They are dead and we are not: remembering the revolution in Iran

This paper consists of two components: one: creative writings and two: theoretical explorations. The creative section is a representation of personal experiences from the days of the Iranian Revolution and my involvement in student political activism. It is through the process of remembering the past that I attempt to make sense of the events, people and above all my own subjectivity.The theory component includes an exploration of the theories of ‘remembering’ and of ‘abjection: subjectivity as a process’ (Mansfield 2000, p. 79). This thesis isa reflection on a moment of acute crisis, both the personal and historical, a moment of the sheer embodiment of ‘abjection’. Abjection, as developed by Julia Kristeva, ‘is what disturbs identity, system, order. What does not respect borders,position s, rules’ (Kristeva 1982, p. 4). By employing a critical and cultural studiesapproach, in an analytical study of various theories, I seek for new interpretations, opening up new paths and welcoming new voices into my narrative. Recalling past events and people from a time of living through utter abjection, causes narrative to disrupt and shatter around the theme of suffering,making my narrative representations fragmented, ambiguous and discontinuous.