Which statement best captures the difference in agency between Marjane and Mehri in Persepolis?

Which statement best captures the difference in agency between Marjane and Mehri in Persepolis?

• A. Marjane's agency grows with education and independence, while Mehri's life is constrained by class and labor.
• B. Mehri's life expands with education but Marjane remains constrained by family rules.
• C. Both have equal agency and face identical challenges.
• D. Mehri's independence grows faster than Marjane's due to social mobility.

Answer: (A)

Agency is the power to make choices and act on them. In Persepolis, Marjane’s education and growing independence open up more options for her: what she studies, how she speaks, the ideas she questions, and the moves she can make—like living abroad and shaping her own future. Mehri’s position, however, is tied to her role as a household servant and to class boundaries. Her life is shaped by the family she works for, the expectations placed on her because of her social class, and the limitations that come with labor within that system, which prevents her from pursuing broader opportunities or true self-determination. So the contrast sits in how learning and freedom enable Marjane to steer her own path, while Mehri remains constrained by social and economic structures.

Agency is the power to make choices and act on them. In Persepolis, Marjane’s education and growing independence open up more options for her: what she studies, how she speaks, the ideas she questions, and the moves she can make—like living abroad and shaping her own future. Mehri’s position, however, is tied to her role as a household servant and to class boundaries. Her life is shaped by the family she works for, the expectations placed on her because of her social class, and the limitations that come with labor within that system, which prevents her from pursuing broader opportunities or true self-determination. So the contrast sits in how learning and freedom enable Marjane to steer her own path, while Mehri remains constrained by social and economic structures.