1. From one of the texts you have studied, analyse the role of female
characters.
Themes :
The role of female characters was not subjected to one idea.
● We see her mother play the strong, liberal woman.
● We also see Marjane herself and her own internal conflict representing the identity
crisis that many women face in a predominantly patriarchal world.
● Then we see her friends once she comes back to Iran play the role of the
oppressors and internalise the sexism.
Para 1
There are multiple contrasting roles women play in this book although one thing they all have in
common is that they are oppressed. Marjane’s mother represents the strong, liberal and
outspoken women and the women that will eventually face the most backlash from the
repressive regime. We see this play out as her mother gets photographed at one of the
demonstrations and is forced to deal with the backlash of having to hide her identity after.
→ Linguistic features : Graphic weight in the last panel. The exaggerated shape of the eyes
to represent the idea that in this society and under this regime, you are constantly being
watched and there is no freedom.
, Para 2
Marjane represents most young women growing up in an oppressive regime. She has spent so
many years doing and following what the regime has forced her to, that once she moves to
Austria she has an identity crisis and struggles with finding herself. She says ‘it was beginning
to look like something’. Just like her most women in oppressive regimes probably never get the
chance to explore their own identity and learn who they are because they are spending all their
time avoiding catching anyone’s eye.
→ Linguistic features : her expression looks conflicted and unsure and emphasises the years
she has spent following and being who she was told to be by the regime, that now she struggles
to really find herself and who she is. This conflicted expression represents the many women that
would have similar experiences growing up in a regime as such.
characters.
Themes :
The role of female characters was not subjected to one idea.
● We see her mother play the strong, liberal woman.
● We also see Marjane herself and her own internal conflict representing the identity
crisis that many women face in a predominantly patriarchal world.
● Then we see her friends once she comes back to Iran play the role of the
oppressors and internalise the sexism.
Para 1
There are multiple contrasting roles women play in this book although one thing they all have in
common is that they are oppressed. Marjane’s mother represents the strong, liberal and
outspoken women and the women that will eventually face the most backlash from the
repressive regime. We see this play out as her mother gets photographed at one of the
demonstrations and is forced to deal with the backlash of having to hide her identity after.
→ Linguistic features : Graphic weight in the last panel. The exaggerated shape of the eyes
to represent the idea that in this society and under this regime, you are constantly being
watched and there is no freedom.
, Para 2
Marjane represents most young women growing up in an oppressive regime. She has spent so
many years doing and following what the regime has forced her to, that once she moves to
Austria she has an identity crisis and struggles with finding herself. She says ‘it was beginning
to look like something’. Just like her most women in oppressive regimes probably never get the
chance to explore their own identity and learn who they are because they are spending all their
time avoiding catching anyone’s eye.
→ Linguistic features : her expression looks conflicted and unsure and emphasises the years
she has spent following and being who she was told to be by the regime, that now she struggles
to really find herself and who she is. This conflicted expression represents the many women that
would have similar experiences growing up in a regime as such.
