Persepolis Marjane Quotes

Marjane

Quote 7

From the moment I arrived at the Mehrabad airport and caught sight of the first customs agent, I immediately felt the repressive air of my country. (29.1)

That repressive air is heightened by the fact that all the woman, including Marjane, have to wear the veil. It's hard to read.

Marjane

Quote 8

Simone [de Beauvoir] explained that if women peed standing up, their perception of life would change. […] As an Iranian woman, before learning to urinate like a man, I needed to learn to become a liberated and emancipated woman. (22.22, 22.23)

Standing up and peeing like a man is a purely symbolic act for Marjane to recognize her independence. It doesn't actually do anything except get her leg all wet. It does, however, help her to realize that she needs to take concrete actions to assert herself.

Marjane

Quote 9

I wanted to be an educated, liberated woman. And if the pursuit of knowledge meant getting cancer, so be it. (10.14)

Marji really wants to be independent, even if—like Marie Curie —she does so at the expense of her health. As we've said a few times, freedom always comes at a price, even if we're talking about the freedom that comes with gender equality.