How does the issue in Persepolis of parenting mirror the issues involved in parenting in the U.S. today? Well obviously Marji is somewhat detached from the grown-up world, as all kids are, but there is a deeper problem with Marji’s situation. Marji is shown to misunderstand adult issues, such as the veil, and she and her classmates play with them unaware of their true purpose or meaning; the veils are a tool of restriction from the government. But this isn’t the only issue with the environment Marji grows up in, school is shut down for two years, propaganda shifts her views one way or another on topics she doesn’t fully understand, she is stuck in a place of war, and she sees the death of a family and her friend. She makes a friend, Anoosh, who opposes the government, only for him to be arrested and killed. And with all of these problems, her parents allow her to stay in this situation, and with opportunities to leave, they stay. Not until after Marji has witnessed all the aforementioned atrocities and then acts out in class to the point where her parents fear her arrest, and have to send her away because of the danger present to her, just because she is willing to act out in school. The issue is her parents’ stubbornness, to the point that they will risk their lives just because they are against change and certain if they just “push through” everything will be alright. How dangerous does the situation need to get for you to make a change for the better? Right after the demonstrations pushed the Shah out of Iran and the Islamic Republic was put in power the propaganda was revealed. Marji’s dad explains that people didn’t vote for this new government, yet they’re here anyway, saying 99.99% of people voted for them, a certainly false statistic. This provides insight into the government and its style of rule. If they lie about how they got into power, what’s to say they won’t lie about everything else? If they lied just to get into that position of power who’s to say that won’t do desperate things to get whatever they want? Why wouldn’t they abuse their power if they’re willing to do such deplorable things to get it? As a result of this, Marji’s friend and his family leave, under the premise that it’s, “impossible to live under an Islamic regime” and that, “nobody knows the danger”. Marji’s family sees them off and stays. If they’re close enough to see them off, they should consider their actions and maybe act on them knowing the government’s potential danger. Instead, Marji’s mom says, “Don’t worry. Everyone who left will come back. They’re just afraid of change.” But truthfully it is the Satrapi’s who are afriad of change. They don;t want to give up their high class possesions and prifiles in Iran in favor of average or worse living in America. But however less-favorable the jobs or class system may be for them in America, it cannot be worse than an Islamic regime. But Marji isn’t aware of this and due to her parents opinions and consequential actions. Similarily, parents in the U.S don’t raise kids anymore, they sit them in front of an iPhone or TV from ages 6-16 and expect them to be grown up. Even worse than misleadiong kids or causing them to suffer from misinformation, kids are detached. Marji is minimally detached due to the misninofrmartion and sheltering she’s recieved. But it is significantly worse in the U.S. Parents face a predicament, to either shelter and protect their child as possible, dooming them to experience culturre shock as young adults or to alow their children’s easily influenced minds to face the world. Most parents are against at least a portion fo the influences society pushes on childrena nd therefore seek some amount of sheltering for theior kdis. But the balance for this is hard and oftentimes the child ends up at the screen of an electronic device. This may be seen as a form of “balance” because they’re not susceptible to all of society and only what is displayed on these evices, but content that parents would generally be agaisnt showing their kids, consistently seeps through. Parent strugle to raise kids well, and Marji’s cultural detachment mirrors this in a sort of way.
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Briony and More
Initially, I understand the common hatred of Briony in Atonement and why she is such a problematic character. Her actions were loathsome but in my opinion there are much bigger issues within Atonement. My major issue with this book as a whole is the stupidity of all adults present at Briony’s claim. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s the most confident thirteen year old I’ve heard in my life, the adults should’ve known better. The police should’ve known better. Arresting a man on the claims of a child is outrageous. An egregious letter from Robbie to another woman is hardly evidence that he would rape a child. For the police to conclude that Robbie should be arrested based on the claims of a thirteen-year-old and a vulgar letter he sent to a grown woman is nonsensical. Obviously class plays a major role, and to accuse a lower-class man is practically to make him guilty, which falls in line with the postmodernism theme that there is no absolute truth and truth is relative. Nevertheless, a child should not have this power. So while this is Briony’s fault, I blame the system of the time being unfair to lower class people and primarily the stupidity of the police and adults involved. They had every chance to act reasonably and didn’t. In terms of the “villain/s” of this book I give Paul and Lola that label. Lola because she had an oppurtnity to do right, and conciouslty made consistent choices against it. I understand that many would argue that Lola gave herself the best life possible, but at what cost. At the cost of her life, her morality, her moral dignity? I realize that if Lola had called out Paul it would’ve likely ruined her life. That is why, knowing justice wouldn’t be served t0o Paul, she should’ve at least said that it wasn’t Robbie. Saying that it wasn’t Robbie doesn’t require her to blame Paul. All Lola had to say was “No it wasn’t Robbie, the figure wasn’t his height”, or “didn’t look his age”, or “wasn’t his size”, or even “I didn’t see Robbie and I don’t think it was him”. Practically anything could’ve been said to keep Robbie from harm without directly blaming Paul. And even after this Lola marries Paul, in spite of his atrocious acts, brining into question Lola’s judgement from the beginning. For Paul, no evidence beyond Paul’s disgusting crime is needed to label him as such. While many people made crucial mistakes along the course for retribution for this sin, he’s the one who committed it. The avalanche that is this book is also a result of Paul’s sin. This instance and many lead me to the claim that man is inherently evil at his core, as Thomas Hobbes and Hsun Tzu claimed. I believe that man must follow God and without him he is lost and sinful and will act evil as are the “default settings”. By ourselves we act out of wickedness. After all what man has not lied? Who has not committed wrongs? Who effortlessly puts good at the forefront of his mind, without building the habit of brushing evil thoughts aside. I think this also partially plays into Briony’s sin. I think its multifaceted nature leaves her child innocence partially to blame but also her desire to blame Robbie for the letter, as well as the hatred built from her rejection. Briony’s loneliness and lack of support also plays a role. She has built an attention seeking life and mindset resulting majorly from an absence of present family. She has lost herself in her imagination because reality has left her to do so and Briony is adventurous at least in thought. This all has played a role in Briony’s horrid action that ruined Robbie’s life. Regardless, and I know this may come as a shock to many. I don’t think Briony shouldn’t have tried to make atonement. This is for a few of reasons. The starting reason is that I am a realist, and while this may sound harsh, but why waste time focusing on what you can’t do, when you an focus on the things you can. Briony could’ve followed her passions and lived a fulfilling life and potentially changed the world. She gave her life atoning, and while the way she did it was admirable but it wasn’t for the right reason. Nothing should ever be done if it’s not for the right reason. Atonement wasn’t possible and would never be, the attempt is meaningless. The attempt only has value if there is even the slightest of possibilities it could have an affect. If my friend is at gun point, I might be several feet away, and leap towards the attacker knowing I won’t stop them. But the sliver of a chance that the distraction will, or something else I could cause makes it valuable. The past is the past and it is unchangeable, the more we try to forget it the more we remember, we can only wait until it fades away piece by piece. Briony’s attempt to make a remedy is her real sin. It sounds bizarre, but Briony’s actions ruined not only ruined another life, but also hers. It didn’t have to do so. I know from personal experience that a tragic event like that changes you, and I’m sure even more so if you are at fault, but that’s no reason to tear apart your life. You go through a period of deep grief, remorse, etc., and you move on. You will always live with that remorse, and at times struggle with it, but if you let it stop you then you have lost. I do wonder if in some way Briony could’ve actually helped Robbie, in some reality where she went and somehow sacrificed herself to clear his name or somehow gained him a new life. Nevertheless I blame this catastrophe of a book on the adults involved in Briony’s accusation, the villains are Lola and Paul, and Briony shouldn’t have bothered a doomed attempt to atone, when more could’ve been done with her life.