In Persepolis, one of the many themes I thought was very significant was wealth. Money is the main source of survival that provides us with food, clothes, and something as simple as a place to live. In Persepolis, we witnessed the effect that money had during the revolution. For example, we noticed how Marjanes maid, Mrs. Nasrine, was impacted by the priceless life of her son. “It is a plastic key painted gold. They gave this to my son at school. They told the boys that if they went to war and were lucky enough to die, this key would get them into heaven. They told him that in paradise there will be plenty of food, women, and houses made of gold and diamonds (99,100).” This shows how the fundamentalists compared a lower income kid to a plastic colored key painted gold. They were fooled by their deepest aspirations. Being in a lower income household where they have a mother as a maid proves that their situation is completely different to Marjane’s family. To the point of believing that they would obtain everything that they didn’t have in the real world, but if they joined the army and were lucky enough to die they would obtain everything they desired, even women(99). Even though the fundamentalist were recruiting children, they were making exceptions because children who were in a higher class were not given the key in exchange for their lives. An example is when Marjane calls her cousin Peyman; after listening to her mom’s conversation with Mrs. Nasrine, to see if her cousin had also been given the key(100). While children with a lower income were being thrown into battle, others were planning parties. “In spite of all the dangers, the parties went on “without them it wouldn’t be psychologically bearable,” some said. “Without parties we might as well just bury ourselves now,” added the others. My uncle invited us to his house to celebrate the birth of my cousin (106).” Once again we can see how Marjane’s family was a lot more worried about keeping up with their parties and reunions in which they had everything that had been banned such as, alcohol, board games, and music. They even said that there life’s were practically over if they didn’t have their parties. Alcohol and parties were what they couldn’t live without while many poor young kids died in minefields with a promise to a better life (102). Money helped Marjane’s family get away with a couple of things. An example is when they were driving back from a party and were pulled over by religious police (basijies) and were followed all the way home (zohrehs blogspot). Marjanes father had to pay the fundamentalists for them to forget about searching their homes for possible things that were banned. “Where’s the guy? Where indeed! Their faith has nothing to do with ideology! A few bills were all he needed to forget the whole thing (110)!” In conclusion, money plays a very important issue in this novel. According to the book, before the Islamic Revolution people that were rich stayed rich and those that were poor stayed poor. Yet, when the Iraqis took control people that used to have lower income jobs; but supported the beliefs of the Iraqis, later became important people with no experience necessary. An example is when Marjanes uncle Taher had a heart attack and had to be seen at another hospital in England because they were not properly equipped where he was staying (121). “Only my aunt was allowed in. She had a big surprise. The director was her former window washer. She acted as if she didn’t recognize him to avoid offending him (121). Because they could not obtain the permit for Taher to leave they decided to seek for help elsewhere. Marjane’s father found another alternative to send his brother to England, a fake passport which was sold in the amount of $200. Once again money seemed like it was their way of resolving the passport concern. Monday, September 26, 2011
Wealth
In Persepolis, one of the many themes I thought was very significant was wealth. Money is the main source of survival that provides us with food, clothes, and something as simple as a place to live. In Persepolis, we witnessed the effect that money had during the revolution. For example, we noticed how Marjanes maid, Mrs. Nasrine, was impacted by the priceless life of her son. “It is a plastic key painted gold. They gave this to my son at school. They told the boys that if they went to war and were lucky enough to die, this key would get them into heaven. They told him that in paradise there will be plenty of food, women, and houses made of gold and diamonds (99,100).” This shows how the fundamentalists compared a lower income kid to a plastic colored key painted gold. They were fooled by their deepest aspirations. Being in a lower income household where they have a mother as a maid proves that their situation is completely different to Marjane’s family. To the point of believing that they would obtain everything that they didn’t have in the real world, but if they joined the army and were lucky enough to die they would obtain everything they desired, even women(99). Even though the fundamentalist were recruiting children, they were making exceptions because children who were in a higher class were not given the key in exchange for their lives. An example is when Marjane calls her cousin Peyman; after listening to her mom’s conversation with Mrs. Nasrine, to see if her cousin had also been given the key(100). While children with a lower income were being thrown into battle, others were planning parties. “In spite of all the dangers, the parties went on “without them it wouldn’t be psychologically bearable,” some said. “Without parties we might as well just bury ourselves now,” added the others. My uncle invited us to his house to celebrate the birth of my cousin (106).” Once again we can see how Marjane’s family was a lot more worried about keeping up with their parties and reunions in which they had everything that had been banned such as, alcohol, board games, and music. They even said that there life’s were practically over if they didn’t have their parties. Alcohol and parties were what they couldn’t live without while many poor young kids died in minefields with a promise to a better life (102). Money helped Marjane’s family get away with a couple of things. An example is when they were driving back from a party and were pulled over by religious police (basijies) and were followed all the way home (zohrehs blogspot). Marjanes father had to pay the fundamentalists for them to forget about searching their homes for possible things that were banned. “Where’s the guy? Where indeed! Their faith has nothing to do with ideology! A few bills were all he needed to forget the whole thing (110)!” In conclusion, money plays a very important issue in this novel. According to the book, before the Islamic Revolution people that were rich stayed rich and those that were poor stayed poor. Yet, when the Iraqis took control people that used to have lower income jobs; but supported the beliefs of the Iraqis, later became important people with no experience necessary. An example is when Marjanes uncle Taher had a heart attack and had to be seen at another hospital in England because they were not properly equipped where he was staying (121). “Only my aunt was allowed in. She had a big surprise. The director was her former window washer. She acted as if she didn’t recognize him to avoid offending him (121). Because they could not obtain the permit for Taher to leave they decided to seek for help elsewhere. Marjane’s father found another alternative to send his brother to England, a fake passport which was sold in the amount of $200. Once again money seemed like it was their way of resolving the passport concern. 
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I like like your writing which talk about money, you may right about the other country which money take a first play in any where in this world, but in Iran on that time was not true. I was in Iran on the war time and was for eight years long. Every body helping each other and helping government.All of young people or men would like to participated to the war and helped them anyhow,but our government had rule for those who wanted to go to the war, men should be at least sixteen years old and they have to have document and permittee from bout parents.This is the lie that they get a Gold key, I never heard about that in my country, and i never heard if some body go to the war they got the gold key for haven.As our teacher told at our classroom yhis story is a fiction, it is not true story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you related to money. Nowadays in the most of the countries money talks the first word.If marjan could escape from the danger of the regime,just because her parent had money,otherwise she had to stay and suffer without any way out,like the majority of Iranians.
ReplyDeleteDuring the war although there were many people who knew why they wanted to fight against Iraq, and they were aware of how calamitous was,being conquered by enemy,I must admit that I knew many of the young people who went to the war just because they wanted to be martyred.Maybe the educational system didn't told them anything about the golden key, but it doesn't matter which words they used to encourage young people to go to the war,what matters is that they were deceived by all of those who wanted to get maximum benefit from continuing the war. Those who didn't let didn't the war to be end. At the first of the war we were just in a defensive position.So everybody purely wanted to fight against Irag's attack, but after retaking khorramshahr, when Irag proposed a settlement,and Saudi Arabia was willing to pay for reconstruction, there was no more reason to continue the war. After that, the only reason was to annihilate all young brave people, who so easily risk their life. If the government and all of those who needed the war to be continued didn't annihilate them , those young brave people would revolt against them very soon.And this war was the best event which feed them and could help them to reach their goal.