A Vital Aspect in Persepolis

Bella Ello
Hendricks
2A

In Persepolis, social class is a vital aspect in the Islamic Revolution both culturally and politically. It shows a strong social inequality in Iran. Marji's family is quite wealthy. We learn at the beginning of the novel that her father owns a Cadillac and that they have a maid. "I wanted to be a prophet..because our maid did not eat with us," (Satrapi 6) Marji says. Marji is very fond of her maid, so when she sees that her maid cannot be with the man she loves because of difference in social class, she gets very upset. She did not understand this because, being in a high social class, problems like this did not apply to her. In a broader aspect, Marji, being in a higher social class, also experiences the Revolution much differently than other people. In the beginning, Marji has a more innocent and uneducated view of what was happening in her country but throughout the novel she becomes more aware and it effects her as a character. She does not want to see the differences in social class and has a desire for social justice, much like the many others revolting. The problem with social class is a very important idea in the Islamic Revolution.