loved ones did not lie in vain. The Satrapi family is very proud. I think that Marjane’s father was trying to persuade himself and his family that you should not get your feelings and emotions so caught up in the war because the world is the way it is. But that’s pretty much an impossible standard to live by when so many of the people in your life are affected by the revolution.
When Marjane goes to Europe, she is told to never forget where she comes from and who she is. The war back home has made her who she is, so yes, the war has a huge impact on her lifestyle and her outlooks on the world, as well as life itself. While in Europe, she had trouble making friends at first because of the cultural differences. When she returns home, Marjane is reminded of exactly that difference. Even with the end of the war, the aftermath effect is the same for her and her family. So many people she knew have been murdered or killed, and it’s something she’s most certainly never going to forget.
I agree that politics and sentiment never mix well but that they do go hand in hand. There is no denying that the decisions that a leader of a country makes will affect the people of that country. Marjane and her family definitely felt an impact from the war and the laws of their country. They had to find ways to cope with this and so they rebelled a bit. I think you are right in suggesting that they might have felt obligated to do this in tribute to their beloved martyrs.
ReplyDeleteMaybe what you say is true: that her father thought they should not get caught up in their own feelings and just accept the way the world is. However, I also think that while he knows sentimentality will be a reaction to politics, he also knows that the leaders he is used to did not and do not allow themselves to get involved with the wants or feelings of their people. In one case, leaders do not care about their people and only lead how they wish for their own gain. In the other case, getting personal with politics can lead to irrational decisions. I think his statement had numerous meanings.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I like your writing style.
The mutually inextricable nature of politics and sentiment is something I also noticed as a key element of Satrapi's perspective. Her father's protective nature in telling his daughter to avoid mixing the two elements of sociological perspective reminds me of the tendency of some parents to cover the eyes of their children during the violent scene of an othewise peaceful movie. The Satrapis, while deposed monarchs, have been fortunate among Iranians to be able to leave their country and live in a freer world. Those who chose to would have only one predictable woe: the nostalgic view of politics and possession; her father's advice was to help her mind and to help her start a new life. Instead, she has chosen to get involved in the painful struggle of a powerless exile, a choice only she could make.
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