Equality. Equality means equal or same. According to Sklar (2011), it is stated that, “Postmodernism believe in equality for all, regardless of race, sexual orientation, class or religion”. This means, equality is important in our live, since equality happens in many cases. For instance, equality in race, we already know that races are different from one another, but as a postmodernist it is an obligatory to think that there is no superior or inferior races, all are the same. If we are able to see from postmodernism perspectives about the race issues or race’s equality, we will be able to think more deeply that one race to another has their own strengths and weaknesses.
Therefore, in the Persepolis 2, we can see much inequality that postmodernists do not like and leads to a thought to criticize about the inequality that happens in the Persepolis’ story. The inequality here happens in many aspects, for examples are the issue of Western and Eastern and gender equality.
First is the issue of Western and Eastern that is depicted when Marjie comes to Austria, she lived with her mother’s friends (Zozo and Houshang). It is depicted that Zozo was a Houshang’s secretary in Tehran, but she was only a hairdresser in Vienna (Satrapi, 3). Then, Houshang was a CEO in Iran, but in Austria he was nothing (Satrapi, 3). From this example we can see that Eastern people do not get enough opportunities in an occupation and they do not get the same portion like the Western get. The eastern serves inequality in searching an occupation in the Western country just because they come from the East. In addition, there is a statement from other literary theory that is Post colonialism, where Western thinks that they are superior and Eastern are inferior. From that explanation and Marjie’s story, we can see that Eastern still get inequality in occupation though the era has moved to the modern era.
 |
| How is the Iranian condition in European countries |
Moreover,
it is not only happen in the occupation field, but also in education. This is
happened when Marjie arguing with the nuns, then the nuns said, “It is true what they say about Iranians.
They have no education” (Satrapi, 23). From that example, readers can see
how some Western judge Eastern only from the words he/she heard. Here, the
Western is like implicitly saying that they are more educated than the Eastern,
and again, we see how Western thinks that they are superior to the Eastern. In
addition, it is quite unfair for the Eastern since it is has been depicted that
Marjie is a smart girl, she may smarter from the nuns, and readers might know about
it. It shows inequality in defining the Eastern and compares it to the Western.
 |
| A conflict between the nuns and Marjie |
Furthermore,
people know that Eastern and Western are not similar, but it does not mean the
Western is superior to the Eastern. They have their own strengths and
weaknesses; we cannot compare them, and make them equal in everything. It is
possible that we can make them equal in education but there are still some plus
and minus points that one another has or has not. Although equality between
Western and Eastern have been acted out, but there are still some groups of
people who think that their race is superior to others and it creates
inequality in its area.
Then
second is the gender’s issue depicted when Marjie argues with her teacher. It
is depicted that the teacher is very strict to the women’s clothes, but not the
men clothes. Marjie argues how the teacher sees the women clothes as indecent
and their veil are too short, though it has covered their body’s shape
(Satrapi, 143). On the other hand, the teacher does not really matter with the
men clothes which sometimes too tight and show their body’s shape (Satrapi,
143). From that example, we can see that some people are still strict to the women
but not the men, and how they do not get the equality with the men, especially
the about the clothes. It is true that in Islam is better for women to cover up
their body with veil, long shirt, and long skirt, but we cannot deny that women
have that beautiful body’s shape.
Moreover,
the teacher who says that the women’s clothes are inappropriate is a man. We are
able to see how the teacher is differentiating between men and women, and how
he only blames the women clothes because he is a man.
Furthermore,
Marjie as a brave woman argues that it is time for women’s emancipation to be
not differentiated with men (Satrapi, 144). It shows that women want equality
with men in every aspect, like education, occupation, and clothes. Women want
to be respected, they do not want to be an immoral object anymore, and they
want people see them in a good way as people see the men in a good way too.
However, in the reality we still find inequality between the women and men,
like in clothes. We can find in our daily life that mostly a man whistles to a
woman wearing hot pants, but do the women do that to a man? Of course not.
Thus, we can see gender inequality is still happening in our daily life and it
is hard to change, though there are many words and movements done by the women
on behalf of the women’s emancipation.
In
addition, the above statement is also supported by Emma Watson’s speech (He For
She) at the United Nations – UN Women 2014. She said that gender equality is
not only a woman’s issue, but also a man’s issue (Watson, 2014). She stated
that many young men suffer from mental illness because he is unable to ask a
help (Watson, 2014). From Emma Watson’s statement, we are able to define most
men want to have a superior power toward women; if they do not have any
superior power, they are afraid if the women see them as inferior creatures.
Therefore, it makes the issue bigger since all creatures should deserve gender
equality. The women and men should not feel superior and/or inferior anymore,
because they have a freedom for their equality.
CONCLUSION
From the discussions above, we
understand that the characteristics in the Postmodernism are useful to examine
the Persepolis 2 with enough specific examples. We are able to define how truth
is relative from different perspectives. We are able to understand how religions
are still debatable and have not been resolved, because there are still some
groups of people from certain religion who still think that their religion is
superior to others. In addition, we also see how equality is important for
everyone, how equality is deserved to be accepted and obtained, and how
inequality is still existed in our life. Finally, the readers know that there
are still many debate bale cases and questionable questions for each issue that
has been discussed before. Those are related with our daily life, and there are
still some issues that covered up within the mask that we have not know or
found yet.
Works
Cited
Satrapi,
Marjene. Persepolis 2: The Story Of A
Return. New York: Pantheon Books, 2004. Pdf file.
Sklar,
Stephanie. 10 Key Characteristics Of
Postmodernism. All Voices, 25 April 2011. Web. 25 October 2013. www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8892593-10-key-characterstics-of-postmodernism
Donelson-Sims,
Danielle. Postmodernism For Graphic Novel.
2013. Ppt file.
Watson, Emma. “He For She Speech at the United
Nations for Women’s Right.” Online video clip. YouTube.
YouTube, 21 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 March. 2015.
0 comments:
Post a Comment