When did the veil become compulsory for Mahjon at school?

The veil became compulsory for Mahjon when she was 10 years old, in 1980.

What significant historical events influenced Mahjon's childhood?

Mahjon's childhood was influenced by the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the Cultural Revolution that banned speaking French at school.

How did Mahjon's parents influence her understanding of history?

Mahjon's parents provided her with books about global revolutions and heroes, helping her gain a broader perspective on historical and political issues.

Who was Mahjon's great-grandfather and what happened to him?

Mahjon's great-grandfather was the emperor overthrown by Reza Shah. Reza then appointed him prime minister, despite confiscating his belongings.

How did Mahjon's father explain the Shah's rule to her?

Mahjon's father told her the Shah was not chosen by God, but rather came to power through Western manipulation, especially concerning Iran's oil.

What societal issue did Mahjon become aware of through her maid, Mary?

Mahjon became aware of the class system and social injustice through Mary's heartbreak when she was forbidden from pursuing a relationship with a neighbor's son.

What led Mahjon to participate in demonstrations against the Shah?

Mahjon was inspired by readings and societal injustices, leading her to participate in political demonstrations against the Shah.

Persepolis Summary - Chapters 1-5 - Schooling Online

00:09:34

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYzU6J9tLXg

Summary

TLDRThe video explores the coming-of-age of Marjan, a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. At ten, Marjan was required to wear a veil to school, an unwelcome change following the 1979 revolution. Conflicts arose as her family opposed these changes, with her mother particularly against the veil. Reflecting on injustice and societal issues, Marjan viewed herself as a potential prophet. Her family’s history reveals that her great-grandfather was a former ruler, adding personal stakes to their opposition against the Shah’s regime. Through books about historical revolutions and Marxist philosophy, Marjan developed a political consciousness. Despite her young age, she joined a demonstration, experiencing Iran's turbulent political climate firsthand. Social class disparities were also highlighted through Mary, their maid, whose romantic prospects were crushed due to strict class divides. Marjan's journey illustrates personal and societal conflicts during a crucial historical era in Iran, marked by her youthful idealism and quest for justice.

Takeaways

👧 Marjan was forced to wear the veil at school in 1980.
📚 Her parents educated her with books about global revolutions.
⌛ A personal family history with the previous regime added complexity.
🛑 Marjan’s social class awareness grew through Mary's experiences.
✊ She participated in protests, fueled by idealism and desire for change.
🔥 A significant demonstration took place on a day known as Black Friday.
🚫 Ban on speaking French followed the cultural revolution.
🔍 Marjan's curiosities included historical and philosophical texts.
👪 Impacts of socio-political changes deeply affected her family life.
💔 Social inequality highlighted through Mary’s failed romance.

Timeline

00:00:00 - 00:09:34
In 1980, a year after Iran's Islamic revolution, Marjan had to wear a veil in school, which she and her friends found confusing alongside other cultural changes such as stopping speaking French and gender segregation. Some women supported the veil, while others opposed it, including Marjan's mom. Marjan, religious yet modern, saw herself as a prophet but faced backlash at school. During the revolution against the Shah, she engaged in demonstrations, inspired by world revolutionary figures and her historical readings. Her family's history was entangled with Iran's political shifts. Her great-grandfather, a communist, was toppled by Reza Shah and imprisoned. Marjan learned about social class struggles through experiences with her family's maid, Mary. This clarity on injustices fueled her participation in protests, including on a violent day known as Black Friday, raising questions about her enduring passion for justice.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

When did the veil become compulsory for Mahjon at school?
The veil became compulsory for Mahjon when she was 10 years old, in 1980.
What significant historical events influenced Mahjon's childhood?
Mahjon's childhood was influenced by the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the Cultural Revolution that banned speaking French at school.
How did Mahjon's parents influence her understanding of history?
Mahjon's parents provided her with books about global revolutions and heroes, helping her gain a broader perspective on historical and political issues.
Who was Mahjon's great-grandfather and what happened to him?
Mahjon's great-grandfather was the emperor overthrown by Reza Shah. Reza then appointed him prime minister, despite confiscating his belongings.
How did Mahjon's father explain the Shah's rule to her?
Mahjon's father told her the Shah was not chosen by God, but rather came to power through Western manipulation, especially concerning Iran's oil.
What societal issue did Mahjon become aware of through her maid, Mary?
Mahjon became aware of the class system and social injustice through Mary's heartbreak when she was forbidden from pursuing a relationship with a neighbor's son.
What led Mahjon to participate in demonstrations against the Shah?
Mahjon was inspired by readings and societal injustices, leading her to participate in political demonstrations against the Shah.

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00:00:00
[Music]
00:00:02
when Mahjong was 10 years old the veil
00:00:06
became compulsory at school
00:00:08
as you can see she wasn't thrilled about
00:00:10
it
00:00:11
that was in 1980 a year after the
00:00:15
Islamic revolution in Iran
00:00:19
majan's friends weren't keen on the veil
00:00:21
either
00:00:22
they didn't understand why they had to
00:00:24
wear it
00:00:25
they also had to stop speaking French in
00:00:28
school because of something called a
00:00:30
cultural revolution
00:00:32
this also meant they had to be separated
00:00:35
from the boys it was all so weird
00:00:40
what was even more confusing was that
00:00:43
some ladies loved the veil While others
00:00:46
despised it mahjong's mum was against it
00:00:49
and there was photo evidence to prove it
00:00:52
mahjan always considered herself deeply
00:00:56
religious but modern at the same time
00:01:01
as a younger child mahjan felt she was
00:01:04
perfect Prophet material and would
00:01:07
regularly discuss her plans with God
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there were a lot of injustices in the
00:01:12
world that she wanted to fix and a few
00:01:15
Traditions she wanted to bring back
00:01:17
but when she revealed her prophetic
00:01:20
Tendencies at school it rubbed people
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the wrong way
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when words spread about a revolution
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against the Shah or King Marjan decided
00:01:32
to put her prophetic Destiny aside for a
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little while
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her garden demonstrations against Iran's
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monarchy were quite passionate
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Che Guevara would have been so proud
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the Islamic revolution was the latest in
00:01:49
a string of revolutions over the
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Millennia
00:01:52
Iran had dealt with tyrannical Emperors
00:01:55
Arab Invaders Mongolian Warlords and
00:01:59
modern imperialism led by the U.S and
00:02:02
Britain
00:02:05
majan's parents gave her books to help
00:02:08
her get a broad view of History she
00:02:10
learned about Palestine Cuba Vietnam and
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Iran's own revolutionary Heroes
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she even looked into the philosophies
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that sparked revolutions including
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Marxism
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one of her favorite aspects of Marx was
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that he looked like God only with
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curlier hair
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when she overheard her parents talking
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about the terrible Rex cinema fire majan
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felt ready to join them in a public
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protest her first real demonstration
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around 400 people died in that fire
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which was deliberately lit and public
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opinion held the Shah responsible
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this was majan's chance to participate
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but her parents just put her to bed and
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God didn't want to talk about it either
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what a bunch of party purpose
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meanwhile majan's parents demonstrated
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every day but all the marching yelling
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and being shot at tired them out so
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there was no time for games with majan
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rude
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Mahjong declared that she actually loved
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the Shah
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the textbook at school said he was
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chosen by God
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may have also mentioned it to her
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at this point majan's father set the
00:03:39
record straight the Shah was not chosen
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by God he was the son of a soldier named
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razar
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Azar overthrew the previous emperor in
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1925 to set up a Democratic Republic in
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Iran
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but razar wasn't the most confident head
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of state and Western governments took
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advantage of this
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the British sidled up to razar and
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offered him great status in exchange for
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control over Iran's oil
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so instead of setting up a republic
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razar was established as the new king or
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Shah of Iran
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Reza's son naturally became the next
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Shah whom they were now protesting
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against
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and that's not all
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the emperor that rezar originally
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toppled was majan's great-grandfather
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wait what Grandpa was a prince
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yes and razar confiscated everything he
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owned then realizing he was an educated
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man Reza appointed him prime minister
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but marjan's grandpa had ideas that
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conflicted with the Shah's rule he was a
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communist and often imprisoned sometimes
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in a Cell filled with water purr
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mahjong's mother and grandmother would
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visit him in prison but this was very
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painful for majan's mother to remember
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after learning all this mahjan asked for
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a lengthy bath
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she was in there for so long that God
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asked her what on Earth she was doing
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she said she wanted to know what it was
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like to sit in a water cell
00:05:38
one day after school majan's Grandma
00:05:41
came to visit majan jumped at the
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opportunity to quiz her about Grandpa's
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ordeal
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grandma said it was all true the Shah's
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father Reza made their life very
00:05:54
difficult
00:05:55
but his son was 10 times worse
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grandma was glad he was going to be
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overthrown
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when marjan's father arrived home he
00:06:07
told them about some of the weird things
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he'd seen that day
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protesters who'd been killed by the
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Shah's Army were being hailed as Martyrs
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and heroes
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but outside the hospital the crowds had
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gotten confused over who was a hero and
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who had died for other reasons like
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cancer so they cheered for all the dead
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people regardless
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Marjan was confused why her father
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mother and Grandma found this so
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hilarious
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death is meant to be sad isn't it
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Marjan decided to read more to help her
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overcome her confusion
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she eventually figured out why things
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seemed unfair different social classes
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Mahjong felt ashamed about her father's
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Cadillac and the fact that they had a
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maid at home Mary was her name
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's parents had taken Mary in when she
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was eight years old she came from a very
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poor family who couldn't look after all
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their children
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Mary was 10 when Marjan was born and the
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two grew up like sisters
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when Mary fell in love with their
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neighbor's son Marjan helped her respond
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to his love letters Mary was illiterate
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this went on for six months before
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marjan's father found out
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he told the neighbor's son that Mary was
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his maid not his daughter
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not only did the neighbor's son lose
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interest in Mary but he also returned
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all the letters
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when mahjong's father saw that they were
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written in marjan's handwriting a
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difficult conversation ensued
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he explained to majan why Mary and the
00:08:02
neighbor's son were an impossible match
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this was because Mary was from the
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peasant class and in Iran one had to
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stay within their social class
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this meant that Mary was heartbroken for
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reasons Beyond her control
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majan found this shockingly unfair but
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it also made the cause of the Revolution
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crystal clear for her
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soon after this majan and Mary snuck out
00:08:33
to join the demonstrations against the
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Shah
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they had a great time
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but they didn't realize that they were
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protesting on Black Friday a day where
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the death toll was so high people
00:08:49
thought Israel had attacked Iran
00:08:52
when they got home majan's parents were
00:08:55
Furious they may have escaped injury and
00:08:58
death at the hands of soldiers but they
00:09:00
were no match for majan's mothers
00:09:03
stinging backhanders
00:09:06
would this be enough to cure majan of
00:09:09
her fiery passion for justice
00:09:11
or is she only just getting started
00:09:15
Lookout World here she comes
00:09:21
[Music]
00:09:24
we hope you enjoyed this schooling
00:09:26
online production
00:09:27
[Music]
00:09:29
for more easy lessons check out our
00:09:31
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