Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

Marjane starts school in September of 1989. She’s very excited. On the way to school, she and Reza discuss whether they can tell anyone they’re dating. Reza insists they can’t; they’ll both be kicked out. Marjane tells the reader that Reza is exaggerating, but only a little—the university does separate men from women, though people still try to flirt from across the room. As Marjane sits in on her first art history class, she realizes that many of her classmates took the prep courses together. In his lecture, the male professor insists that Arab art and architecture is actually “art of the Islamic empire.” Marjane finds it funny that the new regime is just as senselessly patriotic as the old one.

Over lunch, Marjane gets to know her female classmates. She thinks they’re very funny until they say that Reza is cute. Two classmates though, Shouka and Niyoosha, introduce themselves. Niyoosha teases Marjane about having lived abroad—she can tell Marjane hasn’t been in Iran long by the way she wears her veil. To the reader, Marjane explains that arranging one’s veil is a science. She also shares that two years after this moment, Niyoosha’s future husband forbade her from spending time with Marjane—in his eyes, Marjane is amoral.

At this time, women gain a bit more freedom every year. Veils slowly shorten and women show increasingly more hair. Marjane learns to tell what a woman looks like under her veil, and she can tell how progressive women are by how much skin they show. When she gets home after her first day, Marjane is thrilled that her grandmother is there. Her grandmother gives Marjane a gift: a cotton headscarf so she doesn’t get too hot. Marjane thinks at first that her grandmother forgave her, but her grandmother hasn’t.

A week later, Marjane’s new friends trick her into admitting she’s dating Reza. The director interrupts their conversation, however, to announce a required meeting at the main campus for all students. The main campus is far more repressive than the art college; for instance, there are separate staircases for men and women at the auditorium. One of Marjane’s friends explains that this is so male students can’t ogle female students’ bottoms as they climb stairs. When all the students are seated, a man lectures them on their “moral and religious conduct.” He says that they must honor the martyrs. Women must do this by wearing longer headscarves, narrower pants, and by not wearing makeup.

When the speaker takes questions, Marjane stands up and notes that art students need to be able to move around. It’s much harder to move freely in a long headscarf. Further, she points out that wide trousers obscure a woman’s shape better than narrower ones—but wide trousers are in style right now. Marjane asks if their religion is just against fashion. Then, she says that the male students can wear tight clothes that excite women, and yet those male students supposedly lose control over a bit less headscarf. After the lecture, the Islamic Commission of the university summons Marjane.

Marjane speaks with the man who administered her entrance exam. He tells her that the veil is a necessary part of their religion but asks her to design uniforms for the art college. Marjane’s design has a shorter headscarf and wide trousers. After this, Marjane and her grandmother make up. Marjane’s grandmother reminds Marjane that fear turns people into cowards without consciences. With this, Marjane regains her dignity and is happy with herself for the first time in a long time.