I'm a Rebel!

Although I am usually a very obedient son, I can be very rebellious when presented with the opportunity to do so. My parents normally restrict my activities to ensure that I behave properly. The irony is they actually believe that they are really able to control my actions whlie I'm doing whatever the hell I want secretively. My parents are very much like the Iranian government because both set restrictions on what we (the Iranian citizens and I) can do. In Persepolis, the Iranian government prevents the people from hosting parties and drinking alcohol because supposedly it makes people have the urge to question authority. The Iranian government and my parents are attempting to limit our activities for us to become the ideal citizen and son. However, the method by which they try to implement their beliefs on us is incorrect. We are more likely to act "inappropriately" when told that we can not do certain things.

Take for example: My parents told me I can't go visit friends at UC Davis.
My initial response: In order to please my parents, I said "Okay, fine. I won't go to UC Davis to visit my friends."
My action: I went to UC Davis for the weekend.

If my parents had told me that I could go out and visit friends, I probably would have found an opportunity to go when it was okay for them to allow me to do so. But since my parents had told me that I couldn't go out, I naturally found my own way there without thinking much about the consequences of spending a whole weekend in another city.

The Iranian government needed to realize their rules are only rules until it is actually enforced. Saying the people can't have parties didn't really do much because Marjane's family had many parties, played card games and drank alcohol secretively.

Who's to say what we can and cannot do? No one.