The Islamic Republic's control of the population in Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis Anonymous 12th Grade

The Shah's replacement by the Islamic Republic in 1979 was a difficult time for all the Iranians especially Marjane’s parents. This new regime rejected all the “Western values” and focused instead on Islamic fundamentalism. Many Iranians were shocked, they had expected a democracy, not a theocracy. The “non religious” middle class in particular did not appreciate Islam being imposed upon them in their daily lives. The Islamic Republic had to ensure control over these individuals. This essay will demonstrate how the Islamic Republic used violence and deception to control post-revolution Iran and conquered the party's opposition.

The Islamic Republic used violence against those who opposed the government, including mass arrests, assassinations and executions (Cleveland, 2004). The most influential people who had power to oppose the Islamic Republic became targets. As Marjane says on page 67, "All the former revolutionaries became the sworn enemies of the republic". Marjane's own uncle Anoosh was executed by the regime for being a "Russian spy" (Satrapi, page 70), but it was actually because of his past. Marjane says that, “Those who opposed the regime were systematically repressed and executed together” (Satrapi, page 117). Many...