Breadwinner

Chapter-2
By
Nitant Banjade & Aarav
Sharma
 Table of Contents

01
Explanation of
Chapter 2
Here, we have the total
coverup, what happens and the
summary of this chapter.
“We, Afghan women, must fight for our
rights and work towards our
economic and intellectual
independence. A woman who is
dependent on the financial support of
her father, brother or partner is more
vulnerable to violence and
oppression.”
—Mahnaz Rezaie, Writer
and Activist
Chapter 2
 Summary
Nooria and Mother are cleaning, which they do a lot since
there isn't much else for them to fill their time with.
They need Parvana to fetch some water because the tank is
empty, which is pretty bad news as far as Parvana is
concerned since it means six trips with the water bucket to
the water tap.
Nooria, in classic big sister fashion, tells Parvana she
should have done it yesterday when she was first asked
to.
Though Nooria annoys Parvana sometimes, Parvana
doesn't think she's all bad, and she envies her sister's long,
thick hair. Parvana's is "thin and stringy"
Parvana resents that she is the only one that gets water for
the family—or she resents it today, anyway; other times she
feels proud. It is dangerous to go anywhere without a man.
When Parvana finally sits down, she compliments
Maryam on her drawing, but before she gets too
comfortable, Nooria and Mother say they need ahelp
cleaning.
Parvana looks around the tiny room her family lives in
most of their stuff has been destroyed by bombs or stolen.
The floors used to be covered by lovely Afghan carpets, but
now the floors are just cement.
It isn't just their home and belongings that have been
destroyed by the Taliban, though—their social lives
have been crushed too, and they can't even talk to other
people in the building because, according to Father, the
Taliban encourages people to spy on each other.
Parvana feels so lonely. Father has his books,
while Nooria and Mother keep each other
company, but she feels like she has no one.
And to make matters worse, Mother wants to sell
her good shalawar kameez; Parvana begs her
mother not to.
Mother tells her she has no say in the matter
though, plus it's not like she can go anywhere
worthy of the outfit.
Parvana asks why they can't sell some of Nooria's clothes
instead (just because these are desperate times doesn't mean
Parvana's not still a pesky kid sister), but the answer is
simple: Nooria will need them when she is married.
Parvana pities the fool who will marry Nooria.
Mother places Hossain's clothes in the cupboard,
and as she does, she looks sad—Hossain, the
eldest child and son, was killed by a land mine
when he was fourteen. No one in the family talks
about him though, because the memory is too
painful.
Nooria has filled Parvana on some details about
Hossain's life, though, and apparently he liked to
play games and really liked to play with his little
sister, Parvana. Aw… but also super sad, right?
Pitying Mother, Parvana helps her with dinner.
The meal is served Afghan-style, meaning the family gathers around a
plastic cloth spread on the floor.
At the end of the meal, Nooria and Mother simultaneously start to
clean up it's like they share a "secret signal", but Parvana has no
idea what it is.
Ali rests on Mother's lap; Father rests too.
After his rest, Father changes into his "white shalwar
kameez", and Parvana thinks he looks handsome with his
beard combed. (The Taliban says all men must grow beards.)
Now it's story time. Yay. Father tells a tale about the
British invading Afghanistan in 1880; the Afghans
fought, but the British wouldn't leave.
Then, a very young girl named Malali ran out in
the street, took off her veil, and waved it as a flag.
She encouraged her countrymen to keep fighting,
and keep fighting they did, all the way to victory.
The moral of the story? The women of Afghanistan are brave, and
they've inherited "the courage of Malali"
Nooria wonders how they can be brave though, when they can't
even leave their apartments.
Father explains there are different types of battles, and Mother chimes
in, "Including the battle with the supper dishes", which everyone
chuckles about…
… until Taliban soldiers barge through their door.
They soldiers grab Father and search the apartment; Nooria is hiding,
and the little ones are screaming.
The Talibs don't like foreign ideas, and they aren't happy that
Father was educated in England as they try to take him away,
Mother tries to stop the soldiers, but one of them hits her on the
head with a rifle.
In desperation, Parvana grab Father by his waist as he yells, "Take care
of the others, my Malali" and then Parvana watches as soldiers drag her
father down the steps, ripping his shalwar kameez.
Inside their apartment, soldiers search the cupboards, throwing the
few belongings they have left onto the floor.
Remembering Father's secret stash of books, Parvana attacks the
soldiers and they hit her on the back with their sticks.
Finally the soldiers leave.
Maryam strokes Parvana's hair and the family sits, shocked
by what's just happened.
38,930,00
0
This is the population of Afghanistan. All
these people are in control of the Taliban.
 Conclusion and Findings

● All the things that are said in the book are true. We
cannot even imagine how much suffering and pain
the people of Afghanistan are going through. All the
hardships they are going through. I would like to
sincerely thank Tr. Pawan Dutta for recommending
us this book. Reading this book I could really keep
on with all the things going on in the country of
Afghanistan. Also by reading this book, We could
enhance our reading skills.