1.

) In the two works you have studied, discuss the

means as well as the effectiveness with which
power or authority is exercised. (Persepolis and
1984)

In George Orwell's 1984, power alone forms the government and

desires it for its own sake. The Party strips its citizens of their
privacy by observing them through telescreens and brainwashing
them to the point where they are blindly loyal. The Party seeks to
control the past because when they control Oceania's residents'
memories and history, they will control their lives. Winston Smith,
the antagonist of the novel, is engaged to alter the pasts of people
who have become enemies in the present. So, by doing so, the
altered individuals' records will remain in an unfavourable light
also,the Party rewrites and manipulates history.

1984 forces us to experience authoritarianism within a dismal

culture. This book examines in depth how power is abused,
privileged, and distributed in and throughout society. The primary
sources of power in 1984 are the Party and Big Brother. They have
the freedom and authority to decide anything that takes place in
society. While it remains unproven that Big Brother exists, the idea
that he is everywhere has caused the citizens to fear for their lives if
they do not adhere to the Party's regulations. The citizens who
harbour ideas of rebellion are "vaporised." The Party's methods for
establishing its authority included monitoring the behaviour of all its
constituents, requiring everyone to participate in morning exercises,
and insisting that the residents be loyal only to the Party. It further
rejects sexual activity and opposes the concept of a family. The only
family that exists is the entire population governed by the Party.
Oceania's population are governed by a signi cant degree by the
Party that controls the past. People tend to re ect on the past to be
reminded of past errors, what to avoid, and what was good. In
general, people consider the past and contrast it with the present.
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So, when people look back on history and events that have not
been altered to suit the demands of the Party, the Party thinks that
Oceania's populace might eventually rebel against them, causing
them to lose control. To prevent this, the Party uses its power to
rewrite history to demonstrate that the present is superior to the
past. By tampering with people's memories, the Party was able to
exert its authority in a very effective manner, removing the reason
for individuals to revolt against them. This includes the "Thought
Police" that the Party established to ensure that citizens' memories
were never revealed outside of what the Party informed them. To
manage and rule society, the Party relies mostly on fear, classicist
ideology, and physical punishment. They had so much power over
the people that instead of protecting them like a government should,
they merely controlled them. The essence of the book is that the
totalitarian system's ideology promotes servitude and disregards
human rights. The Party's in uence was so effective that the
protagonist, Winston, and Julia were unable to successfully rebel
against them.

However, power and authority are contested in Satrapi's Persepolis

between the individuals and the government. The book examines
the Iranian people's agency before and during the Islamic
Revolution when they deposed the American-backed Shah. In
essence, the Iranian people demonstrate their might by rebelling
and protesting against their Iranian leader. Together, they were able
to depose the Shah. This was evidence that the people's authority
was being established and growing. This suggests that if their
people work together, they are capable of accomplishing anything.
In addition, the Guardians of the revolutions were regarded as the
ones having power. They proved their authority by arresting ladies
who wore their veils improperly and by halting Marji for wearing
punk-style clothing and trainers, as she did not adhere to the
standards of a typical Muslim woman. The government prescribed
the clothing code for women, which is a black dress with a veil,
following Muslim tradition. As she disregards these new laws, Marji
frequently runs into dif culties. Throughout the narrative, Marji
realises that her authority, the power of a (rebellious) individual, is
limited in comparison to the might of the Iranian government.
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Governments also exert power when they impose numerous
constraints on how families and/or individuals are expected to live
their lives. For instance, the consumption and storage of alcohol in
homes were prohibited. Before periodic home inspections, Marji
and her grandma would ush everything down the toilet. Another
occasion in which the government exhibited its power and authority
was when it forced children to ght in the war. The government
brainwashed and exerted control over the children. This
demonstrated that the administration was willing to go to any
lengths with its deceitful lies to convince the public that the sacri ce
of individuals on behalf of their country was a good thing.
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