Persepolis

The series Persepolis follows Marjane Satrapi into her childhood when the Islamic government began dominating Iran. She is very young when clashes between civilians and the new strict government begin to form. Her family used to be one of the many families that protested against the harsh laws. Iranians were being taken in as martyrs, forced to wear hijabs on their heads, and stripped of college education for about two years. Due to the war, many areas were being bombed in the country, and unfair arrests were being made. When she is fourteen years old, Marjane's parents decide to send her to live in Austria so that she can be safe. That is where she faces many of life's difficult problems, without the guidance of her family and friends. In Austria, Marjane crumbles under peer pressure.

One example would be when she hangs out with her group of friends and they all smoke marijuana. At
first Marjane is reluctant to try, since she cannot stand the smell and the taste of the smoke. She holds up the blunt in front of her mouth but does not smoke on it. Occasionally, she would take her fingers and rub it in her eyes to appear as if she's high. Later, when her boyfriend Enrique introduces her to a bunch of his hippie friends, she gives the weed a try. That's when she becomes an addict. This shows how Marjane gives into her peers, because before she tried to avoid taking drugs but after a while, she's under too much pressure so she gives it a try.

Another example of her giving into her peers is when she marries her boyfriend of two years, Reza. The two were not planning on getting married at first. But one day they were arrested by Iran's police, since they were walking together in public without being married or related. Another event leading to the two getting married is when condoms fall out of Marjane's bag in front of her whole college class. Half of them judge her immediately, but the other half praises her. Most of the people in Iran were against sexual activities with anyone but your husband, so this made Marjane look like a disgrace. So with society's pressure falling on them, Marjane and Reza give in and get married.

All her life, Marjane and her family have been trying to do things their own way and be their own people. But society always makes things harder for them, causing them to force themselves into smoking substances, wearing veils, and getting married. Marjane gave into peer pressure, only to realize it afterwards. Sometimes she couldn't take back the things that she did.