Th eMeaning of Freedom

Parvaneh Ashktorab

Professor  Knapp

English 1B

Oct, 18, 2011

The Meaning of Freedom

            Freedom is the factor that everybody would like to have, and that thought has different meanings for different people. People and especially women need freedom, and that has a different meaning for each one. Freedom for some people is showing themselves how they look and how they wear clothes. Some people think about freedom has a meaning beyond that which is immaterialist and deep down of intelligence, and their knowledge. For example, in the novel called “Persepolis”, Marjan, who is a ten year old, needs a freedom which many other girls need at this age. The meaning of freedom for people is the right for them in this universe. All people would like to achieve that to the end, and it is for every individual and everyone of society. To keep this fact constantly in mind needs time and effort by teaching and education to promote immaterial of freedom. People always are challenging for their freedom especially women. I believe freedom can be interpreted in different ways by different people depending on base of thought and how they are raised in this universe.

Marjan lived with her family in Iran. She was too young to not think materialistically; her family had the same idea. Marjan’s family was one of the richest families when the revolution happened in Iran. There were two movements happening in Iran, one was revolution, and the

other one was an unwanted war. People wanted to build their country after the revolution. Before these things happened, suddenly Iraq invaded the border of Iran. Because of that, the situation in Iran was hard for people to live in. Some rich people would like to go out of the country for living. For example, Marjan’s family told to her “We feel it’s better for you to be far away and happy than close by and miserable. Judging by the situation here, you’ll be better off somewhere else”  (Satrapi 148). Their ideology was materialistic.  In their mind, freedom is buying a brand name shirt for ten year old girl, or going to the European country to live while the condition was unstable in their country Iran. In my point of view freedom has another meaning to my family and me. I was in Iran in those days, my husband was a professor at the university and I have two boys, they were one and four year old. We believed we had to stay and work and help our country Iran on that time. We were in eight years of the war, we stayed there, worked and helped till the victory. It was very hard time to live there. On the other hand, there were families like Marjan’s family with this kind of ideology which they want freedom in hard situation of the war, but some people have a different idea which freedom has another meaning for them in that hard condition. While we stayed, and worked in Iran these action had a point, and the point was looks like a kind of defend for our country till the victory happened. Marjan’s family loved to have peace while they lived in Iran; on the other hand, the war was very miserable situation for people. These points had contradicted together, as a result they send Marjan out of the country and said ” in six months we’ll come see you”(P 152).

There is much arguing about freedom and it has a different meaning to different people. I don’t blame Marjan about her point to not wear hejab (veil) because she did not know why she should wear hejab. First, Marjan’s family did not know about hejab and her mom did not practice their religion, and she did not wear hejab, as a result Marjan did not know why women wear hejab, while they were out of their homes. Because of that, she thought she did not have freedom.  There is the argument about the freedom for people especially for women.

 Marjan’s family felt they did not have freedom in Iran, the situation was not normal for them. Marjan and her mom had different ideas from many Muslim women who lived in Iran or in other countries, but in the “Persepolis” book, the writer did exaggerate many things in Iran in those days. This is a fiction book. For example “lower your scarf, you little whore” (p 131), guardians should not act impolite in Iran, especially to those who are young.  Marjan and her family believe, those women who wear hejab, they don’t have a freedom, but I believe those who have a hejab have freedom. Hejab gives freedom, and it protects your body from stranger or from those who are sick in society. According to the article “Veiled Intentions” by Maysan  Haydar, she believed freedom is in her heart of her veiling, she covered her body and hair from head to toe in New York city street with no self-loathing, body hang-up, or sexual harassment. She wishes more women emerged unharmed; no one should suffer for what they wear or what they look like (Haydar 407).  According to Prophet Mohammad “women look like a pearl in the shell”, their beauty is special. Nobody should take an advantage of their beauty or use it. For these reasons, women should take cares of their beauties, and do not let anybody harass them or look at them like a material. Because of that it is better to cover their body and hair to not show up. As a result, women who have hejab, they have freedom while they are at work or out of their home. Indeed, men can talk to them for their mind and knowledge and not for their beauty or their body. For many cultures it is hard to understand this concept, but if you think deep about that, it is easy and simple to understand.

Freedom is a kind of element which all women are challenging to have, even in this 21st century.  They like to have their freedom and rights in any society even in developed countries.  Western countries believe they are civilized, but still many people look at a woman as a material and use them for marketing. For example, on any movie or magazine they are using ladies for their advertizing. If any magazine or movies have a nude or sexy woman, it sells more and gets very popular. Unfortunately, these situations make insulting for those women who wear hejab or believe in modesty, make them angry and upset in this world. Some people think showing women’s body means freedom. How can they prove that this is a freedom?  Many women in this world do not believe sexy and nude women make a right action or mean freedom, they think this action is worse than slavery and a huge disrespect to other women.

In conclusion, some people believe freedom is an action which everyone needs. At the same time, women need freedom which they do not really have in this world or they have little. Freedom has a different meaning to different people, some people believe showing off their body in front of others is a freedom, but some people believe the opposite, and consider freedom is in their mind and intelligence not anything else.     

Work Cites

1. Satrapi, Marjane. “Persepolis The story of a childhood.” Paris, L’Association, 2000 and 2001.

2. Haydar, Maysan. “Don’t Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering.” New York, 1977.

            

Second draft The Meaning of Freedom

feedback

 I need to add a couple more quotes and I need to add to add more similarities between Marjane's story and mine and .Two of classmate read my first draft, and I should need more quote from persepolis book Hopefully the final draft will be what the teachers looking for.

The Meaning of Freedom

Parvaneh Ashktorab

Professor Knapp

English 1B

Oct, 18, 2011

The meaning of freedom

            Freedom is the factor that everybody would like to have, and that thought has different meanings for different people. People and especially women need freedom and that has a different meaning for each one. Freedom for some people is showing themselves how they look and how they wear clothes. Some people think about freedom has a meaning beyond that which is immaterialist and deep down of intelligence, and their knowledge. For example, in the novel called Persepolis, Marjan, who is a ten year old, needs a freedom which many other girls need at this age. The meaning of freedom for people is the right for them in this universe. All people would like to achieve that to the end, and it is for every individual and everyone of society. To keep this fact constantly in mind needs time and effort by teaching and education to promote immaterial of freedom. People always are challenging for their freedom especially women as well. I believe freedom can be interpreted in different ways by different people; it is an aspect that everybody must have as an individual living in this universe.

Marjan lived with her family in Iran. She was too young to not think materialistically; her family had the same idea. Marjan’s family was one of the richest families when the revolution happened in Iran. There were two movements happening in Iran, one was revolution, and the

other one was an unwanted war. People wanted to build their country after the revolution. Before these things happened, suddenly Iraq invaded the border of Iran. Because of that, the situation in Iran was hard for people to live. Some people who were rich they would like to go out of the country for living. One of these family was Marjan‘s families. Their ideology was materialistic.  In their mind, freedom is buying a brand name shirt for ten year old girl, or going to the European country to live while the condition was unstable in their country Iran. In my point of view freedom has another meaning to my family and I. I was in Iran in those days, my husband was a professor at the university and I have two boys, they were one and four year old. We believe we had to stay and work and help our country Iran on that time. We did in eight years of the war, we stayed there worked and helped to win the war. On the other hand there were families like Marjan’s families with this kind of ideology which they want freedom in hard situation of the war, but some people have a different idea which freedom has another meaning for them in that hard condition. While we stayed, and worked in Iran these action had a point, and the point was looks like a kind of defend for our country till the victory happened.

There is much arguing about freedom and it has a different meaning to different people I don’t blame Marjan about her point to not wear hejab because she did not know why she should wear hejab. First, Marjan’s family did not know about hejab and her mom did not practice their religion to wear hejab, as a result Marjan did not know why women wore veils while they were out of their homes. Because of that she thought she did not have freedom.  There is the argument about the freedom for people especially for women.

 Marjan’s family felt they did not have  freedom in Iran, the situation was not normal. Marjan and her mom had different ideas from many Muslim women who lived in Iran. Marjan and her family believe those women who like to wear hejab, they don’t have a freedom, but I believe those who have a hejab have freedom. Hejab gives freedom, and it protects your body from stranger or from those who are sick in society. According the Prophet Mohammad “women look like a pearl in the shell”, their beauty is special. Nobody should take an advantage of their beauty or use it. For these reasons, women should take cares of their beauties, and do not let anybody harass them or look at them like a material. Because of that it is better to cover their body and hair to not show up. As a result, the women who have hejab, they have freedom while they are at work or out of their home. Indeed, men can talk to them for their mind and knowledge and not for their beauty or their body. For many cultures it is hard to understand this concept, but if you think deep about that, it is easy and simple to understand.

Freedom is a kind of element which all women are challenging to have, even in this 21st century.  They like to have their freedom and rights in any society even in developed countries.  Western countries believe they are civilized, but still many people look at a woman as a material and use them for marketing. For example, on any movie or magazine they are using ladies for their advertizing. If any magazine or movies have a nude or sexy woman, it sells more and gets very popular. Unfortunately, these situations make women who wear hejab angry and upset in this world. Some people think showing women’s body means freedom. How can they prove that this is a freedom?  Many women in this world do not believe sexy and nude women make a right action or mean freedom, they think this action is worse than slavery and a huge disrespect to other women.

In conclusion, some people believe freedom is an action which everyone needs. At the same time, women need freedom which they do not really have in this world or they have little. Freedom has a different meaning to different people, some people believe showing off their body in front of others is a freedom, but some people believe the opposite and consider freedom is in their mind and intelligence not anything else.     

            

meaning of freedom

Marjan  is  a young Iranian  girl, she was not the same as most girls who lived in Iran. She lived in the time that the country was in the war which Iraq invaded to Iran. People had a horrible situation; everybody helped or did something for their country to win the war. Unfortunately, Marjan’s family did not want to involve themselves to horrible feeling that most Iranian had. Majority of young girls did not think about wearing a tight jean (Satrapi  133) or still Cigarette to smoke on that days. On that time some family escape from Iran’s condition, and moved to other courtiers. It was rear that a girl from family escapes to other country. For this reason, she was not a normal girl; she was rebellious because of that her mom and dad decided to send her out of country. I believe, Marjan’s parents got tired of her nasty behavior, and they wanted to kick her out. Most of my classmates are agreeing that marjan was a rebelious girl; she was so young to do such a negative manners. For example, she was disrespectful to her teacher, “How dare you lie to us like that” (144). In this point, if her teacher was lying to marjan at the class, she should answer her teacher more politely. On the other hand, Marjan wanted to have a freedom out of her home town or her country. For Marjan’s family and Marjan the meaning of freedom has been simplify to not have a veil or wear a tight jean, for many people in Iran freedom is more meaningful than that. Many ladies in Iran or other countries (mostly Islamic country) think you can have freedom more, if you have veil or not to show your body in a tight jean. They believe freedom is in your mind, and present yourself from your intelligence not your body. Therefore, Marjan was not the same as majority of Iranian girls in Iran, and her family.            

Position

Many teenagers have the same personality while there are very young as Marjan did; they have different perspective of life. Marjan is also the same as the other child, once she believe to be a prophet, one day she didn’t like to be a prophet, and  didn’t believe in god. On the other hand, she would like to fallow up and wear western cloth while her country was at war, at the same time she would love to be with her family and spend time with her fiends. Many young people have the same life like marjan does. They do not have any experience in their life, any hours or day make their new perspective of their moment. After many years of life they can gain some experience, then when they get older, they can talk what is going on. I believe Marjan was so young to talk about any political and any issue in her life while she was six years till thirteen years old. Marjan and other children understand many things that they see, but in a deep down Marjan could not feel many facts that Happened in Iran on that days. For Example she could not feel how many soldures and people are surrounded the borders of Iran for war, to defend for their country from enemies that they invaded. Although, the war in Iran was in cities, but still Marjan’s family was not involved in the actual war. For instance they want to go out of country, and escape from the war which they could, because they were from wealthy family. Now Marjan is a good writer, she wrote what she remained her situation in the past, when she was child in Iran. In my perspective of life in Iran was different as Marjan had In Iran. Marjan was child, but I was twenty tow years old when Iran was invaded by Iraq. Many people thought about the war, but nothing else. People in Iran wanted to win the war, and they helped in many ways. I Know I was not thinking as that as Marjan’s family thought. For example, our family and I never had a party on that time, we fallow up the news every hour, and If they announced they need blood for those who are in hospital, I remember I was harry to donate my blood for those who have been injured in the war. If Marjan Was the same age as my position on that time, probably she had not the same as my perspective of life in Iran.