Isabelle Owen

12/13/18
6 English Ma

You can Forget how Beautiful a Flower Is

Picture your life… now picture the life of a growing woman, who has to disguise herself

as a boy, and become the breadwinner in order to save herself and her family.. In the city of

Kabul, the setting of the book ​The Breadwinner ​by Deborah Ellis, eleven year old Parvana has to

face and overcome many challenges. Her old home, the one that had many different rooms and

floors, was destroyed by bombs. She and her family were forced to flee. Then, they had to flee

again. The bombs kept raining down. Everytime more bombs came, they were forced to live in

smaller homes. Until, finally, they fled to Kabul, one of the places that was captured by the

Taliban. The Taliban are a group of people who believe in the Islamic religion. They order all of

the people in the places they capture to follow their religion. If they don’t do this, their outcome

will be death or worse. Worse than death could sound impossible sometimes, but Parvana,

throughout her journey, sees the people that were punished in ways worse than death.

Making sacrifices, even for your family, are not always easy. Parvana had been living in

Kabul for around a year. Everyday, she goes out to the marketplace with her father. As a girl in

land owned by the Taliban, she is forced to wear a chador, a headpiece that covers the hair and

shoulders. Her father, however, does not need to wear anything. He only has to grow a beard.

Parvana is never able to go outside by herself, as the Taliban law states that women are only
allowed to be outside if they have a man to accompany them or if they have their husband’s

permission written on a little slip of paper pinned to their chest.

When members of the Taliban come into her house unexpectedly, Parvana can only

watch in horror as these people take away her father and arrest him. As an eleven year old girl,

Parava wasn’t able to stop these men. For illustration, “Seeing her mother on the ground finally

propelled her into action. When the soldiers dragged her father outside, she flung her arms

around his waist. As the soldiers pried her lose, she heard her father say, “Take care of the

others, my Malali.” Then he was gone.” (page 35.)

Her father arrested, Parvana and her family are unable to earn money or go outside to buy

food since they do not have a man to accompany them. Parvana’s family become more and more

desperate, until, finally, she and her family all meet that point where they have to think of

something. Eventually, it was decided amongst her family and Mrs. Weera, a friend of Parvana’s

mother, that someone would have to be disguised as a boy so that they could earn food and

money. They all agreed on Parvana since she was the most likely to look like a boy and be able

to walk long distances. However, to do this, Parvana would have to cut her hair.

Parvana, at first, finds herself unwilling to do this. She wasn’t ready to cut her hair, or

change her appearance. However, she realises that her family could hold her and cut of her hair

easily. However, Parvana knows as well that it would be her choice to go out in public. As her

older sister, Nooria, snaps and closes the scissors a few times, she is not willing to do it at all.

Finally, though, she realises how much her family needs her and lets them cut her hair. She finds

the strength to keep her family alive for her father when he comes home. For illustration, ““It has

to be your decision,” Mrs. Weera said. “We can force you to cut off your hair, but you’re still the
one who has to go outside and act the part. We know this is a big thing we’re asking, but I think

you can do it. How about it?” Parvana realised Mrs. Weera was right. They could hold her own

and cut off her hair, but for anything more, they needed her cooperation. In the end, it really was

her decision. Somehow, knowing that made it easier to agree.” (page 63.)

Even with a friend, you most likely would not be willing to dig up human bones.

Parvana, however, is willing to do this because she and her friend, Shauzia (who is also

disguised as a boy), both have large families to feed. Parvana is concerned about doing this,

however, as she believes that it is wrong to dig up bones of those that were once living people.

Shauzia agrees with Parvana, but says to Parvana that they will only dig up bones until they have

enough money to buy trays so they can sell goods all over the marketplace.

Digging up human bones was a challenge for Parvana for two reasons. She felt as though

spirits of the dead could perhaps haunt her in her sleep and secondly, she knew that if the Taliban

were able to see her, she would be in huge trouble. However, she feels a little safer with Shauzia,

and they both dig up human bones until the end of the day, full of cash. For further details,

“When Shauzia came back from her trip to the doorway, they made a bundle of the bones in

blanket, with the skulls thrown in, and carried it together over to the bone broker and his scales.

He had to fill the bucket on the scales three times to accommodate all their bones. He added up

the weight, named an amount, and counted up the money. Parvana and Shauzia didn’t say

anything until they were well away from the bone broker’s stall. They were afraid he might have

made a mistake and given them too much. “This is as much money as I made in three days last
week,” Parvana said. “I told you we’d make money!” Shauzia said as she handed half the cash to

Parvana. “Shall we quit for the day or keep digging?” “Keep digging, of course.” (page 99-100.)

Finally, after a few weeks, they are able to stop digging up bones and buy the trays.

Parvana feels as though it was worth it when she bought the tray and did not feel as afraid as she

did the first time.

Making connections with a character in a book can help you understand their feelings.

For me, my connection would be not wanting to cut my hair. For Parvana, it starts as her

unwilling to cut her hair, and that continues throughout the whole situation. For me, that would

be the same. However, I would not like to be stuck in a house all day, so that would be one of the

two things that would make me feel a little better about cutting my hair. The second thing that

would make me feel better was that I would be helping my family, perhaps even saving them. If

it came down to saving my hair or my family, it would definitely be saving my family, like

Parvana’s decision.

Another connection that I saw with Parvana and I was how she did not want to dig up

human bones, and how it made her uncomfortable. If I were digging up human bones, I would

feel, for the rest of the week (or maybe longer) that I was disturbing the dead. Digging up human

bones does not feel right, as it would feels like I would be disrespecting them. Parvana felt the

same way, but was still willing to do it because she wanted to help her family by earning more

money everyday since, after a couple of weeks, she would be able to buy a tray so she could

wander around and sell goods. I may have been able to do this, but at the same time, I feel like I

would not be able to do this like how Parvana felt.

 The final connection I met between Parvana and I is that we both do not like to be in the

same room as our family for ages. It is fine for a while, but eventually, someone gets bored and

starts to annoy someone (my sister and I are the two that annoy each other a lot.) I also do not

like to be in the same room as my family for ages because everyone needs to be alone

sometimes. What I have experienced with being with my family for ages, however, is nowhere

near as bad as Paravana’s situation. It is surprising that Parvana does not explode with stress all

of the time. Parvana and I may only have a few connections, but these connections are strong

ones, and therefore they let me understand how she feels with her different troubles.

When the Taliban arrived in Parvana’s hometown, her life changed. Because of the

Taliban, the Americans were dropping bombs to try and get rid of them. Parvana had to move a

lot because of the bombs, and so did the Taliban. Everywhere there were no bombs in

Afghanistan, the Taliban were. Which meant that the bombs would hit those places next. The

Taliban changed Parvana’s style of daily life in a way she would never want.

The Taliban ordered that all women were to wear a burqa; a long piece of clothing that

covered your whole body and your face apart from a thin strip that was cut out to let you see.

However, since Parvana is only eleven, she only has to wear a chador. A chador only covers your

hair and your shoulders. This does not bother Parvana that much, however, what really takes

something away from her is the ability to go outside without a man. This takes away a great

amount of Parvana’s freedom, and she is unhappy with this rule and so is the rest of her family.

For now, though, Parvana has her father, who is able to go out to buy food and the different
items that are needed to keep the family going. However, one day, Parvana is met by a

circumstance that will change the way her family works.

When her father is taken away by the Taliban and sent to prison, Parvana and her family

are unable to go outside or buy goods. Now that Parvana’s family is missing, her family will start

to suffer. Parvana’s mother will suffer the most. Her mother spends ages curled up in a ball,

sobbing. For deeper information, “Mother cried for a long, long time. Nooria sponged off the

part of her face that wasn’t buried in her pillow. She washed the dust from the wounds in her

mother’s feet.” (page 47.) Parvana and her older sister Nooria do their best to try and keep her

going. Without their father, and now their mother’s perseverance, the whole family starts to

suffer. Parvana finally decides that someone needs to go get food, and so Parvana puts on her

chador and goes out to buy food. Because girls are not allowed to be outside on their own, the

Taliban try to beat her, however, Parvana manages to escape in time. While running away, she

bumps into Mrs. Weera, her mother’s old friend. Mrs. Weera follows Parvana in order to go to

Parvana’s house.

Mrs. Weera realises what a terrible state the family is in and begins to help. Mrs. Weera

motivates Parvana’s mother to come out of her mourning and help the people that she still has.

When Parvana’s mother starts to eat again, the whole family knows that Mrs. Weera was the one

that brought her back to life, and therefore they respect her.

Under different circumstances, people are able to do dangerous things to save their loved

ones. For Parvana, her loved ones are the people in her family. Whenever they are in danger,

Parvana does her best to give them back their strength. This is demonstrated by the huge risks
she took as disguising herself as a boy to obtain the goods she needs to keep her family strong.

By taking on this challenge, she risks becoming caught and being sent to prison, being killed,

and worse.

The Taliban did their utmost best to try and control the people of Afghanistan. They

made many rules about women going outside, and even made it illegal for people to make music.

Women were also not allowed to speak or laugh loudly in public, and, if they were shopping for

goods, they had to stand outside the store and tell someone what they wanted. Anyone that

disobeyed would be punished… especially the people that tried to steal what they needed. For

more examples of the Taliban’s rules, “Buses were not permitted to carry women who did not

have a man with them.” For even further details, “Mother wasn’t supposed to be out of her home

without a man, or without a note from her husband. “Nooria, write mother a note.” “Don’t

bother, Nooria. I will not walk around my own city with a note pinned to my burqa as if I were a

kindergarten child. I have a university degree!” (page 40.)

Parvana and Shauzia thought that they were going to a soccer game when they saw the

stadium with people inside. They saw this as a chance to sell more goods than they thought

possible. However, when they see no soccer players on the field, they know that something is

wrong. Instead of soccer players, prisoners with their hands tied behind their backs are led out

onto the field.

What Parvana and Shauzia experience is beyond what they thought was the worst

punishment. The Taliban cut the hands of the prisoners off, and then tie them all to a rope. This

shows that the Taliban are not playing around, and that they mean business.
 Parvana’s family want to fight against the Taliban and start a secret school so that girls

could be educated, however, this is not an easy task. Everytime Nooria tries to teach girls how to

read and write, they never seem to understand. For example, “Through Mother’s and Mrs.

Weera’s women’s group, a secret little school was started. Nooria was the teacher. The Taliban

would close down any school they discovered, so Nooria and Mrs. Weera were very careful. The

school held only five girls, including Maryam. They were all her age.” (page 116.) And, while

continuing this secret education for girls, Parvana and her family are taking huge risks.

Because of all the risks Parvana takes, her rate as in growing as a character is fast. She

learns about different ways she can improve as a person. Sometimes, she has days where she

feels down. For example, “The marketplace ceased to be interesting. She no longer laughed

when a man got into an argument with a stubborn donkey. She was no longer interested in the

snippets of conversation she heard from people strolling by. Everywhere, there were people who

were hungry and sick. Women in burqas sat in the pavement and begged, there babies stretched

across their laps. And there was no end to it. This wasn’t a summer vacation that would end and

then life would get back to normal. This was normal, and Parvana was tired of it.” (page 115.)

However, even when there is sickness, death and torture, there is also beauty made by the people

who care. When Parvana is about to leave, she wants to leave some beauty behind her. A man

notices what she does and is grateful for her action. For illustration, “Through the voices of

derision came another voice. “Do none of you appreciate nature? This boy has undertaken to

bring a bit of beauty into our gray marketplace, and do you thank him? Do you help him?” An

old man pushed his way to the front of the little gathering. With difficulty, he knelt down to help
Parvana plant the flowers. “Afghans love beautiful things,” he said, “but we have seen so much

ugliness, we sometimes forget how wonderful a thing like a flower is.” (page 142.)

Parvana takes many risks throughout her journey as a character, growing stronger with

each risk. She starts as a stubborn, irritable being but, eventually, finds that there are things in

life more important than arguing with her older sister, Nooria. Finally, Parvana becomes the

caring, understanding girl who is the breadwinner of her family.