The Breadwinner LitChart EALD

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The Breadwinner
Parvana. Many of Ellis’s children’s books, like The Breadwinner,
INTR
INTRODUCTION
ODUCTION begin with a visit to a country experiencing a humanitarian
crisis and then focus on the resilience of the children caught up
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF DEBORAH ELLIS
in that crisis. The Heaven Shop is based in Southern Africa and is
Born in Cochrane, Ontario, Deborah Ellis decided at age 11 about the AIDS crisis; Sacred Leaf follows children involved in
that she wanted to write. She moved to Toronto at age 17 to the production of coca, the plant from which cocaine is derived.
work as an activist advocating for nonviolence. Ellis’s first Similar books for young readers include N.H. Senzai’s Shooting
novel, Looking for X, won the Governor General’s Literary Kabul, which follows an Afghani family as they escape
Award for children’s literature in 2000. However, Ellis is best Afghanistan and the Taliban in 2001; and Suzanne Staples’s
known for the Breadwinner series. In 1997, she traveled to Under the Persimmon Tree, which follows an Afghan refugee and
Pakistan to interview Afghan women in refugee camps. Though an American teacher as they set up a school in a refugee camp
she had a different book in mind when she went, an interview in Pakistan. Though not a young adult novel, Khaled Hosseini’s
with a woman whose daughter dressed as a boy so she could 2007 novel A Thousand Splendid Suns focuses on an overlapping
feed the family caught her attention and resulted in The time period and some of the same issues facing women in
Breadwinner. Since then, Ellis has traveled to Africa, South Afghanistan as The Breadwinner does.
America, and throughout the Middle East to interview women
and children for her novels and nonfiction works. All the
KEY FACTS
royalties she receives from her books go to organizations like
Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan and UNICEF. • Full Title: The Breadwinner
• When Written: 1997–2000
HISTORICAL CONTEXT • Where Written: Pakistan and Canada
Afghanistan, as Parvana notes, has a long history of strife and • When Published: 2001
conquest, but The Breadwinner focuses mainly on the events of • Literary Period: Contemporary
the late 20th century. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in
• Genre: Young Adult Novel
1979; the resulting conflict was one of the final Cold War proxy
wars. The United States, along with Pakistan, China, the UK, • Setting: Kabul, Afghanistan in 2000
and other countries, supported insurgent groups known • Climax: Father is released from prison.
collectively as the mujahideen. Following the Soviet retreat in • Antagonist: The Taliban
1989, Afghanistan fell into civil war—and in 1996, the Taliban • Point of View: Third Person
(an Islamist fundamentalist organization) took control of the
country. They were internationally reprimanded for their harsh
EXTRA CREDIT
laws, refusal of international aide for displaced civilians, and
their treatment of women in particular. The Taliban were Girl Power. Father’s story of Malali (or Malalai) is tweaked a bit
removed from power by the U.S. late in 2001, after the in The Breadwinner, but it is based on a real person. During the
September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. As Ellis writes Afghan war with the British, an 18- or 19-year-old young
in the forward to The Breadwinner, these conflicts killed or woman named Malalai waved the Afghan flag, recited poetry,
negatively affected more civilians than soldiers. The Soviet- and inspired the Afghan troops to victory. Often referred to as
Afghan war had a death toll of anywhere between half a million the Afghan Joan of Arc, she’s the namesake of women’s rights
and two million civilians, depending on the model. During their activist Malala Yousafzai and of the activist and politician
time in power, the Taliban conducted massacres, razed entire Malalai Joya.
towns and agricultural areas, and committed a number of war
crimes. One of the Boys. The practice of Afghan girls dressing as
boys—known as bacha posh—is relatively common. The goal
RELATED LITERARY WORKS isn’t usually deception, as it is for Parvana, but families do often
turn a daughter into a bacha posh so that she can help support
The Breadwinner is the first in a series. Parvana’s story
the family or alleviate societal pressure for the parents to have
continues in Parvana’s Journey, while Ellis follows Shauzia in a son. Most bacha posh revert to presenting as women when
Mud City. In 2011, Ellis picked Parvana’s story up again when they reach marriageable age, a transition that many former
Parvana is 15 and captured by the U.S. military in My Name is bacha posh find difficult.
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they stop washing Ali’s diapers. On the fourth day, Nooria tells
PL
PLO
OT SUMMARY Parvana to buy food in the market.
Eleven-year-old Parvana sits with Father in the market. He’s Women can’t enter shops, but Parvana isn’t sure if she counts
reading a letter for a customer. Until a year ago, when the as a woman yet. If she stays outside, though, she might get in
Taliban took control of Kabul, Parvana was a happy student. She trouble for not wearing a burqa. She buys nan and then heads
wasn’t particularly concerned when the Taliban closed schools for a produce stand. A Taliban soldier shouts at Parvana, so she
and insisted girls couldn’t learn. She figured the Taliban would runs and rams into a woman carrying a toddler. The woman
let them go back soon, but her older sister, Nooria, was turns out to be Mrs. Weera, a former gym teacher. Mrs. Weera
distraught. A year later, nothing has changed. Parvana isn’t even invites herself to Parvana’s house to convince Mother to work
supposed to be out of the house, but since Father is missing on a magazine. As soon as she sees the situation, Mrs. Weera
part of his lower leg and sold his prosthesis, he needs her help gets Mother cleaned up. The next morning, the adults tell
to walk. Though Parvana’s family used to be well off, the Parvana their plan: they’ll cut Parvana’s hair and dress her as a
constant bombing of Kabul over the last 20 years has made her boy so she can work and shop in the market. Parvana insists
family increasingly poorer. Now, all six of them live in a single that Nooria should do it, but Nooria is already too curvy to pass
room. for male. After Mrs. Weera convinces Parvana to agree, Mother
cuts Parvana’s hair and Parvana changes into Hossain’s shalwar
Father suggests they end their day, so Parvana gathers the
kameez. In the market she discovers that as a boy, she’s
household items they’re trying to sell and helps him walk back
invisible.
home. The road is bumpy and many buildings have been
destroyed. Nooria remembers when Kabul had traffic lights The next day, Parvana goes to the market with Father’s writing
and cinemas. At home, Mother and Nooria are cleaning out the things and sets up her blanket in his spot. Her first customer is
cupboard. Since they can’t work or go to school, they busy a Taliban soldier. He cries as Parvana reads a letter written to
themselves cleaning. Parvana resents this, as she’s responsible his late wife on the occasion of her wedding. Parvana is shocked
for fetching water—and cleaning uses a lot of water. Though that the soldiers have feelings. That afternoon, Parvana helps
they have neighbors, Parvana hasn’t met them. The Taliban Mrs. Weera and her granddaughter move in with Parvana’s
encourages neighbors to spy on each other, so it’s unsafe for family. Then, Mrs. Weera wraps Maryam’s feet in cloth so she
Parvana to befriend any neighbor children. Mother gives can accompany Parvana to the tap. Over the next week,
Parvana a pile of items to sell, including Parvana’s good red Parvana escorts Nooria, Maryam, and Ali on afternoon walks.
shalwar kameez. Parvana is incensed, but when Mother puts Parvana enjoys work. One afternoon she thinks she sees
Hossain’s clothes back in the cupboard, Parvana drops her Father in the market, but it’s not him. Another day, Parvana
attitude. Hossain was her older brother; a land mine killed him notices a scrap of embroidered wool on her blanket and
when he was 14. realizes it came from the window above. A few days later, she
finds another offering and catches sight of the Window
After supper, Father tells the story of Malali. During the war
Woman.
with the British, Malali inspired the Afghan troops to victory by
waving her veil like a flag and reciting poetry. Father insists that One day, when a tea boy spills cups on Parvana’s blanket,
Afghanistan’s women are the bravest in the world. Just as Parvana is shocked: the tea boy is her former classmate,
Mother and Nooria start to clean up, several Taliban soldiers Shauzia. At the end of the day, Shauzia walks home with
burst in and arrest Father. When the soldiers look through the Parvana. She shares that she and her mother have been living
cupboard and get dangerously close to Father’s hidden English with her paternal grandparents. Shauzia has been working as a
books, Parvana hits them. They leave. Once five-year-old tea boy for six months, but she’d rather sell things off a tray.
Maryam and toddler Ali fall asleep, Mother, Nooria, and Over supper later, Mother and Mrs. Weera discuss the
Parvana clean up and try to sleep. Parvana suggests they light a magazine, which they’re printing in Pakistan with help from
lamp in case Father needs to find his way home, but Mother their secret women’s group. Later, Shauzia comes to Parvana
refuses. with a plan to make money: digging up bones. Parvana
reluctantly follows Shauzia across Kabul. Bones stick up out of
The next morning, Mother and Parvana set off for the prison.
the graveyard, and the bone broker sits at one end. The girls
As they walk, Mother shows people a photo of Father. At the
begin to dig. Parvana unearths a skull, names him Mr. Skull, and
prison, Parvana remembers Malali and helps her mother yell at
sets him on the gravestone. When the girls have exhumed five
the soldiers. They beat Mother until Parvana agrees to go.
skeletons, they take turns watching over the bones while they
When they get home, Parvana realizes that Mother’s feet are
pee in a bombed-out building. Parvana is terrified she’ll find a
bleeding—she hasn’t been out since the Taliban arrived. Nooria
land mine. Then, the girls take the bones to the broker. They’re
tends to Mother while Maryam washes Parvana’s blistered
shocked; it takes Parvana three days to make this much money.
feet. Mother cries and lies on a toshak for days. The food runs
The girls dig for the rest of the afternoon and agree that they
out, and since Parvana and Nooria are too afraid to fetch water,

don’t want to tell their families what they’ve done. Taliban won’t find them. They make it. Mrs. Weera cleans the
When Parvana gets home, however, she can’t get the image of woman up; she’s not much younger than Nooria. A day later, the
Mr. Skull out of her mind. She falls into Mother’s arms, sobs, woman introduces herself as Homa. She fled Mazar when the
and tells everyone everything. Mother insists that they don’t Taliban took the city. The soldiers shot Homa’s entire family and
need money badly enough to dig up bones, but Parvana insists wouldn’t let the living bury or cover their dead. When Homa
she’s going to dig until she has enough money to buy a tray and left, dogs were eating the bodies. Parvana is terrified that
items to sell. Nooria backs Parvana up and notes that they don’t Mother and Nooria are dead, so she lies on the toshak for days.
have money for rent, kerosene, or much food. Mother relents Shauzia stops by and asks Parvana to come back to work.
when Mrs. Weera points out that people have to do “unusual Life feels like a nightmare until Parvana gets home to find
things” to survive. After a week, Parvana and Shauzia have Father entering the apartment. Father slowly improves. Homa
enough money for their trays. is educated, so she and Father practice speaking English
Parvana spends her first morning back in the market writing together. Parvana begins to feel hopeful again and shares this
letters. The Window Woman drops a bead for Parvana. As with Shauzia. Shauzia says that she’s feeling hopeful, too: she’s
Parvana studies it, she thinks that she and Nooria don’t fight working to leave Afghanistan, as she heard that her
anymore. Fighting doesn’t make sense now. In the afternoons, grandfather is looking for a husband for her. When Mrs. Weera
Parvana and Shauzia sell cigarettes and gum. One Friday gets the news that many people from Mazar are in refugee
afternoon, the girls see men entering a stadium. Expecting to camps, Father and Parvana make plans to go look for Mother
make a fortune during a soccer game, the girls follow the crowd and Nooria. Mrs. Weera makes plans to go with Homa to
inside, but they soon become fearful. No one seems happy, and Pakistan, where she can meet up with her women’s group and
there are Taliban soldiers and prisoners on the field. Shauzia start a school. Mrs. Weera refuses to take Shauzia, though,
screams when a soldier cuts off a prisoner’s hand. The girls believing that the girl should stay with her family.
huddle on the floor as a kind man sitting above them tells them A few days before she leaves Kabul, Parvana receives another
to stay down and not look. Other men help them gather their gift from the Window Woman. To say goodbye to her friend,
scattered gum and cigarettes as the Taliban cut off six more Parvana digs up some wildflowers to plant in her spot. An old
hands, and when it’s over, they escort the girls out. For the next man helps her and scolds other men who insist it’s silly to plant
two days, Parvana stays home from the market. Mother and flowers. Two days later, Parvana bids Mrs. Weera, Homa, and
Mrs. Weera know what happens at the stadium thanks to Shauzia goodbye. Shauzia says she’s leaving soon, too, and she
women in their women’s group. When the family runs out of suggests that she and Parvana should meet in Paris on the first
bread, Parvana goes back to work. Shauzia is thrilled to have day of spring, 20 years from now. Parvana wonders what her
Parvana back. She tells Parvana a secret: she’s saving money to future will look like and feels ready to meet it.
run away to France. When Parvana asks about Shauzia’s family,
Shauzia says she knows leaving her family makes her a bad
person, but she’ll die if she stays. CHARA
CHARACTERS
CTERS
Spring turns to summer. The market ceases to interest Parvana,
MAJOR CHARACTERS
though the tribal people who sell fruit share their stories, which
Parvana then shares them her family. Mother and Mrs. Weera Parvana – Parvana is the novel’s 11-year-old protagonist. She’s
start a school for girls. Nooria teaches, but it’s hard with limited proud of being Afghan and adores Afghan history. She’s
time and resources. The Window Woman continues to drop particularly fond of the historical figure Malali, who led Afghan
gifts, but one day, Parvana hears the woman’s husband beating troops to victory during the war with the British. Thinking of
her. She plans to tell her family, but Mother announces that Malali often reminds Parvana to be brave. In many ways,
Nooria is getting married. Later, Nooria tells Parvana that this Parvana is still a child, even though she has a lot of
is a great opportunity—her new in-laws will send her to responsibility. Since she’s a young girl and not yet a woman, she
university, and the Taliban doesn’t control Mazar-e-Sharif, can still go to the market to help Father walk (he lost a leg in a
where her future husband lives. Mother decides that they’ll all bombing and has since sold his prothesis). It’s also Parvana’s
go to Mazar for the wedding, but Parvana refuses. She’s afraid sole responsibility to carry water for the family, as she’s the
that Father will get out of prison and no one will be home. only one in the family who can go to the tap alone without
Incensed, Mother decides to leave Parvana. attracting unwanted attention from the Taliban. At times,
Parvana resents this, but she also cares deeply for her family, so
Mrs. Weera encourages Parvana to keep some pocket money.
sometimes she’s proud. When the Taliban arrest Father,
Near the end of August, Parvana gets caught in a rainstorm,
Parvana must draw on all of these qualities to survive in the
takes shelter in a bombed-out building, and wakes up hearing a
difficult situation she finds herself in. She accepts Mother and
woman crying. The woman is terrified and she isn’t wearing a
Mrs. Weera’s plan to cut her hair and make her look like a boy
burqa. Parvana waits until dark to dash home, hoping that the

so she can go out and earn money for the family and buy them sold his prosthesis, he relies on a walking stick to travel short
food. She accepts grudgingly at first, but she soon discovers distances and Parvana to help him travel longer distances.
that life as a boy gives her a sense of invisibility that she craved Though the novel never explains what Father did before Kabul
as a girl. It also gives her more agency, as she spends her days fell to the Taliban, he now earns money writing and reading
alone in the market and has to make choices for herself. Best of letters for the many illiterate people in the market. He’s highly
all, while working in the market, Parvana stumbles upon an old educated and earned his degrees abroad, so the Taliban target
school friend, Shauzia, who is able to provide Parvana support and ultimately arrest him. His focus was on Afghan history, so
and camaraderie, as she’s also masquerading as a boy to feed he often tells the family stories from history in the evenings.
her family. As Parvana grows up over the course of the novel, One of his favorites is the story of Malali, a young Afghan girl
her childish bickering with her older sister, Nooria, gradually who led Afghan troops to victory against the British. He tells his
stops, and Parvana becomes more confident and secure in her daughters her story to inspire them to be brave and to figure
own choices. However, she never stops being a child and out ways to resist oppression. In this way, Father is very
regularly stumbles into situations that betray her youth and her progressive. He doesn’t believe in taking away women’s agency,
emotional immaturity, as when she and Shauzia find themselves so he encourages Mother to work despite the Taliban’s ban on
in a stadium where the Taliban cut off prisoners’ hands. women working. He also thinks that it’s their responsibility as
However, by the end of the novel, Parvana stands firm in her educated Afghans to remain in the country and rebuild it into
belief that it’s her duty to care for her family to the best of her something better, so he and Mother often fight about whether
ability, no matter what that entails. to leave Afghanistan or stay. The entire family is distraught
Nooria – Nooria is Parvana’s 17-year-old sister. Nooria and after his arrest, but Parvana often thinks of Father and of
Parvana’s relationship is strained because of their age Malali as she navigates the market undercover as a boy and
difference and because Nooria seems, to Parvana, to be a fully- takes over Father’s reading and writing business. He’s finally
fledged adult—and a beautiful one at that. The girls often insult released from prison at the end of the novel and soon regains
each other’s intelligence or appearance. Seemingly his sense of humor. Since he’s extremely loyal to his family, he
unbeknownst to Parvana, however, Nooria is under a great deal and Parvana set out to find Mother, Nooria, and the little ones
of pressure to care for the family, long before Parvana in refugee camps outside Mazar, even though Father fully
masquerades as a boy and takes on a bigger role within the admits that he’ll never be well enough to travel.
family herself. Even though she’s a teenager, Nooria functions Mrs. WWeer
eeraa – Mrs. Weera, an older woman, is a friend of
as an adult, caring for little Maryam and Ali and helping to Parvana’s family. A former gym teacher, Mrs. Weera is tall and
maintain the house. This is understandably frustrating for athletic, and she insists that she’s not afraid of the Taliban
Nooria, as she was a high school student before the Taliban because she could outrun the soldiers—and outfight them if
took Kabul, and she wanted to become a teacher. Under the necessary. In her youth she was a runner and earned medals for
Taliban, her dream no longer seems possible, so Nooria is bitter her speed, though she lost most of them in Kabul’s many
and even snappier than she used to be. However, as Parvana bombings over the last decade. When Parvana runs into her in
makes the shift to dressing like a boy and earning money, the market, Mrs. Weera and her toddler granddaughter are the
Nooria surprisingly comes to Parvana’s rescue and backs her last Weeras left. Mrs. Weera doesn’t let the Taliban’s
up on several occasions. She recognizes, as Parvana does, that oppressive rule make her sad or despondent, so she throws
the family needs to find a way to make more money, so she herself into getting Mother back up and feeling strong again.
wholeheartedly supports Parvana’s plan to dig up bones and She’s a welcome presence in Parvana’s home, as she’s another
come up with the cash to start selling small items off of a tray in adult who can relieve Nooria of some of her duties and inspires
the market. Nooria teaches in Mother and Mrs. Weera’s secret Mother to work on a magazine with her. Mrs. Weera is part of a
school, but her big opportunity to resist the Taliban comes with secret women’s group and takes pride in being able to resist the
a marriage proposal from an old neighbor. By marrying this Taliban in these underground, quiet ways. She’s also very
man, Nooria will marry into a family that will pay for her respectful of Parvana and her budding maturity, making it clear
education and allow her to work after she finishes university, all that she wants Parvana to forge her own path, but that she’ll
in a city that the Taliban doesn’t occupy. She understands that always be around if Parvana needs or wants support. Despite
this is her only way out. However when she, Mother, and the this seeming support for young girls’ independence, Mrs.
little ones head for Mazar for the wedding, the Taliban take the Weera does take offense when she learns that Shauzia wants to
city. Nooria’s fate is unknown at the end of the novel, but run away from her family. As far as Mrs. Weera is concerned,
Parvana and Father set out to try to find them. people have a responsibility to care for their families, even
Father – During the bombing in Kabul, Parvana’s father lost when it’s hard or means making sacrifices. At the end of the
one of his legs and suffered internal damage that Parvana novel, Mrs. Weera is prepared to take Homa with her to a
doesn’t entirely understand, so he is often tired. Because he refugee camp in Pakistan, where she plans to start a school and
work on more resistance efforts with her women’s group.

Shauzia – Shauzia is an old school acquaintance of Parvana’s. Kabul marketplace. When Parvana meets Homa, the girl is too
She quickly becomes a close friend when Parvana discovers afraid, exhausted, and hungry to speak, so Parvana refers to her
that Shauzia is working as a tea boy in the market, disguised as just as “the woman.” Once Homa is well enough to share her
a boy named Shafiq. The girls soon grow extremely close, as name, she also shares her story: she snuck onto a truck bed
they both understand the toll that working as a boy takes on after the Taliban took her home city of Mazar-e-Sharif. The
them—and they both see disturbing things in the course of Taliban shot and killed her parents and brother, and they
their work. Shauzia is always the one to come up with new wouldn’t allow anyone to cover or bury the bodies. Homa
ideas, such as selling small items off of trays and digging up remains in Kabul with Parvana, Mrs. Weera, and eventually,
bones to sell. However, she’s just as disturbed by the moral Father. She’s kind and helpful, and she’s educated, so she and
implications of digging up graves as Parvana is. Shauzia is Father practice their English together. Homa plans to
fiercely independent and since her father is dead, she doesn’t accompany Mrs. Weera to a refugee camp in Pakistan to start a
feel all that loyal to her family. She lives with her mother and school and work more closely with Mrs. Weera’s secret
her paternal grandparents, and her grandparents don’t believe women’s group.
women should be educated. Thus, if she remains with her The Window W Woman
oman – The window woman is a mysterious
family, Shauzia’s future will entail getting married in a year or woman who lives in an apartment right above where Parvana
two—and Shauzia wants to remain a boy for longer. She thrives sits in the market. Parvana only sees the woman once and never
on living independently and comes to believe that it’s her right learns her name, but they form a friendship of sorts as the
to seek a better life for herself, which is why she hatches her Window Woman drops occasional gifts onto Parvana’s blanket
plan to save money and run away to Paris before her family can below, such as pieces of embroidery or painted beads. Parvana
marry her off. Her plan, however, is very simplistic and reveals can tell that the Window Woman’s life isn’t safe or pleasant; she
her youth and her innocence. Regardless, she makes plans to once hears what sounds like the woman’s husband beating her.
leave with nomads not long after Parvana and Father leave for When Parvana and Father leave Kabul, Parvana plants flowers
the refugee camp outside of Mazar. where she usually puts her blanket so the Window Woman
Mother – Parvana’s mother used to write for a local Kabul knows she’s not coming back.
radio station, but since the Taliban took over, she hasn’t been Hossain – Hossain is Parvana’s deceased older brother who
able to work. Even though Father encourages her to work died at age 14 when he stepped on a land mine. Parvana was
secretly and to get out and observe what’s going on in the city, still a toddler at the time, so she has no memory of him. He and
Mother refuses on the grounds that she doesn’t want to have Nooria were close, though, and Nooria shares that Hossain
to go out with an escort. She also believes that the family adored baby Parvana. In the novel’s present, Mother and
should leave Afghanistan, though she never does. Despite Father are still grieving his death and so still hold onto his
these constant arguments, Mother and Father have a close, belongings, almost a decade after his death. Mother has a hard
loving relationship, and Mother is distraught when the Taliban time when Parvana has to wear Hossain’s old shalwar kameez
arrests her husband. She spends four days sleeping and only to pass as a boy.
gets up when an old friend, Mrs. Weera, arrives to help share
the work load around the house. A proud and righteous woman,
MINOR CHARACTERS
Mother doesn’t want Parvana to dig up bones in the graveyard.
It’s especially difficult for her when both Parvana and Nooria Maryam – Maryam is Parvana’s five-year-old little sister. She’s
refuse to listen to her or take her advice when it comes to a sweet and happy child, and she and Parvana have a good
making more much-needed money, but the novel implies that relationship.
Mother is being prideful to the point of possibly hurting her Ali – Ali is Parvana’s toddler brother. The Taliban took over
family. With Mrs. Weera around, however, Mother when he was only a few months old, so he’s never been outside.
begrudgingly agrees to begin writing again, and the two women
Mrs. W
Weer
eeraa’s Gr
Granddaughter
anddaughter – Mrs. Weera’s granddaughter is
work together to produce a magazine telling Afghan women’s
toddler about Ali’s age. She is the last surviving member of Mrs.
stories. This gives Mother a sense of purpose and gives her a
Weera’s family.
means to resist the Taliban in her own way. Near the end of the
novel, Mother leaves with Nooria and the little ones to attend
Nooria’s wedding in Mazar, but the Taliban take the city while TERMS
they’re traveling. It’s unknown where they are or whether
they’re even alive, but Parvana and Father leave to search for Burqa – A burqa is a long black garment that covers a woman’s
them at the end of the novel. body entirely from head to toe. For women in the novel, going
Homa / The W
Woman
oman – Homa is a teenager a little younger than out without wearing a burqa is illegal. Burqas also make it hard
Nooria whom Parvana finds in a bombed-out building in the to see and navigate the streets without tripping.

Chador – A chador is a scarf or cloth that women and girls wear gripped by conflict that hasn’t changed life for the better: the
to cover their hair. Soviets invaded in 1979, left a decade later, and the country
Nan – Flatbread. then fell into civil war. In the novel’s present, the Taliban
controls the country—and Kabul, a once-thriving metropolis, is
Shalwar Kameez – Shalwar kameez are garments worn by both
now mostly rubble and poverty. Though Parvana’s family very
men and women, consisting of long trousers and a long top.
clearly sees these conflicts as wholly negative, their pride in
Men’s shalwar kameez are all one color and have pockets;
their country, their city, and in their identity as Afghans shines
women’s versions are often patterned and embellished with
through the novel. Thus, The Breadwinner proposes that even as
embroidery or beading.
war and conflict dramatically change what Afghanistan looks
Sharia – In Islam, sharia is a body of teachings and Quran-based like and how its people live, people must maintain their sense of
guidance that helps Muslims live in accordance with God’s will. pride in themselves and in their country if they wish to survive
While Sharia is commonly mistaken for a kind of law in itself, and stay true to their identity as Afghans.
fiqh is the body of law that are based on those religious tenets
As Parvana and Father explain, Afghanistan’s long history is
of Islam. Such law is based upon guidance found in the Quran
marked by conflict and invasion—but every time, the Afghans
(Islam’s holy book) and the Sunnah (a collection of sayings from
expelled their invaders and emerged stronger and prouder
the Prophet Muhammad) that scholars then interpret into laws
than ever before. This is a point of pride for Parvana and her
about individuals’ appearance. In the novel, under the Taliban’s
family in particular, but it’s also a pride that she suggests is
strict interpretation, this includes the mandate that men must
shared by all Afghans. Parvana’s family, which was upper-
grow beards and women must wear burqas, as well as laws
middle class before bombings decimated the city of Kabul, is
forbidding women to work, receive education, or leave the
also proud of their educational achievements. Both Mother and
house without a male family member as an escort—but it’s
Father are highly educated and spent time abroad to earn their
crucial to note these laws are fallible human interpretations of
degrees. For a long time, the family saw itself as a proud and
what is otherwise considered the divine, philosophical
essential part of the modern, intellectual world. In the present,
teachings of scripture.
however, Parvana must grapple with the knowledge that the
Taliban / T
Talib
alib – The Taliban is a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist current invaders aren’t invaders in the same sense as historical
military group and political movement that controls invaders like Alexander the Great—the Taliban are Afghans, just
Afghanistan. The group is referred to as the Taliban; an ones with “very definite ideas about how things should be run.”
individual member is a Talib. Their name means “religious Their assumption of power, which began about a year before
scholar,” and part of their rule entails enforcing their version of Parvana’s story picks up, resulted in girls being kicked out of
Sharia law on Afghanistan. This means, in part, that Afghan school, women being forced to wear burqas (long garments
women are required to stay inside and only venture out with a that cover the wearer from head to toe) and give up agency and
male escort, while wearing burqas. They deny women jobs, and many families descending into poverty. For Parvana,
educational opportunities and violently maintain their power. the issue is as much that the invaders are her own countrymen
They arrest and release Father for no reason, and Parvana has as it is that everything she once took pride in about her country
seen them beat people in the streets for minor infractions. no longer exists.
Toshak – A toshak is a narrow mattress that take the place of Despite this, though, Parvana and her family learn that through
seating or beds. telling stories that help them remember their history and by
undertaking small acts of resistance, they can continue the
legacy of their predecessors and maintain their pride in their
THEMES country and cultural identity. For Mother; Parvana’s older sister
Nooria; and Mrs. Weera, an old friend with whom they
In LitCharts literature guides, each theme gets its own color-
reconnect, this means outwardly obeying the Taliban—while
coded icon. These icons make it easy to track where the themes
secretly starting a school for girls and putting together a
occur most prominently throughout the work. If you don't have
magazine chronicling the experiences of Afghan women under
a color printer, you can still use the icons to track themes in
the Taliban. With this, they can recreate the sense that
black and white.
Afghanistan values its women for their intelligence, their drive,
and their stories, with the added bonus that the magazine will
AFGHANISTAN, HISTORY, AND PRIDE enlighten others worldwide as to what’s really going on in the
The Breadwinner takes place in Kabul, the capital country. For Parvana, resistance takes a different form.
city of Afghanistan, around the year 2000. It Following Father’s arrest, which leaves them with no man able
follows 11-year-old Parvana and her family as they to support the family, Parvana assumes the identity of a made-
attempt to survive in a city that has, for the last 20 years, been up cousin, Kaseem, and takes over her father’s spot in the

market to write and read letters for people who are illiterate. mercy of the Taliban or one’s male family members.
As Kaseem, Parvana is understandably terrified of being found However, when the Taliban arrest Father, Parvana discovers
out—but she also realizes that assuming this identity is the only that she doesn’t have to play by the Taliban’s rules and take
way she can keep her family alive and enable her other family them at face value. Rather, she only needs to give the
members to engage in their own acts of resistance. Survival, appearance that she’s following the rules—and for her, this
and all the actions and deceptions that survival entails, means cutting her hair and dressing as a boy so she can make
becomes its own act of resistance. Though Parvana seems to money. Because Parvana is so young and still has the
understand on some level that Afghanistan is never going to be androgynous body of a child, she discovers that she can
the same country that Nooria or their parents remember from manipulate her appearance and now others perceive her, all
their childhoods, she nevertheless has the power to resist the through her clothing choices. If she wears her chador (head
Taliban—and in doing so, she can discover a sense of purpose scarf) around her hair, people on street perceive her as female;
and pride in her nationality. if she dresses in boys’ clothes, people perceive her as a young
boy. With this discovery comes immense freedom—the
GENDER RELATIONS freedom to feed and support her family, the freedom to move
The Breadwinner takes place when the Taliban through crowds without fear of persecution, and the freedom
controls Afghanistan, meaning that the country to rediscover the city she loves.
operates under Sharia law (religious laws that For adult women in Parvana’s life, however, finding freedom
govern all aspects of one’s life). Especially as Parvana and her must take a different form, as they cannot pass for male just by
mostly female family members see and experience it, this is cutting their hair and changing their clothes. At times, women
disastrous: the Taliban, to supposedly protect women, in Parvana’s life discover that the burqa can be both a blessing
mandates that they cannot leave the house except with a male and a curse: it may make it hard to walk and obscure their
family member as an escort and cannot attend school or work. identity, but if one is trying to hide, a burqa allows women to
This poses a number of issues for Parvana’s family—her father, hide in plain sight. Nooria leverages her femininity in a different
like many Afghans both male and female, lost part of his lower way by agreeing to marry a cousin. The cousin lives in a
leg in the bombings of Kabul, and so he struggles to provide for northern city that the Taliban doesn’t yet occupy, so the
his family. The situation becomes even more dire when the marriage won’t trap Nooria as it traps other young women.
Taliban arrests him, leaving the family without a male Rather, in the letter proposing the marriage, the relative writing
breadwinner. Though the novel is firm in its stance that the promises that Nooria can finish school and earn her degree if
Taliban enforcement of Sharia law harms women and does little she agrees to the marriage. While the Taliban does eventually
to protect them, it also suggests that in circumstances like intervene and take the northern city, Nooria’s plan
these, it’s essential for women to find new ways to leverage or nevertheless speaks to the ways in which women are forced to
subvert the restrictive gender roles imposed upon them. assert their agency in subtle, creative ways. And with this, The
The Taliban’s takeover of the Afghan government about a year Breadwinner ultimately makes the case that in the face of
before Parvana’s story begins brought many changes for oppression and strict rules, women certainly have less
Afghan women, none of them good. Before the takeover, both power—but it’s still possible to work within the system or
Parvana and her older sister, Nooria, happily attended school subvert it to better their lives and gain a sense of agency and
while both their parents worked. The Taliban, however, closed control.
schools for girls, and now Nooria and Mother busy themselves
at home cleaning while Parvana supports Father in his work FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP
reading and writing letters for people in the At its heart, The Breadwinner is a testament to the
market—something that, technically speaking, isn’t allowed.
power of family and friendship. Parvana’s family is
The Taliban also mandates that when women leave the house,
close-knit, and her family members do everything
they must wear burqas that cover them from head to toe and
they can to support one another, even with the presence of
be accompanied by a male relative, thereby depriving women of
normal bickering between siblings. Friendship is an important
any power or agency. Parvana notes that while these changes
source of support too—when Parvana is traversing Kabul
don’t affect how Mother and Father interact with each other
disguised as the boy Kaseem, it’s her rediscovered friendship
(given their progressive politics), for many couples, women’s
with an old school friend, Shauzia, that keeps her going and
lives turn upside-down as their fathers or husbands lean into
helps her feel safe in the world. With this, the novel positions
the new restrictions placed on women. If a man’s wife or
caring for and serving one’s family and friends as the most
daughter has lost a leg like Father, some even go so far as to sell
motivating and fulfilling thing a person can do—and in the case
those prosthetic legs. These changes paint a picture of female
of Parvana’s family in particular, it’s the only way to guarantee
life in Afghanistan that’s heavily policed, dangerous, and at the
the family’s survival.

As Parvana explains early in the novel, in her world, family more comfortably on her bride price than they currently do on
members are the only people that a person can trust. This her earnings from cigarette sales. For Shauzia, then, family isn’t
hasn’t always been true, however—it’s the new way of life since a supportive unit worth remaining loyal to—it’s something to
the Taliban came to power, as they encourage neighbors to spy escape. By contrast, when Father is released from prison, he
on each other. For safety, people can only trust their families. and Parvana turn their attention to figuring out what happened
While relying on family isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it soon to Mother and Nooria, who traveled north so that Nooria could
becomes clear that supportive relationships with family aren’t marry—but the Taliban took their destination city. For them,
enough to keep a family fed in Afghanistan—especially when their strong family bonds make it worth it to strike out without
the only family members a person has are female. Only men their friends in service of their family. Shauzia, however, she
and boys are allowed to leave the home, move freely, and earn prepares to take a different journey away from her family—one
money—so without a man or a boy in the family capable of that Shauzia hopes ends in France and will allow her to do more
working, families have no way to financially support with her life than simply be a bargaining chip. With this, the
themselves. Parvana finds herself in this situation after the novel makes the case that while both family and friends are
Taliban arrests Father, thereby putting Parvana, Mother, important and can help an individual survive, it’s important to
17-year-old Nooria, five-year-old Maryam, and toddler Ali (the identify who in one’s life is truly supportive and target one’s
only boy) in danger of starvation, deeper poverty, or even attention there.
arrest for not having a man to look after the women, as is
mandated by the Taliban’s rules. AGENCY, MATURITY, AND CHILDHOOD
Despite the Taliban’s work to sow suspicion and distrust among The novel’s protagonist, Parvana, is on the brink of
friends and neighbors, friendship nevertheless emerges as a puberty at 11 years old. In this state between child
more than passable alternative to family. A stroke of luck allows and adult, she has both more freedom and more
Parvana and her family to turn to an old friend, former gym responsibility than the female adults or near-adults in her
teacher Mrs. Weera. With her guidance and her unwillingness life—the Taliban isn’t as interested in policing the activities of
to simply sit and wallow in their poor fortune, they hatch the prepubescent girls as they are adult women, so she can usually
plan to dress Parvana as a boy so she can earn money in the get away with being out in the city. However, this also means
market. At the same time, Mrs. Weera provides Mother and that many tasks that are forbidden to adult women fall to
Nooria with much-needed emotional support. Whereas Father Parvana. By exploring how Parvana deals with simultaneously
couldn’t convince Mother to continue writing or resisting the being asked to emotionally mature long before she’s ready and
Taliban through her work, Mrs. Weera manages to do hold onto her childish appearance as long as possible, the novel
so—speaking again to the power of friends to perform the kind makes the case that growing up becomes far more complicated
of emotional labor that family members sometimes cannot. in situations like Parvana experiences. While the physical
Meanwhile, Parvana’s friendship with Shauzia becomes indicators that Parvana is still a child protect her and enable her
something even more meaningful: it means safety and to support her family, her emotional maturity is what allows her
solidarity, and Shauzia gives Parvana the courage to take steps to thrive.
she’d never have been brave enough to take alone. Like At the beginning of the novel, the narrator focuses primarily on
Parvana, Shauzia is young enough that she can successfully Parvana’s actions that reflect her childishness. As she helps
pose as a boy in order to work in the market. Because of this, Father in the market, she grouses and squirms about having to
the girls become especially close—they both understand the sit still and about how uncomfortable she is, and she stamps her
danger they’re in and bond over it as they protect and feet childishly when Mother and Nooria ask her to get water
encourage each other. Shauzia is the one to push Parvana to dig and help them clean. When the Taliban arrest Father, Parvana
up and sell bones to earn the capital they need to purchase feels powerless and childish. However, up until Father’s arrest,
cigarettes, fruit, and gum to then sell; selling small items off of Parvana has been able to be a child for the most part. She’s
trays is far more lucrative than Shauzia’s job at the tea stand or mature enough to have certain responsibilities, like fetching
Parvana’s job writing letters. It’s possible, then, to credit water and helping Father in the market, but she’s young enough
Parvana’s family’s friends—both Mrs. Weera and Shauzia—for that her parents and Nooria still enable her to have as carefree
the family’s continued survival. of a childhood as possible. Thus, it’s a shock for Parvana when,
Even though Parvana’s experiences speak to the power of after Father’s arrest, Mrs. Weera and Mother hatch a plan to
supporting one’s family, the novel also makes it clear that save them: Parvana will cut her hair, dress as a boy, and make
staying loyal to one’s friends can sometimes be even more money in the market to feed the family. For Parvana, this is an
important. Shauzia lives in fear that her paternal grandparents, affront to the agency and the safety she thought she had as a
whom she and her mother live with and who dislike her mother, child. As far as she’s concerned, she shouldn’t have to do these
will soon marry her off. This will allow her grandparents to live things because she’s so young—but she soon realizes that Mrs.

Weera and Mother are right. Parvana, because of where she is exert some control over their lives. For Shauzia, this takes the
in her development, is the only one of them who has a body form of running away so her family cannot marry her off, an
that’s still androgynous enough to pass for male yet is mature undoubtedly difficult decision. Because Parvana doesn’t face
enough to function independently in the market. the same kind of opposition at home, she may have more
Though Parvana initially chafes at her increased responsibility options when it comes to what actual maturity looks like for
and her new adult role, she eventually comes to realize that the her. However, she ends the novel understanding that if she
responsibility gives her a great deal of freedom and agency. At continues to advocate for herself and make her own decisions,
first, she does exactly as she’s told: she returns to Father’s she’ll be able to mature on her own terms.
regular spot in the market to read and write letters for people
who aren’t literate. However, when she discovers that an old
school acquaintance, Shauzia, is also posing as a boy to work in
SYMBOLS
the market, she begins to take advantage of her new, adult Symbols appear in teal text throughout the Summary and
freedom. With Shauzia’s encouragement, Parvana feels safe Analysis sections of this LitChart.
and comfortable making the choice to disobey her mother
when she and Shauzia learn that they can make a great deal of
money by digging up bones in a graveyard. This is no easy HAIR
choice for the girls: they know their parents won’t approve, Hair, Parvana’s in particular, represents both
they feel uncomfortable disturbing the dead, and they’re afraid Parvana’s changing identity and her dreams for the
of being found out by the other boys who are also out digging. future. At the beginning of the novel, Parvana mentions that
But they also realize that this is the only way they’ll ever make she has to cover her hair with her chador at all times, per the
enough money to provide more than bread and tea for their Taliban’s orders; her inability to show her hair mirrors her
families. By making choices like this and experimenting with powerlessness under the Taliban. She also describes her sister
their new responsibilities, the girls find more freedom and Nooria’s hair as gorgeous and silky, and the narrator notes that
agency than they ever thought possible. Parvana would like to have hair like Nooria’s—in this instance,
However, the novel continuously reminds the reader that Nooria’s hair represents a beautiful version of femininity that
Parvana and Shauzia’s independence and maturity will be Parvana aspires to. However, when Mother and Mrs. Weera
short-lived, and they’re only barely in charge of their own ask Parvana to cut her hair so she can pose as a boy, Parvana
lives—in many ways, they’re still children. Shauzia in particular discovers that whereas her long hair trapped her, having her
lives in fear that the family members she lives with will marry hair cut short frees her. With her hair short, Parvana can see a
her off as soon as she’s old enough, which will mean that they future that offers her agency and choice, something she didn’t
can live off her bride price rather than her meager earnings get with long hair that she was required to cover.
from selling cigarettes. Though Parvana’s family is far more
progressive and believes that women should have agency, not
just be married off, Parvana also knows that her ability to pass MALALI
for a boy will soon disappear as she enters puberty—and with it, The historical figure Malali symbolizes Parvana’s
she’ll be even more powerless than she was before she started vision of how she’d like to be seen as an Afghan
dressing as a boy. Additionally, Parvana and Shauzia often find woman: strong, courageous, and capable of creating change in
themselves in situations that are far beyond their her country. Malali was a 19th-century young woman who
comprehension as immature 11-year-olds. They’re shocked inspired Afghan troops and led them to victory during the war
and disturbed when they enter a soccer stadium, expecting to with the British, and Father tells Malali’s story often to inspire
sell cigarettes at a game, and instead find themselves watching his daughters to be brave and take on challenges. For Parvana,
the Taliban publically torture prisoners. Shauzia later insists thinking of Malali connects her to her father, the supportive
that her plan to run away to France will be easy; she’ll simply person in her life who encourages her to bravely face
join nomads until she gets to the sea and then take a boat, a everything that comes her way. Malali’s story also reminds
childishly simple plan that showcases a huge lack in Parvana that it’s possible to resist oppression and hopelessness
understanding of how the world works. Their innocence and and in the future, make Afghanistan a place that once again
naïveté isn’t something they can shake off just because they’re celebrates women like Malali—and possibly, women like
forced to act like adults in some ways; the world is still beyond Parvana as well.
their comprehension in a variety of ways.
As the first book in a series, The Breadwinner doesn’t entirely
solve these problems—but it does suggest that if the girls
QUO
QUOTES
TES
continue to believe that they have power and agency, they can Note: all page numbers for the quotes below refer to the

Oxford University Press edition of The Breadwinner published
in 2014. Page Number: 22
Explanation and Analysis

Chapter 1 Quotes
The narrator explains that Father, who’s missing part of his
History was her favorite subject, especially Afghan history.
lower leg, sold his prosthesis—but he, unlike many women,
Everybody had come to Afghanistan. The Persians came four
had a say in the matter. This observation helps detail for the
thousand years ago. Alexander the Great came too, followed by
reader the kind of economic situation Kabul’s population is
the Greeks, Arabs, Turks, British, and finally the Soviets. One of
in, as well as the issues that women face under the Taliban.
the conquerors, Tamerlane from Samarkand, cut off the heads
To be without a prosthesis means that a person is extremely
of his enemies and stacked them in huge piles, like melons at a
vulnerable. It’s harder to make money without being mobile,
fruit stand. All these people had come to Parvana’s beautiful
and it makes it necessary for Father to rely more on others
country to try to take it over, and the Afghans had kicked them
to help him—something he suggests at times isn’t wise,
all out again!
given that the Taliban encourages people to spy on each
other. Father, as a man, is less vulnerable than a woman is,
Related Characters: Father, Parvana however. Though his mobility is fairly limited (he needs a
walking stick, and Parvana often has to help him get
Related Themes: around), he has rights and privileges as a man that the
women the narrator references do not. The women who
Page Number: 18 have lost prosthetics are at the mercy of their husbands, in
addition to having lost the one thing that gave them agency.
That people would sell prosthetics at all speaks to just how
While Parvana thinks about missing school, she gives the poor everyone in Kabul is. For some, like Father, it’s worth
reader a brief overview of Afghanistan’s history. Her giving up the freedom to move around in order to feed one’s
description suggests that Afghanistan’s history centers family.
around conquest—and that, historically, the Afghans always
come out on top. For Parvana, this is a point of pride. She’s
proud to live in a country that has fought for its
independence and autonomy for millennia, especially For most of Parvana’s life, the city had been in ruins, and it
against such vast and intimidating powers as Alexander the was hard for her to imagine it another way. It hurt her to
Great and the British. However, this all changes in Parvana’s hear stories of old Kabul before the bombing. She didn’t want
present, as the current invaders, the Taliban, are Afghans. to think about everything the bombs had taken away, including
This makes it much harder for Parvana to fit what’s going on her father’s health and their beautiful home. It made her angry,
in her life into this idea she has of Afghan history and and since she could do nothing with her anger, it made her sad.
identity. Essentially, she’s faced with the question of how to
think about conquest and victory when the aggressors are Related Characters: Father, Parvana
her own countrymen, not foreigners from across the
continent or the globe. This means that she has to begin to Related Themes:
come up with a more nuanced view of Afghanistan and her
identity as a young Afghan woman as she comes of age and Page Number: 22-23
grapples with these questions.
On Parvana and Father’s walk home, the narrator explains
that Kabul has been rubble almost as long as Parvana has
There were a lot of false legs for sale in the market now.
been alive. One of the problems Parvana faces here is that,
Since the Taliban decreed that women must stay inside,
in her mind, Afghanistan is a proud, beautiful place. While in
many husbands took their wives’ false legs away. “You’re not
many ways Afghanistan is still that place, it’s much harder to
going anywhere, so why do you need a leg?” they asked.
believe that when the city is in shambles. It’s also
understandably hard for her to know that along with
Related Characters: Father, Parvana bringing about Afghanistan’s decline, the bombings have
also hurt Father physically—and their family in a variety of
Related Themes: other, less obvious ways. At this point in the novel, seeing
her beloved country in such a state just makes Parvana sad.

She doesn’t believe there’s anything she can do to improve Mother, Parvana
it, so she feels impotent and helpless. However, this is a
product of Parvana’s immaturity. The novel makes it clear Related Themes:
that there are many ways to resist, revolt, and wage war,
and that by engaging in meaningful resistance, Parvana can Page Number: 28
begin to figure out where she fits in this new landscape. Explanation and Analysis
Parvana thinks about how lonely she is in her new home; all
Chapter 2 Quotes her other siblings tend to pair up with each other, leaving
her alone—and Parvana can’t safely befriend any neighbor
Parvana knew she had to fetch the water because there children either, since the Taliban encourages neighbors to
was nobody else in the family who could do it. Sometimes this spy on one another. This shows that the Taliban have
made her resentful. Sometimes it made her proud. One thing created a culture of fear that discourages people from
she knew—it didn’t matter how she felt. Good mood or bad, the forming strong connections with each other and
water had to be fetched, and she had to fetch it. consequently makes them isolated and suspicious of
outsiders. It forces people, in other words, to rely only on
Related Characters: Maryam, Nooria, Mother, Parvana family. However, this is challenging for someone like
Parvana, who doesn’t have any siblings her age and who is
Related Themes: therefore on her own to fill her time. And by depriving
people in Kabul of their friends, the Taliban essentially leave
Page Number: 26 families to their own devices to survive, which the novel
makes clear doesn’t work—after all, Parvana and her family
survive largely thanks to kind friends and strangers. Here,
Here, Mother and Nooria ask Parvana to fetch water, even Parvana is taking on chores that Nooria and Mother cannot
though she’s just spent a long day in the market. Since do, and Father can only make so much in the market.
there’s no one else who can safely accomplish this task, it Families on their own in this system are liable to fail as soon
falls to Parvana. This speaks to the precarious state that as disaster strikes or something changes, because there’s no
women find themselves in under the Taliban. Mother and one else for them to rely on.
Nooria, as an adult and a young adult, can’t safely leave their
homes alone to fetch water for their family, simply because
they’re women. The Taliban may seek to protect women by
“How can we be brave?” Nooria asked. “We can’t even go
mandating that they stay inside, but in practice, this only
outside. How can we lead men into battle? I’ve seen
pushes families even deeper into poverty.
enough war. I don’t want to see any more.”
At the same time, children Parvana’s age, who aren’t policed
“There are many types of battles,” Father said quietly.
as heavily by the Taliban, must take on many household
duties that their parents or older siblings cannot do. It’s not
legal or entirely safe for Parvana to leave the apartment Related Characters: Father, Nooria (speaker), Parvana
alone to fetch water, but her chances of having a soldier
stop her are much less than Nooria or Mother’s chances. All Related Themes:
of this shows that the Taliban’s rules force children to grow
up much faster than they would otherwise. Related Symbols:
Page Number: 33
Other people lived in the part of the building that was still Explanation and Analysis
standing. Parvana saw them as she went to fetch water or
While telling Malali’s story after dinner, Father emphasizes
went out with her father to the marketplace. “We must keep
Malali’s bravery, as well as that of his own daughters and of
our distance,” Father told her. “The Taliban encourage neighbor
Afghan women more generally. Having spent a year living
to spy on neighbor. It is safer to keep to ourselves.”
under the Taliban’s oppressive rule, Nooria is
understandably hopeless and isn’t sure how to be brave in
Related Characters: Father (speaker), Maryam, Nooria, the world she inhabits. As far as she sees it, she’s isolated
and helpless—from her perspective, there’s not much she

Nooria looked terrified. If Parvana didn’t obey her, she
can actually do to make a difference. Father, however, would have to go for food herself.
alludes to the possibility that there are more ways to resist
Now I’ve got her, Parvana thought. I can make her as miserable
and be brave than actually leading men into battle, as Malali
as she makes me. But she was surprised to find that this
did. Resistance can take many forms, from the magazine
thought gave her no pleasure. Maybe she was too tired and too
that Mother later works on to Nooria’s teaching in a secret
hungry. Instead of turning her back, she took the money from
school. Even Parvana’s choice to turn into a boy and work
her sister’s hand.
for her family is a form of resistance. All of these things take
a significant amount of bravery and are certainly risky, but
none of them are flashy actions that would attract much Related Characters: Mother, Nooria, Parvana
attention. Father wants to impress on his daughters that
Malali is still a good example of bravery, but she’s more of an Related Themes:
archetype or an idea than an example to follow literally.
Page Number: 52

Chapter 4 Quotes
When Nooria decides to send Parvana, disguised as a boy,
“You are a writer. You must do your work.” to buy food in the market for the family, Parvana realizes
“If we had left Afghanistan when we had the chance, I could be she can refuse and force Nooria to go herself. Surprisingly,
doing my work!” though, having this power over Nooria doesn’t feel very
satisfying. In this moment, Parvana begins to come of age in
“We are Afghans. This is our home. If all the educated people
a big way. She realizes that there are far more pressing and
leave, who will rebuild the country?”
more important things in life—like feeding her younger
siblings and Mother—than engaging in a petty fight with her
Related Characters: Mother, Father (speaker), Parvana big sister. She’s beginning to think of people other than
herself, and decides to accept the responsibility she has to
Related Themes: care for her family. Though family has always been
important to Parvana, it’s gradually becoming the most
Page Number: 46 important thing to her and, therefore, something she’s
Explanation and Analysis willing to sacrifice and do scary things in order to support.
After Father is arrested, Parvana remembers arguments It’s telling, though, that Parvana’s seemingly mature
her parents had about whether or not to leave Afghanistan; perspective might just come from exhaustion and hunger.
Mother wanted to leave while they still had the opportunity The Taliban arrested Father for seemingly no reason, and in
to do so, while Father insisted they had a responsibility to essence did nothing more than terrorize Parvana’s family
their country to stay. Here, Father is demonstrating the kind and deprive them of their sole breadwinner. In a situation
of resistance he wants his daughters to learn to engage in like this, Parvana really has no choice but to grow up sooner
and appreciate. To him, staying rather than fleeing in fear is than she might otherwise and shoulder more responsibility.
its own quiet form of resistance. By staying, he may have the She must, if she wants to survive.
opportunity to work for a better future in his home country,
something they wouldn’t have as refugees or immigrants in
another country. Mother, however, refuses to do her work Chapter 5 Quotes
as a writer and a reporter while the Taliban are in charge. “Mrs. Weera!” Nooria exclaimed. Relief washed over her
Instead, she wants to be able to write about Afghanistan face. Here was someone who could take charge, who could take
and its issues from afar. As far as Father is concerned, some of the responsibility off of her shoulders.
Mother doesn’t yet understand the value of standing up to
the Taliban by writing now, when it’s illegal and dangerous to
Related Characters: Nooria (speaker), Mother, Parvana,
do so. As the novel unfolds, Mother indeed comes to see the
Mrs. Weera
value in this with help from Mrs. Weera.
Related Themes:
Page Number: 56-57

Explanation and Analysis is caring for her family. She knows that Mrs. Weera can’t
help them unless Parvana pulls her weight and gives Mrs.
When Parvana returns home from the market with Mrs. Weera what she needs to get Mother and the apartment
Weera, Nooria is relieved and ecstatic to have another adult cleaned up. At this moment, it doesn’t matter that her feet
around to help her. This drives home the fact that though are bleeding or the buckets are heavy. What matters is
Nooria is 17 and in many ways is treated like an adult, she’s getting her family to a place that doesn’t feel quite so dirty,
still a child. In this sense, she’s not all that different from desperate, and terrifying.
Parvana—she just has different constraints on what she can
do and how she’s expected to act.
With this, the novel highlights how war and conflict Chapter 6 Quotes
tragically robs children of their childhoods and forces them
“You’re not cutting my hair!” Parvana’s hands flew up to
to grow up much earlier than they should. Over the last four
her head.
days while Mother remained on the toshak, Nooria has had
to manage the little ones, prepare meals, and make choices “How else will you look like a boy?” Mother asked.
about how to allocate their dwindling resources. This is a lot “Cut Nooria’s hair! She’s the oldest! It’s her responsibility to
to ask of anyone, let alone someone so young. Mrs. Weera, look after me, not my responsibility to look after her!”
then, looks like a savior as she walks in the door. This, of “No one would believe me to be a boy,” Nooria said calmly,
course, has to do in part with Mrs. Weera’s confident, no- looking down at her body.
nonsense demeanor and her willingness to step in and
commandeer a situation—but in this situation, that’s
entirely a good thing, as it allows Nooria to feel like Related Characters: Nooria, Mother, Parvana (speaker),
someone is caring for her again, something she clearly Mrs. Weera
craves.
Related Themes:
Related Symbols:
She kept hauling water. Her arms were sore, and the
blisters on her feet started to bleed again, but she didn’t Page Number: 62
think about that. She fetched water because her family needed
it, because her father would have expected her to. Now that Explanation and Analysis
Mrs. Weera was there and her mother was up, things were After Mother and Mrs. Weera propose their plan to turn
going to get easier, and she would do her part. Parvana into a boy to Parvana, Parvana is angry and
terrified. At this point, Parvana’s hair is long. Though she
Related Characters: Father, Mother, Mrs. Weera, Parvana described it earlier in the novel as stringy, it’s still a point of
pride for her. It’s a symbol of her femininity, and she’s proud
Related Themes: of how long she’s gotten it to grow. Because of this, it’s
upsetting to be asked to cut it all off—it’s like being asked to
Page Number: 58 cut off a major part of her identity. However, even more
than being asked to give up her femininity, Parvana keys in
Explanation and Analysis on the fact that being turned into a boy means that the
While Mrs. Weera attends to Mother and Ali’s dirty diapers, adults are also effectively asking her to give up her
Parvana carries bucket after bucket of water from the tap to childhood. She needs to look like a boy so she can work and
the apartment. It’s important to keep in mind just how feed the family, something she cannot do as a girl. And for
treacherous of a journey this is—the apartment is on the Parvana, this is both insulting and unthinkable. In her mind,
third floor, and the steps going up are unstable and don’t adults and older children are supposed to care for those
have safe railings. Parvana has to work hard not just younger than they are, not the other way around. This is
because the bucket is heavy, but because the path from the why she suggests that Nooria dress as a boy instead. But
tap to home is so dangerous—although Parvana is a young because Parvana is at a place in her development where she
girl and not technically a woman yet, a Taliban soldier could can pass as male and Nooria isn’t, the responsibility falls to
certainly take offense to her being out alone and stop her at Parvana, whether she likes it or not.
any minute.
However, what’s more important to Parvana at this moment

“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
Related Symbols:
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?” Page Number: 67
Parvana realized Mrs. Weera was right. They could hold her
down and cut off her hair, but for anything more, they needed Explanation and Analysis
her cooperation. In the end, it really was her decision. During Parvana’s first trip to the market as a boy, she’s
Somehow, knowing that made it easier to agree. terrified that someone will identify her as a girl. However,
she soon discovers that as a boy, she’s invisible—no one
cares about another boy running about the market and
Related Characters: Mrs. Weera (speaker), Nooria, shopping. This gives Parvana the sense that being a boy will
Mother, Parvana give her freedom. Though she attempted to achieve
visibility in another way while she presented as a girl, what
Related Themes:
she was going for then was to not be noticed. However, in a
society that strictly polices girls and women, it’s far more
Related Symbols: difficult for a young girl like Parvana to achieve that
invisibility. She’s not supposed to be in the market anyway,
Page Number: 63 so she sticks out no matter how hard she tries to cover up
Explanation and Analysis her face and hair. But posing as a boy, Parvana is able to
blend in with the crowd. This begins to show her that if she
During the discussion about turning Parvana into a boy by
continues to run around in this disguise, she can make
cutting her hair, Mrs. Weera makes the point that Parvana
different decisions than she would as a girl. She can make
has to agree to this plan or it won’t work. For Parvana, this
decisions that will help her family and continue to give her
makes all the difference. In this moment, then, Parvana
more agency—far more than she ever had as a girl.
begins to see that while being made to resemble a boy
certainly will force her to mature more quickly, it will also
give her more agency over her life. All she has to do is
Chapter 7 Quotes
exercise that agency the first time, by agreeing to let the
adults cut her hair. Parvana took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Up until
then, she had seen Talibs only as men who beat women and
Mrs. Weera clearly understands that they need Parvana’s
arrested her father. Could they have feelings of sorrow, like
blessing in order to make this work. This is why she appeals
other human beings?
to Parvana’s feelings of being responsible to her family, and
it’s also why she’s encouraging. She knows that Parvana is Parvana found it all very confusing. [...] All day long, though, her
capable of acting the part of a young boy, and it’s important thoughts kept floating back to the Talib who missed his wife.
that Parvana hear that from someone she respects and
trusts. This begins to illustrate the importance of friends—at Related Characters: Father, Parvana
times, friends can sometimes convince a person to make the
right choice where their family cannot. Related Themes:
Page Number: 74
When she had gone into the market with her father, she Explanation and Analysis
had kept silent and covered up her face as much as
On Parvana’s first morning working alone in the market, a
possible. She had tried her best to be invisible. Now, with her
Taliban soldier comes to her with a letter written to his late
face open to the sunshine, she was invisible in another way. She
wife. Parvana is shocked when the soldier sheds a tear and
was just one more boy on the street. She was nothing worth
is visibly moved to hear the contents of the letter. In her
paying attention to.
mind, the soldiers are single-minded—in her experience,
Talibs are interested in policing women, beating people for
Related Characters: Father, Parvana infractions both minor and major, and arresting people for
no reason as they arrested Father. There’s no room in her
Related Themes: understanding of what the Taliban is for the possibility that
its members also have families whom they love and grieve

Chapter 11 Quotes
for when they die.
“No,” Parvana told her mother.
This, of course, isn’t to excuse the Taliban’s actions. Rather,
Parvana’s newfound understanding of this particular Talib’s “I beg your pardon?”
humanity shows Parvana’s growth as she comes of age. It “I don’t want to quit yet. Shauzia and I want to buy trays, and
takes significant maturity and strength to be able to things to sell from the trays. I can follow the crowd that way,
recognize another person’s humanity, especially when that instead of waiting for the crowd to come to me. I can make
other person is one’s enemy. As she mulls over what it more money.”
means that the soldier cried and misses his wife, her ability “We are managing fine on what you earn reading letters.”
to empathize with others grows and she takes a significant
“No, Mother, we’re not,” Nooria said.
step towards maturity.
Mother spun around to scold Nooria for talking back, but
Nooria kept talking.
Chapter 10 Quotes
“Do you think they’d mind us doing this?” Parvana asked. Related Characters: Nooria, Mother, Parvana (speaker),
“Who?” Shauzia
“The people who are buried here. Do you think they’d mind us Related Themes:
digging them up?”
Shauzia leaned on her board. “Depends on the type of people Page Number: 103-104
they were. If they were nasty, stingy people, they wouldn’t like
it. If they were kind and generous people, they wouldn’t mind.”
After Mother learns that Parvana earned a lot of money
“Would you mind?”
digging up bones in a graveyard, she insists that they don’t
Shauzia looked at her, opened her mouth to speak, then closed need that kind of money—but both Parvana and Nooria
it again and returned to her digging. Parvana didn’t ask her push back on Mother. In this moment, both Parvana and
again. Nooria begin to assume more agency and responsibility
than they have in the past. Both girls have, for the most part,
Related Characters: Shauzia, Parvana (speaker) deferred to their mother and acted the part of mostly
obedient children. In these difficult times, however, both
Related Themes: girls have had to grow up before they’re truly ready to do
so—and this gives them the courage to stand up to Mother.
Page Number: 96-97 For Parvana, having had the experience of moving through
the market independently as a boy makes her feel far more
mature and independent. Now that she’s seen how the
While Shauzia and Parvana dig up bones in the graveyard, world actually works out there, it makes more sense for her
they discuss whether the people whose graves they’re to push back on Mother and advocate for something that
digging up would mind. Parvana’s question reveals her she knows will help the family. In the same vein, Nooria sees
discomfort with the whole thing. Digging up graves is exactly what’s going on at home and therefore can support
unsettling for her—it feels disrespectful, and she’s likely not Parvana in her request. Just as Parvana sees how much
certain whether or not she’d be okay with it if she were one more lucrative selling off of trays will be, Nooria sees that
of the dead people whose graves are being disturbed. While the family needs the money, no matter what Mother says.
perhaps anyone would feel uncomfortable with this, Mother’s refusal is likely an attempt to hold onto her pride
Parvana’s discomfort with the situation is a clear reminder and to an idea of Afghanistan where people don’t need to
that she’s still a young girl, no matter how much dig up graves to get by—and while admirable in some sense,
responsibility she’s been forced to take on. The fact that the clinging to the past in this way isn’t helpful when it comes to
girls are digging up the bones regardless of their moral the family’s survival.
qualms speaks to the desperate situation in Kabul at this
time. This is a time that’s so lean and difficult for families
that children have to dig up the dead to bring home enough
food, as there are no other ways to make money that are as
lucrative and accessible to children.

Chapter 12 Quotes
Related Characters: Shauzia, Parvana (speaker)
“I need a break,” she told her mother. “I don’t want to see
anything ugly for a little while.” Related Themes:
Mother and Mrs. Weera had heard about the events at the
stadium from other women’s group mothers. Some had Page Number: 111
husbands or brothers who had been there. “This goes on every Explanation and Analysis
Friday,” Mother said. “What century are we living in?”
Shauzia shares with Parvana that she’s secretly planning to
run away to France as a boy so she can maintain some
Related Characters: Mother, Parvana (speaker), Shauzia, agency over her life. Parvana’s initial question shows that
Mrs. Weera while Parvana can appreciate the freedom that being a boy
gives her, it’s not something she wants to do forever. She
Related Themes: fundamentally wants to identify as female and be treated as
a young woman, so she looks forward to the day when she
Page Number: 109
can go back to dressing as a girl. For Shauzia, though, being
Explanation and Analysis a girl condemns her to a life at home, at the mercy of
relatives who either don’t like her, can’t advocate for her, or
Following Parvana’s horrifying experience at the stadium,
see her as a bargaining chip. Being a boy out in public is the
where she witnessed Taliban soldiers cutting off prisoners’
only way that Shauzia has any say over her life, while in
hands, she decides to stay home for several days to recover
Parvana’s more progressive household that believes in
from the experience. It’s important to keep in mind that
educating women and giving them some say in what
while what Parvana witnessed in the stadium would be
happens to them, she doesn’t feel the need to remain a boy
horrifying and difficult for anyone to process and move on
forever.
from, it’s especially hard because of her youth and her
innocence. Though she already saw the Taliban as Then, Shauzia’s declaration that she’s going to get on a boat
oppressors who are violent and lash out nonsensically, and go to France betrays her youth and naïveté. Though she
seeing them make such a spectacle out of cutting people’s goes on to provide a more in-depth explanation of how
hands off is uniquely damaging for her—especially when exactly she’s going to get to France, it really goes no deeper
Father is in prison and may find himself in the soccer than what she says here. She doesn’t understand how the
stadium to be tortured. world works or how a young person, male or female, is going
to be treated in the wider world. Part of this has to do with
The fact that Mother and Mrs. Weera already knew what
the fact that for her, the point is just to get away. In her
was happening in the stadium speaks to the power of
choice to focus so much on the act of leaving Kabul, she
friendship and connections amongst people who aren’t
hasn’t had the time or the energy to focus as much on the
related to each other. Having this kind of understanding
how. This narrow view still drives home how young and
doesn’t make the public torture any less horrifying, but it
immature she is despite her fierce independence and all of
helps the women grapple with what’s going on in their
the responsibility she has to shoulder.
world. And because they know what’s happening and even
have eyes in the stadium, watching for them, they can make
plans to expose these events through the magazine. Since
Mother and Mrs. Weera are women, the Taliban would Parvana remembered arguments between her father and
never expect this, so this becomes another way that the mother—her mother insisting they leave Afghanistan, her
women can resist in this setting. father insisting they stay. For the first time, Parvana wondered
why her mother didn’t just leave. In an instant, she answered
her own question. She couldn’t sneak away with four children
to take care of.
“Do you think we’ll still have to be boys in the spring?
That’s a long time from now.”
“I want to still be a boy then,” Shauzia insisted. “If I turn back Related Characters: Father, Mother, Shauzia, Parvana
into a girl, I’ll be stuck at home. I couldn’t stand that.”
Related Themes:
“Where will you go?”
“France. I’ll get on a boat and go to France.” Page Number: 109

Explanation and Analysis childhood, in addition to the childhoods of countless other

children. Due to the conflicts, financial troubles, and fear
As she listens to Shauzia talk about leaving Afghanistan, that permeate life in Afghanistan, Parvana isn’t the only
Parvana understands why Mother never just left the family child who has to take on far more responsibility than she
even though she desperately wanted to leave the ever wanted or expected to.
country—she didn’t feel she could leave her loved ones
behind. In this moment, Parvana realizes that while Shauzia
prizes her independence and agency over everything else,
Parvana’s true loyalty is to her family. And presumably, this The little gifts from the window kept landing on Parvana’s
is the case for the rest of Parvana’s family as well; this is, blanket every couple of weeks. Sometimes it was a piece of
after all, why Parvana believes Mother didn’t abandon the embroidery. Sometimes it was a piece of candy or a single bead.
family to chase a better life elsewhere in the world. It was as if the Window Woman was saying, “I’m still here,” in
Alongside her independence, this shows that Shauzia also the only way she could.
values her friendship with Parvana highly. She’s willing to
share this secret with Parvana, even though wanting to Related Characters: The Window Woman, Parvana
abandon her family goes against everything that both
Shauzia and Parvana have ever been told about how to Related Themes:
think of their relationships and their responsibilities to their
families. It’s a testament to how good and supportive of a Page Number: 117
friend Parvana is that Shauzia feels comfortable sharing this
with her, even if Parvana’s loyalties do still lie with her
family. Parvana happily gathers up the offerings from the Window
Woman when they land on her blanket in the market, and
she comes to realize that these gifts are probably a way for
the Window Woman to assert her existence. Though
Parvana was tired. She wanted to sit in a classroom and be
Parvana might not be able to fully make the connection, the
bored by a geography lesson. She wanted to be with her
Window Woman’s gifts are a way for the her to resist the
friends and talk about homework and games and what to do on
Taliban’s rule in a quiet way. Through the narrator and
school holidays. She didn’t want to know any more about death
Parvana’s descriptions of how the Taliban want women to
or blood or pain.
live their lives, it seems that they essentially want women to
be invisible, though this is ostensibly for the women’s own
Related Characters: Parvana protection. This is why women can’t go out, why windows
must be painted black so that no one can see women inside,
Related Themes: and why women must wear burqas when they do leave the
house. By dropping gifts down to Parvana, this woman can
Page Number: 109 tell someone—even if that someone is just a little boy—that
Explanation and Analysis she exists, even though the forces in power want to hide her
away and deny her agency.
As the weeks wear on, Parvana grows increasingly
despondent and isn’t amused anymore by her new life as a
boy, even if it does offer her freedom. With this, the novel Chapter 13 Quotes
makes it clear that Parvana is truly a child. The thrill of
navigating the market alone and making her own choices “Do you really want to do this?”
was certainly real and fun, but it’s starting to lose its appeal. Nooria nodded. “Look at my life here, Parvana. I hate living
It’s telling, then, that what Parvana craves is to be a bored under the Taliban. I’m tired of looking after the little ones. My
student who doesn’t have to think about how to make a little school classes happen so seldom, they’re of almost no value.
more money so she can feed her family. She’d like to have There’s no future for me here. At least in Mazar I can go to
the adults in her life take on those difficult questions so she school, walk the streets without having to wear a burqa, and
can go back to being a child whose concerns are no bigger get a job when I’ve completed school. Maybe in Mazar I can
than boring school lessons. This speaks to the way that the have some kind of life. Yes, I want to do this.”
war and conflict raging in Afghanistan have stolen Parvana’s

Related Characters: Nooria, Parvana (speaker), Shauzia motivate people to keep going when times are tough. The
possibility that her family is all gone is too much for Parvana
Related Themes: to bear—but Shauzia’s appearance and plea shows Parvana
that she’s not alone. She has friends, including Shauzia and
Page Number: 120 Mrs. Weera, who are there to help her get through, even in
the absence of the rest of her family. Though the Taliban,
according to Father, encourages neighbors and friends to
Nooria and Parvana discuss the proposal of marriage that spy on each other, the effect that Shauzia has on Parvana
arrived for Nooria, and Nooria lists her reasons for wanting makes it clear that it’s simply a matter of discovering those
to accept the proposal. As Nooria sees it, marriage—at least friends who are truly supportive. Shauzia chafes under the
this particular marriage—won’t trap her. Rather, it will give Taliban’s rule just as much as Parvana does, so she fully
her the freedom to more or less conduct her life as she supports Parvana in her acts of resistance.
might have before the Taliban took over. She’ll be able to go
to school, earn her own money, and regain some sense of
agency over her life. This is one way that Nooria can Chapter 15 Quotes
leverage her femininity in a way that works for her. Because
of her curvy body, she doesn’t have the option of dressing “Shauzia has family here. Do you mean to say she would
like a boy like her younger sister Parvana does, so she has to just leave her family? Desert the team just because the game is
figure out other ways to resist and use what she does have rough?”
to her advantage. It’s important to note, however, that Parvana said no more. In a way, Mrs. Weera was right. That was
marriage certainly doesn’t guarantee these things to all what Shauzia was doing. But Shauzia was also right. Didn’t she
women. For instance, Shauzia begins to hear at about this have a right to seek out a better life? Parvana couldn’t decide
time that her grandfather is looking for a husband for who was more right.
her—and the implication is that Shauzia will have no say in
the matter of her marriage. Nooria is able to see that
Related Characters: Mrs. Weera (speaker), Shauzia,
marriage can equal freedom because her family believes in
Parvana
giving women agency, but this is something that Shauzia’s
family doesn’t agree with. Related Themes:
Page Number: 141

Chapter 14 Quotes
“I don’t like working alone. The marketplace isn’t the same
when you’re not there. Won’t you come back?” As Mrs. Weera and Father make their respective plans to
leave Kabul, Parvana suggests that Mrs. Weera take Shauzia
Put to her like that, Parvana knew she could not refuse. [...] Part
with her. Mrs. Weera, however, refuses on the grounds that
of her wanted to slip away from everything, but another part
Shauzia has a responsibility to remain in Kabul and care for
wanted to get up and stay alive and continue to be Shauzia’s
her family to the best of her ability. It’s a testament to
friend. With a little prodding from Shauzia, that was the part
Parvana’s growing maturity that she can see both sides of
that won.
this argument and doesn’t unthinkingly come down on one
side or the other. She’s becoming more comfortable with
Related Characters: Shauzia (speaker), Homa / The this moral gray area, and she’s able to recognize that she
Woman, Nooria, Mother, Parvana and Shauzia can make different choices when it comes to
their families—and both of those choices can be right. Mrs.
Related Themes: Weera, meanwhile, represents a more narrow view of right
and wrong. In her mind, it’s unthinkable that a child would
Page Number: 135 abandon their family like this. She doesn’t acknowledge the
fact that Shauzia’s family plans to marry her off soon, a
prospect that Shauzia finds abhorrent—and that gives her
After Parvana spends two days on the toshak, grieving for no agency. In this situation, the children involved are
the possibility that Mother and Nooria died in Mazar, possibly better able to see the nuance of the situation, if
Shauzia stops by and convinces Parvana to go back to work only because they’re the ones who will have to live with the
in the market. This speaks to the power of friendship to

most important major consequences of the choices. market to show the Window Woman that she’s not coming
back, only one old man in the market steps forward to help
and support her. What this man says speaks to the way that
the Afghan people have become bitter and changed for the
“Do none of you appreciate nature? This boy has
worse over the last 20 years of conflict. They’re no longer
undertaken to bring a bit of beauty into our gray
marketplace, and do you thank him? Do you help him?” An old able to take pride in their identity as Afghans, people who,
man pushed his way to the front of the little gathering. With according to this man, appreciate beautiful things and the
natural world. The violence and conflict, this suggests, not
difficulty, he knelt down to help Parvana plant the flowers.
only robs children of their childhoods. It also has the
“Afghans love beautiful things,” he said, “but we have seen so
much ugliness, we sometimes forget how wonderful a thing like potential to rob an entire people of their identities and of a
a flower is.” way of thinking about the world that honors beauty,
kindness, and service.
In addition, this man recognizes that planting flowers is an
Related Characters: The Window Woman, Parvana
act of resistance. Planting the flowers is an assertion that
Parvana cares about her city and her people enough to try
Related Themes:
to make it a beautiful place—a radical position, given that
Page Number: 141 most of Kabul is rubble right now. But the novel suggests
that it’s through these acts of resistance that Afghanistan
Explanation and Analysis will ever start to resemble the thriving, proud country it
When Parvana attempts to plant some wildflowers in the once was.

SUMMARY AND ANAL

ANALYSIS
YSIS
The color-coded icons under each analysis entry make it easy to track where the themes occur most prominently throughout the
work. Each icon corresponds to one of the themes explained in the Themes section of this LitChart.
CHAPTER 1
Under her breath, Parvana whispers that she can read the Parvana’s fear in the marketplace paints a picture of life in Kabul
letter almost as well as Father can. She says it quietly because that’s terrifying for girls and women. They have no agency and
no one in the Kabul market wants to hear her say something aren’t even technically allowed to do things that help their
like this; she’s just in the market to help Father walk there and families—such as Parvana helping Father walk to and from the
back. Really, she shouldn’t be outside at all. The Taliban order all market. Parvana’s muttering that she can read the letter speaks to
girls and women to stay in their homes, and girls can’t even the fact that she’s educated, something that may be a liability to her
attend school. Mother was fired from her job as a writer for a now that the Taliban have forbidden women from going to school.
radio station. The family has been stuck in a one-room Her education might give her more freedom in other circumstances,
apartment for over a year now. Because Parvana is a small girl, but not as a woman in Kabul living under the Taliban.
though, she can get away with being outside. This is why she
helps Father walk. If a Talib ever asks, Father points to his
missing lower leg while Parvana tries to make herself look small
and invisible. She’s seen the way the Taliban beats women.
The customer asks Father to read his letter one more time. The way that Parvana describes her scattered friend group suggests
Parvana muses that she’d love to receive a letter. There’s mail that Afghanistan is no longer a safe place to live. The constant
service in Afghanistan again, but most of her friends left the conflict and danger may be part of the reason why so few people are
country to Pakistan or elsewhere. Parvana’s family has moved educated in Parvana’s community—they have more immediate
so often to escape bombing that none of Parvana’s friends needs, like mere survival, to think about. It’s significant that
know where she lives. The customer thanks Father and walks Parvana’s family believes in educating and respecting women’s
away. Parvana is lucky. Most people in Afghanistan can’t read or intellect. Her family values women first for their intellectual
write, but both her parents have college degrees and believe capabilities and what they can bring to the world in that regard,
that everyone, even girls, should be educated. Throughout the something the narration implies isn’t widespread.
afternoon, Parvana listens to Father and customers speak Dari
(her first language) and Pashtu, Afghanistan’s other official
language, which she doesn’t know as well. Her parents also
speak English.
In the market, men shop and vendors sell their wares and Parvana’s pride in Afghanistan’s history shines through when she
services. Parvana pays special attention to the tea shop. It lists all the former conquerors who came to Afghanistan and who
employs boys to run through the marketplace taking cups of were expelled. For her, attending school is a way to meaningfully
tea to customers who can’t leave their own shops. Parvana connect with this history. The Taliban have not only denied Parvana
whispers that she could perform that job, and she’d love to get the ability to go to school, but they’ve taken over Afghanistan from
to know the market. Father hears her and grouses that he’d within. They’re Afghans, which makes it harder for Parvana to figure
rather Parvana run around at school, which makes Parvana out how to think of them. In her mind, Afghans are all brave and
frown. She’d also rather be at school. She misses her uniform, proud, but the Taliban forces her to question this assessment.
her friends, and her favorite subject, Afghan history. Seemingly
everyone has come to Afghanistan over the years—the
Persians, Alexander the Great, the British, the Greeks, the
Turks—and the Afghans expelled all of them. Now, the Taliban
rules. They’re Afghans, but they have very specific ideas about
how life should be lived.
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When the Taliban first took Kabul, they shut down the schools. When Parvana doesn’t grasp what’s going on at first, it speaks to her
Parvana wasn’t sad then, because she didn’t want to take a immaturity and her naïveté—in her mind, the worst thing that could
math test she hadn’t prepared for, and she didn’t want her happen is that her teacher will send a note home and she’ll fail her
teacher to send a note home scolding her for talking. Nooria, math test. In reality, as Nooria’s reaction reveals, the situation is far
however, sobbed and called Parvana stupid when Parvana more dire than Parvana realizes. Her family is now in extreme
suggested that the Taliban would let them go back soon. poverty, as evidenced by the fact that they now live in a single room.
Parvana and Nooria’s relationship is difficult anyway—and The fact that they used to be so wealthy speaks to the way that
living in a single room, they can’t escape each other. It didn’t major conflicts like the wars in Afghanistan can fundamentally
used to be this way. Parvana’s parents had high-paying jobs and change life in a country for the worse.
the family lived in a big house with servants, a fridge, and a car.
Parvana shared a room with Maryam, but there was enough
space. A bomb destroyed that house, and several of their
increasingly smaller houses after that. Every time a bomb hit,
the family got poorer.
Afghanistan has been in wars for over 20 years. The Soviets The Soviets arrived in Afghanistan in 1979 and left a decade later;
came first to drop bombs. Parvana was born a month before after several years of civil war, the Taliban took control of
the Soviets withdrew; according to Nooria, they couldn’t stand Afghanistan in 1996. Nooria’s comment highlights the sibling
to be in the same country as such an ugly baby. Following the tensions between her and suggesting that, despite their extreme
Soviets’ departure, groups in Afghanistan began to fight each circumstances, this is a family like any other. Now, Parvana doesn’t
other and drop more bombs on Kabul. Parvana has spent her feel as proud of her country because the Taliban is in charge.
whole life listening to bombs and running from them. Now, the
Taliban controls most of the country. Though the Taliban’s
name means that they’re religious scholars, Father insists that
religion is about teaching kindness and how to be a better
person—and the Taliban isn’t doing that. These days, Kabul
doesn’t suffer as many bombs. The bombs are in the northern
part of the country.
When Father suggests they end their day, Parvana gathers up The narrator’s discussion of the prosthetic legs for sale in the market
the small household items and ornaments they’re trying to sell. makes it clear that Father is one of many who suffered a lost limb as
Mother and Nooria regularly go through the family’s a result of the bombs. However, because he’s a man, he doesn’t
belongings to come up with more things to send with Father. suffer in quite the same way that women do. The women the
Father slowly stands, takes Parvana’s arm, and they begin to narrator refers to are at the mercy of their husbands or fathers
hobble for home. He used to have a prosthetic leg, but he sold it when it comes to their mobility, which makes it harder to find ways
when a customer made a lucrative offer that Father simply to resist.
couldn’t turn down. Since the Taliban ordered women to stay
inside, there are now lots of prosthetic legs for sale. Many
husbands decided that if their wives couldn’t go anywhere, they
didn’t need their prosthetics.

Parvana and Father wander through Kabul. Many buildings It hurts Parvana to think about Kabul as a bright, bustling city
have been bombed, though the city was once beautiful. Nooria because that version of Kabul represents an idealized time that she
is old enough to remember restaurants, cinemas, and traffic doesn’t remember. The Kabul in front of her is fundamentally
lights. Parvana remembers none of this, so hearing about the different and makes it clear to her that Kabul (and Afghanistan
old Kabul hurts her and makes her sad. They turn down the side more broadly) is in deep trouble and will have to work hard to regain
street to their building and Parvana asks how women in burqas its sense of pride and agency. The recollection of Father naming
manage to navigate the streets. Father notes that they fall Mount Parvana reveals one way that people can gain agency: they
often. Parvana looks up to her favorite mountain, which she can can focus on good, hopeful things that make others in their family
see at the end of her street. Right after the family first moved happy.
to this building, Father insisted that since people name
mountains, he’s going to call the mountain Mount Parvana.
CHAPTER 2
Mother and Nooria are immersed in cleaning projects. Parvana It’s telling that Parvana is also the only one who can safely fetch
begins to take off her chador, but Nooria and Mother tell her to water for the family. Since Parvana is such a young girl and not yet a
fetch water first. It takes six trips to fill their water tank, and woman, the Taliban aren’t as interested in policing her appearance
Parvana hates the heavy work. Nooria quips that Parvana or her movements—but this will certainly change as she matures.
wouldn’t have so many trips if she’d done it yesterday and flips However, even as her youth protects her in this way, she seems to
her beautiful hair. Parvana grumbles as she hauls buckets up long to be more mature like Nooria—especially when she seems to
the stairs. No one helps her with her chores and that annoys envy Nooria’s beautiful long hair.
her, but she knows that Mother and Nooria can’t help—they’d
never make it up the dangerous, uneven stairs to their third-
floor apartment in burqas, and they can’t go out safely without
a man. Parvana is the only person in the family who can do it.
Sometimes she’s proud of this; sometimes she resents it. But
she knows that someone has to do the work.
When Parvana is done, she joins Maryam on the floor and Given Parvana’s youth, it’s understandable that she’s not entirely
compliments Maryam’s drawing. Mother and Nooria call sympathetic to Mother and Nooria’s attempts to keep busy. Even if
Parvana to help them clean out the cupboard. They just did it Parvana just has to sit still, she still gets to leave the house and see
three days ago, but with no work or school, there isn’t anything more than the four walls that Nooria and Mother do. In this sense,
else to do. Parvana hates all the cleaning—it uses up water her lack of sympathy comes from the tiny bit of privilege that she
quickly. Parvana looks around the tiny room, which contains has over Nooria and Mother. Her inability to make friends with
only a tall cupboard and their two toshaks. The lavatory is just a neighbors exposes another way that the Taliban have curtailed
small room with a platform toilet, the water tank, and the Parvana’s life, as they’ve effectively made people isolated from and
propane cookstove. The stove is there because the room has a suspicious of one another.
vent. Though they have neighbors in the part of the building
that’s still standing, Father insists they keep their distance. The
Taliban encourages neighbors to spy on each other. Because of
this, Parvana is lonely.
Mother and Nooria begin to put things back in the cupboard, The fact that Nooria needs to keep all her good clothes for her
and Mother hands Parvana new items to sell. Parvana is future marriage emphasizes the age gap between the girls. While
enraged that Mother is selling Parvana’s good shalwar kameez, Parvana wants to be seen as more adult (and therefore, be able to
but Mother insists there’s no need for it. Parvana asks why they keep clothes she loves), she cannot escape the reality that she’s only
don’t sell Nooria’s clothes, but Mother insists that Nooria will 11, while marriage and adulthood are rapidly approaching for
need them when she gets married. When Nooria makes faces Nooria.
at Parvana, Parvana insists that Noria’s husband will be
marrying a stuck-up snob. Mother shuts down Parvana’s tirade.
Parvana hates Nooria and if her mother weren’t her mother,
she’d hate her too.

Parvana’s anger disappears when Mother puts the parcel of Hossain’s death likely feels even weightier now, when the family
Hossain’s clothes away in the cupboard. Hossain used to be the could really use another man to help support them. As women,
oldest child, but a land mine killed him when he was 14. Mother Nooria and Parvana can only do so much to help out under the
and Father refuse to talk about Hossain, but according to Taliban’s rules. Parvana’s inability to catch the signals between
Nooria, he was a happy, laughing person and often played with Mother and Nooria speaks again to her youth, as she doesn’t yet
Nooria and baby Parvana. Parvana helps prepare supper, and have to tend to the family like an adult would. The secret signal also
after the meal, the family sits together. Parvana keeps a close seems to show that Mother and Nooria have become much closer
eye on Nooria and Mother for the silent signal that passes due to their circumstances.
between them that starts the cleanup process, but she can
never catch it.
Father, dressed in his good white shalwar kameez and with a It seems likely that Father intends Malali’s story to inspire his
freshly combed beard, looks rested and handsome. He tells the daughters to find ways to be brave, even if they can’t heroically
story of Malali. In 1880, the British invaded Afghanistan. charge into battle. Maryam, being so young, doesn’t understand
During one terrible battle, the British were winning, and the enough about what’s going on to share Nooria’s sense of
Afghans were feeling increasingly hopeless. But then a young hopelessness. Especially since Nooria can’t leave the house these
girl ripped off her veil, ran to the front of the battle, and waved days, it’s hard for her to formulate any feasible plans to resist. It’s
her veil like a battle flag. She led the Afghan soldiers into battle also important to note that Father also wants his daughters to learn
and victory. Father says the moral of the story is that to take pride in their identity as Afghan women, something that may
Afghanistan’s women are the bravest in the world, as they’ve be harder now under the Taliban.
inherited Malali’s courage. Maryam waves her arm, but Nooria
insists they can’t be brave if they can’t go out and lead men into
war. Father says there are many different kinds of battles as
Mother insists it’s time to clean up.
Parvana makes a face that causes the whole family to laugh. Father is well educated, so his ideas represent a kind of free-
Suddenly, four Taliban soldiers burst in. Ali screams and Nooria thinking, broad-minded Afghanistan that the Taliban sees as a
covers herself with her chador—the Taliban sometimes steal threat. Parvana’s choice to fling herself at the soldiers makes it clear
young women. Frozen from fear, Parvana watches the soldiers that she is, above all else, loyal to her family and willing to put
grab Father. Mother screams at them as they tell Father that herself in danger to protect people she loves. Especially given how
Afghanistan “doesn’t need [his] foreign ideas.” Mother hits the snippy she and Nooria have been, it’s important to see her
soldiers, but a soldier beats her with his rifle. Parvana flies at dedication to saving Father. It suggests that when things get rough,
the soldiers as they drag Father out and down the stairs. Two Parvana will rise to the occasion to protect family members and the
more soldiers dig through the cupboard and slash the toshaks. kind of Afghanistan she wants to live in—as represented by the
Parvana is terrified—Father has English books hidden in the books.
bottom of the cupboard, and the Taliban often burns books.
Parvana screams at the soldiers to leave until they turn to
beating her. When the soldiers finally leave, Mother gathers Ali
and Maryam comforts Parvana.
CHAPTER 3
Once Ali and Maryam fall asleep, Mother settles them on the Even when things are objectively bad, Mother suggests that Afghans
floor. Quietly, Mother, Nooria, and Parvana clean up and lie can still find ways to take pride in their country. She suggests that
down to sleep. Parvana can’t sleep. To her, every noise is either resistance is, in a way, part of the Afghan experience. This helps
the Taliban or Father returning, and she wonders what prison is Parvana begin to think of other ways to resist, and it helps her start
like. She remembers Mother saying that a person isn’t truly to make sense of Father’s arrest.
Afghan if they don’t know someone who’s been to prison;
Afghanistan regularly puts enemies in prison. Suddenly,
Parvana bolts upright and tells Mother they must light a lamp
for Father so he can get home. Mother, however, points out
that Father doesn’t have his walking stick and can’t walk home.

Parvana stays awake all night, staring at the one small window. The revelation that most of the Taliban cannot read makes it clear
It’s high on the wall, so Father refused to paint it black when that the Taliban rule through fear and violence, not through reason.
the Taliban ordered everyone paint their windows to obscure They and Parvana’s family are, in many ways, speaking entirely
the women inside. Finally, at dawn, she, Mother, and Nooria get different languages. Mother’s unwillingness to take the note speaks
up quietly. Nooria begins to heat water for tea, but Mother to her pride and her unwillingness to bend to the Taliban’s demands.
stops her—she and Parvana are going to get Father out of jail. While this may make her feel revolutionary and rebellious, however,
Since buses can’t carry women without a male escort, Mother her daughters are aware that this puts them all in danger of arrest
and Parvana must walk the whole way. The Taliban might still or worse. Nooria and Parvana may be better at working within the
stop them, though, so Parvana asks Nooria to write Mother a system to get by.
note. Mother refuses to carry it so Parvana tucks it in her
sleeve. Nooria whispers that she’s not sure it will help, since
most of the Taliban can’t read. Nooria uncharacteristically hugs
Parvana.
Parvana wraps her chador around her head and follows Mother The reactions of everyone who sees the photograph drives home
outside. She helps Mother down the stairs and Mother takes just how common it is for men like Father to be arrested. This
off into the streets. Parvana rushes behind; all the women look passage implies that Mother is one of many women on the lookout
the same in their burqas and she doesn’t want to lose Mother. for a lost husband or family member. This has become part of the
Occasionally, Mother stops and shows people a photo of Afghan experience.
Father. Photographs are illegal, but people just shake their
heads. Lots have people have been arrested; they know what
she’s asking.
Finally, after a long walk, Mother and Parvana reach Pul-i- Mother is in a burqa, so it’s impossible to see her facial expression
Charkhi Prison. It’s a scary place. Parvana reminds herself that and to fully gauge her body language, but her bravery and boldness
Malali wouldn’t be afraid and notes that Mother at least looks nevertheless shines through. Her bravery—plus the story of
unafraid. Mother marches up to a guard and says she’s here for Malali—is what emboldens Parvana to fight back against the
her husband. She brandishes her photograph and though the soldiers.
guards say nothing, more gather. Parvana hears Father’s voice
in her head calling her Malali, and she begins to shout for
Father as well. Finally, a soldier snatches the photograph and
tears it up and another begins beating Mother. He tells her to
go home. Another solider hits Parvana. When Parvana falls to
the ground, she quickly gathers the pieces of the photograph.
She then leaps up, says they’ll go, and helps Mother up. They
hobble home.
CHAPTER 4
Parvana and Mother get home late. Parvana is exhausted and in The fight that Parvana remembers her parents having suggests that
excruciating pain. When she takes off her sandals, she sees that Father feels more of a duty to his country than Mother does. For
her feet are bloody and covered in blisters. Mother’s feet are Father, it’s essential to stay so that he’s around to rebuild and
worse; she hasn’t been out since the Taliban took over a year advocate for the kind of Afghanistan he wants to live in. He
and a half ago. She could’ve gone out—Father would’ve taken understands that if they leave, they’ll have no say in the country’s
her any time—but Mother refused. She insisted that the Afghan direction if the Taliban is overthrown. Mother, however, chafes too
people would kick the Taliban out in no time and she’d stay in much under the Taliban’s rules and under Father’s refusal to leave
until then. She also snapped that if they’d left Afghanistan when to be willing to find other ways to perform her work.
they had the chance, she could still be working. She and Father
had this fight often, and Father always said they had a
responsibility to stay and rebuild their country.

Mother refuses Nooria’s help as she tears off her burqa and In difficult times, Parvana’s siblings are capable of putting aside
collapses onto a toshak. She sobs and allows Nooria to wash their differences to care for each other. Maryam and Nooria help
her dusty face and feet. Eventually, Mother falls asleep. Mother and Parvana transition to being home again among people
Maryam turns to Parvana and does the same thing, wiping who love them, which is important as Parvana works through what
Parvana’s face and soaking her feet. Nooria prepares supper happened. Parvana’s bad dreams highlight just how terrifying her
and Parvana shares that the guards wouldn’t tell them anything experience at the prison was. No child should have to see their
about Father. Before Parvana has a chance to eat, she falls mother beaten in front of them, and it’s understandably difficult for
asleep. She wakes in the morning and can’t bring herself to Parvana to process this.
move. All night, she dreamed about soldiers hitting her and
yelling her. She also watched the soldiers beating Mother in her
dream. Parvana jerks upright but relaxes when she sees that
Mother is still here.
Nooria offers to help Parvana to the washroom. Parvana At this point, it’s still disconcerting to have so much familial support.
accepts when she discovers how much her feet hurt. Parvana Parvana is so used to fighting with Nooria that it feels very wrong
comments that in their family, everyone leans on someone, but when Nooria helps her so much. However, it’s worth considering
Nooria snaps that she has no one to lean on. This is normal Nooria’s words more closely. Remember that Nooria is only 17, and
Nooria behavior, which makes Parvana feel better. As Parvana yet she’s taking on lots of responsibility at home. She may feel
washes and eats, Nooria offers Mother food. Mother refuses overwhelmed and out of her depth because she takes on so much
and spends the next two days lying down, only sitting up to and is treated like an adult.
drink tea or getting up to go to the washroom. Ali is distraught.
Nooria and Parvana distract the younger kids as best they can.
Parvana and Maryam reconstruct the photo of Father and
decide to tape it back together once they have tape.
On the third day, Parvana considers doing housework, but she Parvana’s family is in a difficult place because everyone who’s old
doesn’t want to disturb Mother. She and Nooria discuss that enough to go outside and function in society is female. It’s illegal
Mother has to get up soon, but nothing changes. Parvana wants and dangerous for them to go out, and for a long time, it feels safer
to read Father’s secret books but is afraid that the Taliban will to stay home and try to conserver resources than to go out and try
return. She also notices Ali growing quiet and withdrawn. to find more. However, when Mother continues to be unable to care
Nooria says he misses Mother. The room begins to smell when for her children, both Nooria and Parvana must grow up almost
Nooria decides to skip laundry to conserve water. Ali’s diapers instantly. And as they do this, it doesn’t make sense to fight or one-
pile up. On the fourth day, they run out of food. Parvana gently up each other, especially when the stakes are so high. In this
shakes Mother, but Mother refuses to get up. Nooria snaps moment, Parvana realizes that it’s more important to care for her
that Mother is depressed, but Parvana points out that they’re family, even if it’s scary, than it is to engage in petty fights with
all depressed—and hungry. The next day, Nooria insists that Nooria.
Parvana go out and buy food. Nooria looks terrified; she’ll have
to go if Parvana won’t. Strangely, having this power over Nooria
doesn’t make Parvana happy, so she accepts Nooria’s money.

CHAPTER 5
It’s odd to be in the market without Father. Men are supposed The confusion about whether Parvana is considered a woman or
to do all the shopping, but if women shop, they’re supposed to not speaks to where she is in her physical development. In many
stand outside and yell for what they need. Parvana isn’t sure if ways, she still looks like an androgynous child—but it’s impossible to
she’s considered a woman or not. If she stands outside, she confuse her for a boy since she dresses like a girl and covers her hair.
might get in trouble for not wearing a burqa; if she goes in, she The scolding from the Taliban soldier suggests that Parvana may
might get in trouble for not acting like a woman. She decides to have gotten by with Father because she was with a man; out alone,
buy her 10 loaves of nan first, since the baker’s stall opens onto she’s far more vulnerable. However, because she’s a quick child, she’s
the street. After, she heads for the produce stand. Suddenly, able to successfully make her escape.
she hears a voice shouting and turns to see a Taliban soldier. He
asks where Parvana’s father or husband is and hits her with a
stick. She shouts for the man to stop hitting her, which
surprises him enough that she’s able to run away.
Parvana holds the nan to her chest and runs as fast as she can. Mrs. Weera is clearly succeeding where Mother isn’t. Though she
She runs straight into a woman carrying a child. The woman wears the burqa like all other women, it obscures the fact that she’s
catches her arm and asks if she’s Parvana. The voice is familiar; still coming up with meaningful ways to resist, like starting a
Parvana realizes it’s Mrs. Weera. Mrs. Weera grouses that she magazine. Her appearance also offers hope that Parvana’s family
keeps forgetting that her face is covered and then asks why will now be able to draw on a friend for support, since their family is
Parvana is running. Through tears, Parvana says that a soldier unable to survive by itself with Father gone.
was chasing her. Mrs. Weera praises Parvana for running and
says she’d like to come visit Mother—she’s starting a magazine
and she needs Mother’s help. She ignores Parvana’s insistence
that Mother doesn’t want company. Parvana obediently leads
the way home and outside the apartment, she warns Mrs.
Weera that Mother isn’t well.
Nooria takes the nan and asks why Parvana didn’t buy anything Again, it’s telling that Nooria is so relieved to see Mrs. Weera. It
else, but Mrs. Weera throws off her burqa and tells Nooria that drives home that Nooria may look like an adult to Parvana, but she’s
the Taliban chased Parvana out of the market. Nooria looks really a child who’s out of her depth. On another note, it’s telling
relieved to see Mrs. Weera, an adult to take on some that Mrs. Weera focuses on working for the team. For her, it’s
responsibility. Mrs. Weera puts her granddaughter down, looks essential to pitch in and help out wherever she’s needed. All Afghans
around, and asks what’s going on and why there are so many are on her proverbial team, and if she doesn’t help, the entire team is
dirty diapers. Nooria explains that they’re afraid to go out and never going to get anywhere.
get water. Mrs. Weera insists that Parvana isn’t afraid and tells
Parvana to “do [her] bit for the team” and fetch water, sounding
like the physical education teacher she was before the Taliban
made her quit. Parvana motions to where Mother is and Nooria
explains that she’s been there for four days, since Father was
arrested.

Mrs. Weera takes the first two buckets and washes Mother. Mrs. Weera gives Parvana hope that not all is lost. She reminds
Parvana ignores her bleeding, blistered feet, thinking that she Parvana that the family does have friends in the world, if only
has to help her family. She believes things will get better with they’re willing to look for them. And further, Mrs. Weera seems very
Mother up and Mrs. Weera around. Mrs. Weera stops Parvana in tune with how to manage the tense relationship between Parvana
after the seventh bucket. Thirsty and exhausted, Parvana lifts a and Nooria. She understands that it’s essential to thank Parvana for
cup of unboiled water to her lips. Nooria snaps that Parvana is her hard work by getting her water as soon as possible—and
stupid and snatches the cup away—unboiled water is Nooria’s mean scolding isn’t going to help morale at home. Rather, if
dangerous. Mrs. Weera reprimands Nooria for her behavior the family intends to get through this, they’ll need to find healthier
but tells Nooria to bathe the little ones in cold water and boil and kinder ways to communicate with each other.
water for drinking first. Parvana sits next to Mother, who looks
better but tired. When Mrs. Weera offers Parvana a cup of hot
water, Parvana drinks it as fast as she can. Mrs. Weera and her
granddaughter stay the night. The adults and Nooria stay up
late talking.
CHAPTER 6
The next day, Mrs. Weera, Mother, and Nooria tell Parvana The suggestion that Parvana allow the adults to turn her into a boy
their plan: they’ll turn Parvana into a boy. Posing as their male is offensive to Parvana because in her mind, it means giving up
cousin from Jalalabad, Parvana will be able to work and shop in everything she knows and loves about herself. Even if her hair isn’t
the market. Nooria nastily says that no one will ask about as beautiful as Nooria’s, it’s still something that makes Parvana who
Parvana, but Parvana knows it’s true—none of her friends have she is. Further, the frantic suggestion that Nooria turn into a boy
seen her since the Taliban closed the schools, and her relatives instead reveals that Parvana believes this is too much to ask. And
are scattered. Mother’s voice catches as she says that Parvana indeed, it’s a lot of responsibility to place on an 11-year-old. But
will wear Hossain’s clothes. Parvana says this won’t work since given the circumstances, there’s little else the family can do to make
she has long hair, but Nooria pulls out the sewing kit and snaps ends meet.
the scissors open and closed. Parvana shrieks that they can’t
cut her hair. She says they can cut Nooria’s hair, since Nooria is
the oldest and it’s Nooria’s responsibility to look after her, but
Nooria looks at her adult body and points out that no one will
believe she’s a boy.
Parvana snaps that she’ll be curvy soon, but Mother heads off Mrs. Weera’s ability to present this to Parvana as a choice helps
the fight by saying they’ll deal with that later. For now, the fact Parvana see that she does have a choice—and if she chooses not to
remains that Parvana is the only one who can play the part. play along, the fact remains that her family will starve. Knowing
Mrs. Weera says that this has to be Parvana’s decision. They this, the choice becomes clear. And with that choice, the lopped-off
can force her to cut her hair, but Parvana has to be willing and hair comes to represent a younger, more immature version of
able to play the part in the market. Realizing that Mrs. Weera is Parvana. Cutting off her hair helps Parvana see that she can mold
right, Parvana agrees. Knowing it’s her choice makes it easier. herself to become the kind of person she wants to be—and her
Nooria announces that she’ll cut Parvana’s hair, but Mother willingness to agree to the plan suggests she wants to be someone
takes the scissors and Hossain’s clothes and leads Parvana into who cares for her family and makes the necessary sacrifices to do
the washroom. Parvana watches in the mirror as Mother cuts so.
her hair off at her neck. Mother holds the chunk up and
suggests they keep it tied with a ribbon, but Parvana refuses.
Her hair doesn’t seem important anymore.

Mother continues to cut. Parvana starts to feel like a different Simply experiencing what it’s like to wear boys’ clothes gives
person as her forehead gets bigger and her ears stick out. Her Parvana a sense of what’s possible now that people don’t see her as
hair curls, and the short cut makes her eyes look bigger. a girl. With pockets, she can carry money, candy, or whatever small
Parvana decides she has a nice face. When Mother announces items she finds—something she couldn’t do before. This gives her
that she’s done, she leaves Parvana alone to change. Parvana more control over how she conducts her life. It’s also telling that it’s
rubs her hands over her head and decides she likes it. She pulls only once her hair is gone that Parvana decides she has a nice face.
on Hossain’s pale green shalwar kameez. Though the trousers This suggests that her hair and the immaturity it represented is
are too long, if she rolls them up they fit okay. The shirt has what was holding her back before.
pockets, which is a nice change from girls’ clothes. When
Mother asks if Parvana is finished, Parvana steps out. Maryam
looks confused until she realizes it’s Parvana. Mother says
“Hossain” and looks ready to cry, so Nooria insults Parvana as a
distraction.
Mother hands Parvana a white cap with beautiful embroidery, It’s worth considering that while Parvana says that Nooria is safe
gives Parvana money and a scarf, and then sends her out. inside, the Taliban arrived to arrest Father with no knock, warrant,
Parvana reaches for her chador, but Nooria reminds her she or reason—and they could likely stop in to harass the women for no
won’t need it. Suddenly terrified that someone will recognize reason too. Being home may seem safer than being out, but it’s not
her, Parvana pleads with Mother to not force her to go out. exactly safe. This speaks again to Parvana’s immaturity. Her
Nooria nastily accuses Parvana of being scared, but Parvana discovery that she’s invisible as a boy, however, helps Parvana see
spits that it’s easy to call her scared when Nooria is safe inside. that by changing her identity, she can find a sense of freedom and
Parvana slams the door on her way out. At first, she’s nervous, agency that’s entirely new.
but no one pays her any attention. She realizes that while she
tried to act invisible as a girl in the market, now, she’s actually
invisible—she’s just another boy in the market.
Parvana boldly purchases tea and rice from a grocer who’s Even as Nooria seems to treat Parvana as more of an equal at times
grumpy, but not because Parvana is a girl. She then buys onions. during this passage, she’s still unable to let go of their childish feud.
When she returns home, Parvana proudly and excitedly This speaks to how slow and difficult change within families can
announces that she was successful, but Maryam is the only one be—both Parvana and Nooria need to dedicate themselves to
who seems excited. Mother is back on the toshak and Ali sits changing and focus on the bigger picture of the family’s survival if
next to her, trying to get her attention. Nooria hands Parvana they want to develop a better relationship. This passage also charts
the bucket; she has laundry to catch up on. She explains that how Nooria is beginning to prioritize the family’s wellbeing over
Mother is sad after seeing Hossain’s clothes and because Mrs. Mother’s comfort. This is why she suggests that Parvana stay in the
Weera went home. When Parvana finishes, Nooria suggests boys’ clothes, even though doing so is emotionally painful for
that Parvana stay in her boys’ clothes in case someone comes Mother.
by. She says that Mother will have to get used to it. Parvana
notices how old and tired Nooria looks and offers to help with
supper, but Nooria nastily refuses. Mother tries to be cheerful
at supper but has a hard time looking at Parvana.

CHAPTER 7
After breakfast the next morning, Mother sends Parvana back As the boy Kaseem, Parvana has to take on more responsibility than
to the market with Father’s writing things. Parvana is excited; if she ever has before—but when she realizes she’ll get to make money
she can make money, she might not have to do housework ever and evade housework, her newfound responsibility doesn’t seem so
again. She spreads her blanket where Father always sat, next to bad. With this, the novel begins to show that as Parvana gets
a wall of a house. There’s a window, painted black, above her practice making decisions for herself and being independent as
spot. She remembers how Father said that if they sit in the Kaseem, she’ll find a satisfying new sense of agency that’s greater
same spot every day, people will remember them and come to than she ever expected to get before.
them. Today, her name is Kaseem. She’s Father’s nephew, come
to help since Father is ill—saying he’s ill is safer than admitting
he’s in jail. Parvana spreads her blanket and waits for
customers.
No one stops for the first hour. Men walk by and look at This is a terrifying experience for Parvana. The Taliban, in her mind,
Parvana, and she fears someone will realize she’s a girl. When aren’t normal men with letters from loved ones—they’re cutthroat,
someone finally stops, Parvana trembles with fear. It’s a Taliban bloodthirsty soldiers who oppress, hurt, and kill people. This letter,
soldier. In Pashtu, he asks if she reads letters. Parvana says she however, helps Parvana see that the women in relationships with
reads and writes in Dari and Pashtu. The soldier pulls these soldiers share many of the same concerns Parvana and her
something out of his pocket and sits down beside her. He hands family does. This writer left Afghanistan, just like many of Parvana’s
her an old letter to read. The stamp is German and it’s friends and family members did, presumably to escape the conflict
addressed to Fatima Azima. The soldier says she was his wife. and bombings in Afghanistan.
The writer, Fatima’s aunt, writes that she won’t be around for
Fatima’s wedding, but she’s glad to be in Germany away from
the fighting. She knows Fatima’s father will have chosen a good
husband and wishes Fatima happiness and sons. She asks that
Fatima keep the letter once Fatima and her husband return to
Afghanistan.
The soldier is silent. Parvana asks if she should read the letter In this moment, the Taliban soldier begins to look a little more
again, but the soldier shakes his head and takes the letter back. human to Parvana. This doesn’t excuse the Taliban’s actions, but it
Parvana notices a tear in the soldier’s eye. He says that his wife highlights Parvana’s growing maturity and more nuanced
is dead. He found the letter in her things and wanted to know understanding of the world. She begins to understand that families
what it said. Remembering what Father did, Parvana asks if she and love bind people together, no matter what their political or
should write a reply. The soldier shakes his head and pays religious ideology may be.
Parvana. He walks away. Parvana is confused. To her, the
Taliban are just men who beat women and arrest people like
Father. She wonders if they feel sorrow, too. It’s very confusing.
She thinks about the soldier throughout the day.
Just before lunch, a man stops and asks the price for the red Parvana has grown a lot over the course of her one day in the
shalwar kameez. Mother didn’t tell Parvana what to ask, but market. She’s started to understand that everyone, no matter how
Parvana remembers how Mother used to argue with vendors seemingly evil they are, is human; she’s learned that she’s capable of
to get a lower price. Parvana thinks of all the hard work that her passing as a boy; and she’s learned that it’s satisfying to make
aunt put into the shalwar kameez and names a price. She and money and support her family even if doing so is a major risk.
the customer haggle and finally agree on a price. It feels so Through these leaps, she becomes more comfortable with her
good to make money that Parvana almost doesn’t regret selling identity as Kaseem and in her newfound freedom. This doesn’t
it. Parvana stays for a few more hours until she realizes she has mean she’s entirely independent, but she’s now more capable of
to go to the bathroom. Since there’s nowhere to safely go in the acting independently.
market, she packs up her things. She whispers to the sky for
Father to come back and movement from the window above
catches her eye. She heads home, proud of herself.

CHAPTER 8
When Parvana gets home, Mrs. Weera is there and announces Father couldn’t convince Mother to continue her writing, but Mrs.
that she’s moving in this afternoon. Parvana wants to return to Weera is clearly making headway. This speaks to friendship’s power
the market, but she’s happy to help Mrs. Weera move. Mother to bring about positive change in people—sometimes, friends can
announces that she and Mrs. Weera are going to start a have more of an effect than even close, loving family members. It’s
magazine and praises Parvana for her earnings. Nooria quips telling that Parvana notes Mrs. Weera’s confident gait and attitude.
that Father would’ve made more but seems to immediately By noticing Mrs. Weera’s fearlessness, Parvana begins to see that
regret saying this. Parvana is too happy to care. After lunch, she there are more ways to resist the Taliban’s rule—at least for Mrs.
follows Mrs. Weera through the city. Mrs. Weera still walks like Weera, one of them is simply to act unafraid and as though nothing
a gym teacher, as though she’s going to gather up stray is different. The magazine, too, is a form of resistance.
students. She comments that the Taliban don’t usually bother
women alone with children, but she’s not concerned if the
Taliban do stop them—she can outrun and outfight them, and
she’ll lecture them if need be. Parvana mentions that she saw a
Talib cry earlier, but Mrs. Weera doesn’t hear her.
In her basement apartment, Mrs. Weera explains that she and Like Parvana’s family, Mrs. Weera is mourning an Afghanistan that
her granddaughter are the last of the Weeras. Everyone else doesn’t exist anymore. In that old Afghanistan, women were
died from bombs, war, or pneumonia. Parvana helps Mrs. celebrated for their physical achievements in addition to their
Weera load her few items onto a loaned cart. Mrs. Weera intellectual ones—but now, under the Taliban’s rule, women are
shows Parvana a medal she managed to save. She proudly valued for neither. Parvana is so energetic and willing to take
explains that she won the medal for being the fastest woman Maryam to fetch water in part because she feels like she now has
runner in Afghanistan. They finish the move quickly. Parvana, purpose. Helping Father was also purposeful, but that help didn’t
still energetic, offers to fetch water and take Maryam with her. give her the opportunity to move around independently like she gets
Maryam is thrilled and Mrs. Weera insists that it’s safe now to today.
that Parvana is a boy. Unfortunately, Maryam’s sandals are too
small, since she hasn’t worn them in over a year. Since the
sandals are plastic, Mrs. Weera decides they’ll save them for
Ali. She wraps Maryam’s feet in cloth for today; tomorrow,
Parvana will buy new sandals.
Mrs. Weera warns Parvana to be careful, since Maryam’s feet Maryam’s obvious shock and awe at the world outside illuminates
will be tender. Before Mother can object, Maryam and Parvana another consequence of the conflicts in Afghanistan and the
hurry outside. Fetching water takes a long time. Maryam wants Taliban’s rule in particular: young children like Maryam and Ali don’t
to look at everything, but she has little muscle after a year even know what Afghanistan is really like, since they’re stuck inside.
inside. Parvana helps her down the stairs and shows Maryam Because they don’t have this information, it’s harder for them to
the tap. Maryam giggles as she washes her face and then develop a sense of who they are and where they fit into the world.
follows Parvana back to the apartment. The next day, Parvana This also has potentially dire consequences for later, too: having
buys Maryam sandals and Maryam begins accompanying never been outside, Maryam would never be able to do what
Parvana to the tap every afternoon. Though Parvana comes Parvana is doing—going to the market, fetching water, and feeding
home at midday, she wishes there was a latrine in the market so the family—if the necessity for that were to arise.
she could stay out all day.

A week after she begins working, Parvana suggests that she Mother’s pride and unwillingness to accept what’s happening in her
could escort Mother and Nooria so they can get fresh air, too. country means that she’s still depriving herself the opportunity to
Mrs. Weera insists this is a grand idea, but Nooria snaps that get out. Though the novel never condemns Mother for her choice to
she doesn’t want Parvana to escort her. Mother cuts Nooria off stay inside, it is possible to read Mother’s choice as giving in to the
and says that Ali needs to get out and Parvana can’t manage Taliban’s demands. However, one must also balance this
both children at the same time. Mother ignores Mrs. Weera’s interpretation with the fact that she’s still working on the magazine
insistence that she needs to get out too. So after this, every day and turned Parvana into a boy, so it’s possible to see that resistance
after lunch, Parvana takes Nooria, Ali, and Maryam outside for can take many different forms.
an hour. Ali was only a few months old when the Taliban came,
so he’s never been outside. Nooria suns her face when there’s
no one around, and sometimes Nooria and Mrs. Weera wash
the younger children in the tap.
Parvana makes less money than Father did, but she’s able to Even though Parvana has a great deal of independence and agency
feed the family. The younger children seem happier and livelier, in the market, her willingness to hand over all her earnings to
but Nooria complains that they’re harder to look after now that Mother at the end of every day speaks to how young and dependent
they’ve experienced the outdoors. Parvana hands over her she still is on her mother for guidance. Mother’s choice to go out
earnings every day after work, and sometimes Mother with Parvana suggests that she’s beginning to accept her new
accompanies Parvana to the market to shop. Parvana loves the normal and figure out ways to work within this system. The
time with Mother and she loves being in the market. She misses heartbreaking brush with the man who looks like Father reinforces
Father, but she gets used to his absence. One afternoon, that though Parvana is growing, she’s still a child who needs and
however, she sees Father in the market. She races after him, wants her parents to care for her.
shouting, and throws her arms around him—but looks up into a
strange face. The man comforts Parvana as she cries and tells
her not to give up hope.
Another afternoon, Parvana stands up to pack up and notices a The Window Woman’s offering helps Parvana see that friendship
small square of embroidered wool. She looks up to the black and camaraderie can take many different forms; it doesn’t have to
window above and wonders if it came from that apartment. look like Mrs. Weera stampeding into Parvana’s life to fix things.
Parvana decides the wind carried it to her blanket but a few Rather, friendship can also be acts of quiet support and the
days later, she discovers a beaded bracelet on her blanket. She recognition that another person is there. When Parvana runs into
looks up and sees that the window is open. Stepping closer, an old school friend, this shows her that she’s not alone in having to
Parvana catches sight of the woman inside. The Window shoulder so much responsibility.
Woman smiles and shuts her window. A few days later, Parvana
laughs as a tea boy almost collides with a donkey. Another tea
boy trips and spills empty cups all over her blanket. As Parvana
helps pick up the cups, she sees the boy’s face and gasps. He’s
not a boy; he’s a girl from Parvana’s class.

CHAPTER 9
Parvana whispers and confirms that the girl is Shauzia. Shauzia The recognition that staring at Shauzia could put her in danger
says her name now is Shafiq and Parvana says that she’s speaks to how finely tuned Parvana’s social skills are after spending
Kaseem. Shauzia says that she’s working, the same as Parvana, several weeks working on her own in the market. She knows that
and promises to come back later. Stunned, Parvana watches given the tense climate, the Taliban will be on the lookout for
Shauzia for a while and then decides she could put Shauzia in anything suspicious—and she and Shauzia are clearly at risk.
danger by staring. Parvana and Shauzia were just Shauzia’s story is surprisingly similar to Parvana’s, which suggests
acquaintances at school, but Parvana is thrilled to learn that that their situations aren’t so different from others in Kabul. There
there are other girls like her. At the end of the day, Shauzia could be many little girls dressed as boys working to feed their
offers Parvana some dried apricots and walks home with her. families.
Shauzia has been working in the market for six months, since
her brother went to Iran and her father died. Shauzia isn’t
convinced that Father is ever getting out of prison, but the girls
change the subject and discuss work.
Shauzia says she’d like to sell things off a tray instead of carry Mrs. Weera is able to pick out some hypocrisy on the part of
tea; it’s more lucrative. Parvana is intrigued, since her family Shauzia’s relatives: they don’t want girls to gain power through
seldom has money for kerosene and thus spends evenings in education, but they’re fine giving Shauzia the power of being a boy if
the dark. When they get to Parvana’s apartment, Shauzia it means they can eat. In essence, they’re fine with what Shauzia
accompanies Parvana inside and Mother greets her warmly, does as long as it benefits them—and in their mind, there’s no way
though they’ve never met before. Mother assures Shauzia that that education could do more than benefit Shauzia alone. This
she can visit any time, and Mrs. Weera wants to know if Shauzia begins to suggest that sometimes, family isn’t worth one’s whole
has been keeping up with her studies. Unfortunately, the support or loyalty. To her family, Shauzia seems like little more than
relatives Shauzia lives with don’t believe girls should be a bargaining chip, not a real person with thoughts and feelings of
educated, but they don’t mind that Shauzia dresses like a boy to her own.
work—it’s what allows them to eat. Mrs. Weera announces that
she’s thinking of starting a secret school and invites Shauzia to
come. She assures the girls that the Taliban aren’t invited.
After Shauzia leaves, Mother says she’d like to visit Shauzia’s Both Mother and Nooria’s excitement about the magazine and the
mother to get her story for her magazine. When Parvana asks, school speak to how fulfilling it can be to come up with these ways
Mrs. Weera says that they’re going to smuggle their stories to to resist. It gives them purpose and something to work for, just as
Pakistan, print the magazine there, and then smuggle the being a boy in the market gives Parvana something to work for. As
magazines back into Afghanistan. Suspicious that the women they discover these different ways of resisting, they’re also able to
are going to turn her into a magazine smuggler, Parvana asks take more pride in who they are as individuals and as resilient
who’s going to smuggle things. Mother says that they’ve Afghans.
connected with other women, some with sympathetic
husbands. Nooria is very excited about the school. Parvana isn’t
excited about the prospect of having Nooria as a teacher, but
she stays quiet. It’s nice to see Nooria so excited.
Parvana and Shauzia see each other nearly every day in the Parvana’s unwillingness to venture into the market speaks to the
market. Parvana always waits for Shauzia to come find her, fact that while she does have a lot of freedom right now, she’s not
since she’s too afraid to venture into the crowded market. One comfortable exercising those freedoms fully yet. Part of this is likely
afternoon during a lull, something lands on Parvana’s head; it simply because her job doesn’t require her to interact with too many
clearly came from the Window Woman. It’s a beautiful people, and some of it likely has to do with having been socialized as
embroidered handkerchief. Shauzia runs up before Parvana can a girl.
look up at the Window Woman in thanks and says she found a
way they can make money. She doesn’t like it, and Parvana
won’t either—but it pays.

CHAPTER 10
Parvana doesn’t tell Mother that Shauzia wants to go dig up The prospect of disturbing graves to sell the bones is
bones. The next day at the market, Parvana worries that this is understandably frightening to Parvana—the act of burying a body
a horrible idea, but Shauzia only says that she’s glad Parvana is, after all, meant to protect it from this kind of disturbance and
brought her blanket—they can use it to carry lots of bones. most cultures see this as disrespectful. However, given the difficult
Nervously, Parvana follows Shauzia and a group of boys. They times, this seems like one of the best ways for Shauzia and Parvana
walk to a part of Kabul that rockets destroyed, about an hour to make money—and given their families’ poverty, it’s imperative
away. Bombs didn’t just fall on buildings, though—they also fell that they figure something out so everyone can continue to eat.
on the cemetery and disturbed the graves. Bones stick up from
the earth, and Shauzia and Parvana can smell something
rotting. They watch the other boys start digging and Shauzia
points out the bone broker, the man who buys bones. She
doesn’t know what he does with them, but she doesn’t care.
The girls decide to start with a grave that already has a bone The discussion of whether the dead would mind being dug up
sticking out to minimize the risk of discovering a decomposing betrays just how uncomfortable the girls are with what they’re
body. They spread out their blanket and stare nervously at each doing. Shauzia’s unwillingness to answer whether she minds
other and the grave. Shauzia announces that they’re here to suggests that she probably would mind—even though she’d also
make money and pulls out the bone sticking out of the ground. probably consider herself kind and generous. Her clear discomfort
Parvana digs with a bit of board and starts pulling bones out with digging up the bones but her willingness to do so anyways
too. She wonders aloud whether the dead would mind being highlights the lengths that people in situations like this must go in
dug up. Shauzia suggests that the dead wouldn’t mind if they order to survive.
were generous in life. Parvana asks Shauzia if she’d mind, but
Shauzia can’t answer.
A minute later, Parvana digs up the skull and proudly holds it Naming and hanging onto Mr. Skull reads as somewhat immature.
out to Shauzia. Shauzia and Parvana name the skull “Mr. Skull” However, it’s also a way for the girls to try to deal with the horrifying
and prop him on the gravestone to be their mascot. They take nature of what they’re doing. As Mr. Skull, they can come up with a
Mr. Skull with them to the next five graves and arrange the persona for the body they’re exhuming and create a story that gives
other skulls they find next to him. After a while, Parvana them permission to dig. Parvana’s fear of land mines is
whispers that she has to pee. Shauzia points to a doorway in a understandable, especially given that a land mine tragically killed
ruined building and offers to keep watch over the bones. As her older brother, Hossain.
Parvana starts to head for the doorway, Shauzia jokingly tells
Parvana to watch out for land mines. Parvana remembers
Father saying that “Kabul has more land mines than flowers,”
and she remembers a presentation in school about what land
mines look like. Some are disguised as toys and are designed to
blow up children.

Parvana nervously peers in the doorway and wonders if a land For Parvana, death is less terrifying than being found out to be a girl.
mine destroyed the building. She can’t hold it until she gets This highlights how desperate she is to help her family by earning
home later, and she definitely can’t pee outside the money. The money, however, makes the fear and the danger seem
door—everyone in the graveyard will discover she’s a girl. Her worth it—and makes lying to Mother about her whereabouts seem
only option is to hope she doesn’t explode. Though Parvana like a reasonable plan. In this moment, then, Parvana is learning to
jokes with Shauzia upon her return that she kicked the land exercise her independence and her agency in a way that she knows
mines away, she’s shaking. Once Shauzia uses the bathroom, Mother wouldn’t approve of. She becomes more mature and adult
the girls drag their bundle of bones to the broker. They silently as she does this, as she begins to see the sense in lying if it means
accept the money, afraid that the broker made a mistake. When the family can eat.
they’re out of earshot, Parvana whispers that it took her three
days last week to make this much money. Shauzia hands her
half and they agree to keep digging. Parvana tries to come up
with an excuse for Mother as to why she didn’t come home in
the afternoon.
A few hours later, the cloud cover clears and sunlight Even if Parvana is well aware that she made more money today
illuminates the graveyard. Parvana nudges Shauzia and they than she ever dreamed of making, this doesn’t mean that the
look out over the scene of dirty boys digging up gleaming white experience of digging up bones wasn’t horrifying and disturbing. This
bones. Parvana says they must remember this in the future, is why she tries to wash the image of Mr. Skull out of her mind in the
even if no one believes it actually happened. They work for the tap; she’s struggling to reconcile what she did with the knowledge
rest of the afternoon. When they’re finished, Shauzia says she’s that she can now feed her family for a while. Shauzia, however,
going to keep some of her money for herself so she can buy her shows that she’s a bit more independent when she decides to save
trays; her family will just spend it if she hands it all over. Neither money for herself. To her, it’s more important to move up in business
girl wants to tell their families what they did all day, but they than it is to demonstrate her loyalty to her family.
agree to dig again tomorrow. Before heading home, Parvana
washes herself in the tap, clothes and all. She hides her extra
money in her pack and puts her head back under the tap,
hoping to wash the image of Mr. Skull from her mind.
CHAPTER 11
Mother rushes to Parvana as soon as Parvana gets home. She’s Mother’s pride shines through again here. While it’s perfectly
very concerned. Suddenly, Parvana feels overwhelmed by her reasonable for her to object to Parvana digging up bones on moral
day. She throws her arms around Mother’s neck and sobs. grounds, the fact remains that the family needs the money. When
When she’s calm, she looks down and admits she dug up graves. Parvana stand up to Mother and insist that she’s not going to quit,
She tells them everything. Mother is disgusted that Parvana attempts to recreate her sense of agency that she has out
Afghanistan has come to this point, but Mrs. Weera notes that in the world at home. She essentially asks Mother to treat her like an
she’s heard of people using bones for chicken feed, soap, adult capable of making decisions on her own, something that
buttons, and cooking oil. Nooria asks if it was worth it and Mother understandably finds difficult.
Parvana lays out all her money. Mrs. Weera is amazed, but
Mother insists that they don’t need money badly enough to
justify digging up bones. Parvana tells Mother she’s going to
keep digging so that she and Shauzia can purchase trays and
things to sell.

Surprisingly, Nooria backs Parvana up. She points out that they When Nooria backs Parvana up, it reveals that, as the situation has
can afford nan, rice, and tea, but they can’t pay rent or buy fuel gotten worse, Nooria and Parvana have formed an unlikely alliance.
for the lamps. Mother snaps that she’s glad Father isn’t here to Nooria is far more willing to look for different ways to rebel and get
witness this disrespect, but Mrs. Weera points out that Father by, so she feels she has little reason to object to Parvana’s
isn’t here—and people have to do “unusual things” to get by unconventional and questionably moral choices. And in the end,
right now. Mother finally relents and sends Parvana off with a survival wins out and Mother relents.
packet of nan for lunch. Parvana can’t bring herself to eat in the
graveyards, so she always gives it to a beggar. After two weeks,
she and Shauzia have enough money for trays and they decide
to buy cigarettes, matches, and gum. Shauzia is elated to not
have to work as a tea boy; Parvana is just glad to be done
digging up bones.
Parvana spends her first morning back in the market writing Parvana’s ability to reflect on her potential changes speaks to how
letters. The Window Woman drops a red wooden bead. As much she’s matured in the last few months. She now has the self-
Parvana rolls it between her fingers, she thinks of Nooria. knowledge and insight to examine her own behavior and reactions
Nooria hasn’t been nasty to Parvana in a while. Parvana to the circumstances, and she’s able to see Nooria as more than just
wonders if she’s changed or if Nooria has. In any case, arguing an obnoxious and bossy older sister. It’s likely true that both girls are
with Nooria no longer makes sense. In the afternoon, Parvana growing and maturing.
meets up with Shauzia to wander the market. Selling off of the
trays isn’t as lucrative as digging up bones, but they make more
than they did in their previous jobs.
One Friday afternoon, Shauzia points to a crowd of people This incident betrays the girls’ youth and their naïveté. There’s no
entering a sports stadium. Parvana is elated; they can make a indication that soccer or sports of any kind are still on under the
fortune selling to people who will want to smoke and chew gum Taliban, and this should read as a red flag to the girls. However, once
while they watch a soccer game. They run to the entrance, they’re in the stadium and begin to see that this clearly isn’t a
dodge the Taliban guards at the door, and slip inside. The girls sporting event, the girls realize they’re stuck. Surrounded by the
are intimidated by the full stands, so they stick together as they Taliban, it would be an especially horrible time for someone to see
head up into the stands. Shauzia and Parvana note that nobody through their disguises. In this instance, their agency and ability to
is cheering and nobody seems happy. It doesn’t seem right. move freely through Kabul hasn’t prepared them to witness some of
Frightened, the girls watch Taliban soldiers walk onto the field. the darker aspects of the city.
They decide to leave once the game starts as to not draw
attention to themselves, but then, men in handcuffs walk onto
the field. Two soldiers carry on a heavy table. This looks nothing
like a soccer game.
The girls are confused, especially when a soldier unties one of As horrifying as this experience is, it’s important to pay attention to
the prisoners and bends him over the table. Others hold him the kind men who protect Shauzia and Parvana, comfort them, and
down. A soldier raises a sword and cuts off the prisoner’s arm. get them safely out of the stadium. Clearly, there are more friends in
Shauzia and the prisoner both scream. Parvana puts a hand Kabul than the girls are aware of—and there are lots of people who
over Shauzia’s mouth and drags her to the floor. A kind voice don’t agree with what the Taliban is doing. This suggests that if the
above them murmurs to Shauzia and Parvana to keep their girls and their families were perhaps more willing to trust their
heads down; they’re too young to see this. Other men around neighbors, they may find that their community is much bigger than
them help gather the scattered gum and cigarettes, and the they thought—and that the community cares deeply about
girls huddle on the floor as the Taliban cuts off six more arms. preserving the innocence of youth in any way possible.
The soldiers call out that the prisoners are thieves. Finally, the
kind man tells the girls it’s over. He and a few other men escort
them out of the stadium. As she leaves, Parvana sees a young
soldier proudly holding a rope with four severed hands tied to
it.

CHAPTER 12
For the next few days, Parvana stays home from the market. Mother and Mrs. Weera’s willingness to let Parvana stay home
She takes Nooria and the little ones outside, but she tells shows that they’re both learning to trust Parvana and respect her
Mother that she doesn’t want to see anything ugly for a while. independence. They also understand that Parvana, as a child, never
Mother and Mrs. Weera already know about what goes on at should’ve seen what she did—and so she needs time to process her
the stadium on Fridays from other people in their women’s trauma and recover from that ordeal. However, Parvana knows that
group. Mother asks what century they’re living in. Parvana she still has to care for her family and go back to work, even if she
wants to ask if Father will end up in the stadium, but she stays doesn’t feel like it anymore.
quiet. Instead, she fills her time helping Maryam learn to count,
listening to Mrs. Weera’s stories, and trying to learn how to
mend from Nooria. When the bread runs out, nobody says
anything. Parvana gets up and goes to work anyway. She knows
she must.
Shauzia is happy to see Parvana again and wishes she could get Shauzia’s plan to get to France is extremely simplistic and betrays
a few quiet days for herself—her grandparents don’t like her just how young and innocent Shauzia is despite being so responsible
mother, and her mother hates living with the grandparents, so and independent. It’s also important to note that for Shauzia, she
everyone is grumpy at her house. Shauzia leads Parvana to a thrives on the freedom she has as a boy. For her, being a girl no
low wall to share a secret: she’s saving money so she can longer seems interesting or worthwhile, given how limited of a life
escape. She explains that she’ll stay until next spring, and she she’d have to leave. It’s her sex itself, she sees, that’s holding her
insists that she wants to still be a boy then—if she goes back to back.
being a girl, she’ll be stuck at home. She wants to go to France
and says brightly that in all the pictures of France, there’s sun
and flowers. Bad days must not be so bad there. She’ll get there
by traveling to Pakistan with nomads and then getting on a boat
when she reaches the Arabian Sea.
Parvana can’t imagine going on a journey like this alone, but It’s telling that Shauzia insists she’s a bad person for wanting to
Shauzia insists that no one will pay attention to a little orphan leave. This drives home just how important it is in this community
boy. Her only concern is that she hasn’t waited too long. Her for children to care for their families. But Shauzia, being so
body is already starting to change, and if she starts to look too independent, cannot abide by living her life as a girl when, in her
much like a girl before she leaves, she’ll be stuck here forever. experience, this means that she has no agency or say in her life. For
Thinking hard, Parvana remembers how Nooria’s body Parvana, it’s another major moment of growth when she realizes
changed and says that she thinks Shauzia has time. She asks why Mother never chose to leave. While Parvana respects her
how Shauzia’s family will eat without her. Shauzia is clearly friend’s independence, Parvana also knows that for her—and for
upset, but she insists she has to escape—leaving might make Mother—family comes first.
her a bad person, but she’ll die if she stays. Parvana remembers
how her parents used to fight. Mother wanted to leave
Afghanistan. Parvana wonders why Mother didn’t just go, but
then answers the question herself: Mother couldn’t leave her
four children.
Parvana laments that they can’t be normal kids anymore. She It’s likely that Shauzia is a little further ahead of Parvana in her
wants to go to school and not have to work for her own food. development, given that she has no interest in going back to being a
Shauzia insists she could never go back and asks if Parvana child whom others care for. Parvana, however, also has guardians
wants to come with. Parvana declines—she doesn’t think she who care for her in a more respectful way than Shauzia’s relatives
can leave her family—but she tells Shauzia about the Window seem to, so reverting to being a dependent student might not seem
Woman and her gifts. Shauzia wonders if the woman is a quite as stifling to her as it does to Shauzia.
princess and Parvana briefly imagines herself saving the
princess and riding away with her to safety.

As summer arrives, Parvana spends her days running through It’s hard for Parvana to find meaning and purpose now that she’s
the market with Shauzia, selling dried fruit and nuts alongside seen so many awful things—and since nothing seems to change
her cigarettes. The girls are shy, so they prefer for their much. Because of this, she fixates on how good she had it when she
customers to notice them and don’t like to get in people’s way. was still in school and had competent, respected adults to care for
Parvana is exhausted and wants to be a bored student again. her. This again reveals her immaturity. However, she still finds ways
The marketplace no longer seems interesting or funny, and to look for beauty in her day-to-day life. She does this by asking for
everyone she sees is hungry and sick. Flowers bloom just like the tribal people’s stories. As she does this, she also learns more
they used to, but Parvana’s small apartment gets hot and stuffy. about her country and what’s going on far away from Kabul, which
On days when Parvana makes a little extra, she purchases fruit is important for her to learn as she figures out what it means to be
from the fertile valleys that the Taliban hasn’t bombed. As tribal an Afghan woman.
people flood Kabul with goods to sell, some stop to purchase
cigarettes or to have Parvana read or write a letter. She always
asks them about their homes and tells their stories to her
family when she gets home.
Mother and Mrs. Weera start their school and are very careful Hearing the Window Woman’s husband beat her impresses upon
to avoid the Taliban. Nooria teaches five girls about Maryam’s Parvana that while she, Shauzia, and Nooria might have a degree of
age, never in the same place or at the same time. However, power in their homes for various reasons, not all women enjoy that
Nooria can only do so much with her students with so little kind of power. Many are at the mercy of their husbands, some of
time and such limited supplies. Every few weeks, another gift whom seem to support the Taliban’s increased restrictions on
from the Window Woman lands on Parvana’s blanket. It’s like women. The man who tells Parvana to not worry about the abuse
she’s telling Parvana that she’s there in the only way she can. happening inside essentially tells her that it’s inappropriate to blend
One afternoon, though, Parvana hears an angry man shouting public and private life. It’s not acceptable to take issue with what
and a woman screaming inside. When she hears thuds, she happens behind closed doors—even if what happens is dangerous or
stands up but can’t see through the painted window. A man cruel.
behind Parvana holds out a letter and tells her to forget about
what goes on in other people’s homes. Though Parvana plans to
tell her family about it that night, Mother announces that
Nooria is getting married.
CHAPTER 13
The next afternoon, while Parvana and Nooria are out on a For Nooria, marriage doesn’t represent the same kind of oppression
walk, Parvana points out that Nooria has never met the groom. or violence as it does for the Window Woman, for instance. For
Nooria reminds Parvana that the groom used to be their Nooria, marriage will allow her to become more independent, not
neighbor—and marrying will allow her to go back to school. less. This illustrates how Nooria has to come up with different ways
She’ll live in Mazar-e-Sharif, where the Taliban don’t have to leverage her femininity to make a better life for herself, just as
control, and the groom’s parents will even send her to Parvana has to transform herself into a boy to find any sense of
university. The letter detailing all of this was passed from agency. Marriage, for Nooria, is its own form of rebellion, just as
woman to woman through Mother and Mrs. Weera’s women’s Parvana’s identity as Kaseem is for her.
group, but Parvana is still skeptical. Nooria notes that she hates
living under the Taliban and doesn’t feel like she can make a
difference in Kabul. In Mazar, she can finish school, get a job,
and go out without a burqa. This is what she wants.

Over the next few days while Parvana is out, the adults make Again, Parvana has now spent several months making her own
plans. Parvana is indignant when Mother announces that they’ll decisions and dictating her own schedule. Therefore, it’s offensive to
all go to Mazar for the wedding and then will return to Kabul in her when Mother insists that Parvana needs to give up this freedom
October, leaving Nooria with her husband. Parvana insists that to accompany the rest of the family to Mazar. However, it’s worth
they have to be home for Father, but Mrs. Weera assures noting that Parvana doesn’t want to stay just for her own gain. She
Parvana that she’ll stay and look after Father if he comes home. wants to stay for Father, which reiterates that she’s very focused on
Unconvinced, Parvana stamps her feet and refuses to go. caring for her family by becoming more independent.
Mother says that Parvana must come since she’s a child. When
Parvana stamps her feet again, Mrs. Weera sends her to get
water. After three days of glowering, Mother tells Parvana that
they’re leaving her behind. They can’t trust everyone to keep
Parvana’s secret in Mazar—and though Parvana is getting her
way, Mother reiterates that a child has no right to refuse to do
as she’s told.
Parvana’s glad to stay, but she also sulks that she doesn’t get to In this conversation, Shauzia and Parvana essentially come to the
go. The next day, she tells Shauzia that nothing makes her bleak conclusion that they can’t win. Right now, Afghanistan isn’t a
happy anymore. Shauzia says that she feels the same way. She place where they can easily feed their families and get ahead, no
used to think that having the tray would fix her problems, but matter what they do to try and get there—but they also understand,
her family still goes hungry. Shauzia suggests that someone on some level, that they have to work with what they have.
should bomb Afghanistan so they can all start over, but Parvana
points out that they’ve already done that. It didn’t work.
A woman and her husband from Mother’s women’s group will With the rest of Parvana’s family leaving, Mrs. Weera now takes on
escort Mother, Nooria, and the younger children to Mazar. the role of Parvana’s sole guardian. In this moment, then, the novel
Nooria is nervous, but she happily tells Parvana that she’s going shows clearly that friends can be just as important and meaningful
to tear up her burqa as soon as she’s out of Taliban territory. as blood family—they can step in to help out where family can’t
The next day, Parvana buys food for her family’s journey and manage on their own. The tearful goodbye between Parvana and
buys a fancy pen as a gift for Nooria. Mrs. Weera soothes Nooria speaks to how much their relationship has grown over the
Mother and assures her that she and Parvana will be fine in course of the novel. However, it’s still a sibling relationship, filled
Kabul—and by the time Mother returns, the magazine will be with quips and insults, which is a reminder that the girls are still
ready to distribute. Early the next morning, Mother, Nooria, children no matter how grown-up they seem.
and the little ones settle in the bed of a pickup. With tears in
their eyes, Nooria and Parvana say goodbye. Parvana assures
Nooria they’ll see each other soon—Nooria’s new husband will
send her back once he realizes how bossy she is.
With most of the family gone, there are fewer chores and more Mrs. Weera recognizes that at Parvana’s age, she’s ready to take on
free time. Parvana begins taking Father’s secret books out so responsibility and think for herself. Mrs. Weera makes sure to give
she can read. Mrs. Weera believes it’s important to trust Parvana the tools she needs—a home, pocket money, emotional
Parvana and give her agency. She points out that in some parts support—in order to be more independent. It’s telling, too, that
of Afghanistan, girls are already married and having babies at Parvana uses her pocket money to buy Shauzia lunch. With this,
age 11. She tells Parvana to keep some pocket money, so Parvana demonstrates that even as she becomes more
Parvana treats Shauzia to lunch some days. They guard each independent, her friends will remain an important part of her life.
other while they use the bathroom and work through the day.
Parvana prefers it that way. Near the end of August, Parvana
gets caught in a rainstorm at the market. She races into a
bombed-out building to keep her cigarettes dry. Not long after
she finds a dry spot to sit, Parvana falls asleep. She wakes up
much later and hears a woman crying.

CHAPTER 14
Parvana cautiously calls out, but she can’t see anything in the In this moment, Parvana has to use all the skills she’s learned in
darkness. She lights three of her matches and finally finds the order to figure out how to deal with this situation. It’s important to
woman huddled against a wall. The woman is crying too hard to recognize just how kind and caring Parvana is—it never occurs to
give her name, so Parvana introduces herself using both her her to abandon this woman, which is presumably what the Taliban
female and male identities. Parvana invites the woman to come would want her to do. Staying and trying to figure out how to help is
home with her, but she realizes they have a problem when she a form of resistance that will help Parvana build up her community
lights another match: the woman isn’t wearing a burqa. Parvana and make others feel safe and cared for.
offers to go fetch one so the woman can come home with her,
but the woman grabs onto Parvana’s arm. The woman doesn’t
let go, even when Parvana says she must go home so Mrs.
Weera doesn’t worry. Finally, Parvana offers the woman a
snack and sits down to think.
Parvana decides that they should wait until dark and then head Again, Mother’s memories of what Kabul was once like make it even
to her apartment together. The woman doesn’t have a chador harder for Parvana to accept what Kabul is in the present. The city
and Parvana doesn’t have her scarf, so they’ll have to hope no she knows definitely isn’t one where it’s possible or safe to eat ice
one sees them. They settle just inside the doorway so they can cream in public at night, so while these memories help Parvana
watch for the dark of night. Kabul has been under curfew for understand how Kabul has changed over the last few decades,
several decades and bombings destroyed most streetlights, so they’re less helpful as she tries to navigate the city now.
it’s very dark at night. Mother used to lament that Kabul was
once “the hot spot of central Asia” and reminisce about eating
ice cream in the streets at midnight.
When it’s dark, Parvana leads the woman out onto the street. Reminding herself of Malali helps Parvana work up the courage to
She tells herself that she’s Malali, though it’s hard to feel the navigate the streets at night. Her understanding of just how
part with her tray of cigarettes. Parvana almost tells the woman dangerous this situation is and what the consequences might be if
to walk more quietly—the Taliban made it a crime for women to they’re caught speak to her growing maturity and understanding of
make noise while they walk—but she remembers that since this how this world works. In this sense, Parvana knows exactly who she
woman is out without a burqa and they’re out after curfew, is as an Afghan woman and what she must do to get by—and if she
noise will be the least of their problems if they get caught. wants meaning in her life, she must resist the Taliban.
Parvana thinks back to the stadium and thinks she doesn’t want
to know what the Taliban might do to her. They avoid
headlights, soldiers, and uneven pavement, but they finally
reach the apartment.
Mrs. Weera hugs Parvana and the woman. Parvana quickly Once again, Mrs. Weera shows herself to be open and accepting of
explains the situation and Mrs. Weera takes the woman to everyone who needs help. It’s simply in her nature, the novel
clean up. Parvana notices that the woman looks younger than suggests, to do what she can to ease someone’s way. Homa’s story,
Nooria. She sets out supper and finds clothes for the woman however, makes it clear to Parvana her own family is in
while Mrs. Weera and the woman are in the bathroom. When trouble—Homa came from the same city where Mother, Nooria, and
Mrs. Weera and the woman emerge, the woman looks the younger children are. That the Taliban has overtaken the city
exhausted but less terrified. She falls asleep quickly. It’s not shows that this conflict is far from over, and it will be necessary for
until the following night that the woman can speak. She individuals like Parvana and Homa to continue to resist for some
introduces herself as Homa and says that she escaped from time.
Mazar-e-Sharif just after the Taliban took the city. Homa
explains that the Taliban went into every house looking for
enemies. They took her father and brother outside and shot
them, and then they shot Homa’s mother when she hit the
soldiers. Homa survived by hiding in a closet.

Homa says that after a while, she went downstairs. Soldiers While Parvana was capable of seeing the humanity in the Taliban
forbade her and others to move or cover their family members’ soldier whose letter she read, the Taliban clearly have no interest in
bodies. They also told Homa to stay inside. She was so afraid recognizing the humanity of the people they conquer. This makes it
that she left in the dark. As she ran, she saw wild dogs eating far easier for Parvana and Mrs. Weera to understand the necessity
bodies. This was too much for her, so she hid in a truck among of continuing to resist.
bundles. It stopped in Kabul, and she hid in the building where
Parvana found her. Homa starts to sob and gasps that she left
her family for the dogs to eat. Homa cries until she falls asleep.
Mrs. Weera assures Parvana that Mother and Nooria are safe, Sometimes, Parvana suggests, people just need time to sit with their
but Parvana feels hopeless. She crawls onto the toshak and thoughts and grieve. While this is understandable, Mrs. Weera
stays there for two days. She insists to Mrs. Weera that the makes an important point: grieving is fine, but people cannot wallow
women in her family do this when they’re sad, but Mrs. Weera in grief forever. Rather, they must get up and continue to fight back
points out that the women in Parvana’s family also get up and in every way they can. Shauzia’s visit reminds Parvana that
fight back. Finally, late on the second day, Shauzia appears. Mrs. regardless of what happens to her family, she still has friends to fight
Weera takes Shauzia onto the landing and then, Shauzia sits for. Indeed, it’s possible to credit Parvana’s friends with her family’s
beside Parvana. After talking for a bit, Shauzia says she doesn’t success and continued survival. Without Shauzia and Mrs. Weera,
like working alone and asks Parvana to come back. Parvana the family may have succumbed to hopelessness long ago.
knows she can’t refuse. Part of her wants to leave everything
behind, but another part of her wants to be Shauzia’s friend.
Parvana returns to work, but she feels like she’s living in a
nightmare. Things start to look up when one afternoon,
Parvana discovers two men helping Father to the apartment.
CHAPTER 15
Father is barely recognizable, but he’s still Father. Parvana Father’s return reminds Parvana that it’s possible—and
clings to him tightly. Mrs. Weera helps Father lie down and the necessary—to hope for the better. Sometimes, miracles do happen,
two men who helped Father say that they found Father outside and families can be reunited. And now that Parvana has Father to
the prison, unable to go anywhere. They brought him in a cart. care for, it no longer seems like a burden to draw water. She’s doing
As the men have tea with Mrs. Weera, Parvana clings to Father it to serve her family, and after being without for so long, this seems
and weeps, but she gets up and thanks the men before they even more meaningful than it once did. Homa’s behavior proves
leave. Over the next several days, Mrs. Weera nurses Father. that there are many more helpful people in Kabul and Afghanistan,
He coughs and is very tired. Parvana feeds him warm broth, if only people are willing to trust each other.
and eventually he grows strong enough to sit up, speak, and
notice that Parvana is now a son. Parvana carries a lot of water
too, since Father’s body is covered in injuries and the dressings
need constant washing. Homa keeps Mrs. Weera’s
granddaughter occupied so Father can rest.
Parvana is elated to have Father back. Homa has had some With Father to care for, Parvana’s sense of dignity and purpose
education, so one day, Parvana returns home to find Father and returns. This again speaks to the power of familial relationships.
Homa speaking English to each other. Father jokingly asks Parvana’s love for and loyalty to Father gives her the stamina and
Parvana if she brought another educated woman home. the drive to dedicate herself to her work, accept the responsibility
Everyone laughs when Parvana says she just brought home and the independence, and do what she needs to do. And now that
onions. This is the first time in a long time that people in she’s turned this corner, things seem much brighter at home, too.
Parvana’s home have laughed. Now that Father is home, Laughing is, in its own way, a form of resistance—they can find joy
Parvana is hopeful that the rest of her family will return, too. where they may have thought before that there was just tragedy.
She begins to chase after customers like the other boys and
earns enough to purchase medicine for Father. She tells
Shauzia one day that she feels like she’s working for her family
now.

Shauzia says in reply that she’s working to get away from Unlike for Nooria, Shauzia’s marriage would mean the end of her life
Afghanistan. She recently heard her grandfather say that he’s and her independence as she knows it. Because of this, this is the
looking for a husband for her, and since Shauzia is so young, her final event that shows Shauzia that if she wants to maintain her
bride price will be substantial. She says that her mother can’t independence, she must abandon her family and focus on friends
stand up for her, since her mother has nowhere else to go. instead. Even if Parvana doesn’t know exactly how to comfort
Shauzia doesn’t know what else she can do. Marriage will end Shauzia, her attempts to do so are still more meaningful than what
her life, while getting out will give her a chance. Parvana doesn’t Shauzia’s family is doing.
know how to comfort Shauzia.
A few days later, a woman from the women’s group visits Mrs. Because family is so important to Father and Parvana, they
Weera with news that many people have fled Mazar and are immediately resolve to go look for Mother and Nooria. There’s
living in refugee camps. Father says he’ll never be truly well simply no other option, since Mother, Nooria, and the children are
enough to go, but they should go look for Mother and the some of the only people that Father and Parvana can trust. Father’s
others anyway. They’ll go as soon as he comes up with a way to lack of information about the Taliban’s reasoning suggests that
travel. Father asks Parvana to carry a message to the men who they’re not acting on reason at all—they simply want to assert that
helped him get home from prison. Parvana asks why the Taliban they’re powerful.
let Father go, but Father says he doesn’t know—he doesn’t
even know why he was arrested in the first place.
Mrs. Weera, meanwhile, makes plans to go to Pakistan with For as supportive as Mrs. Weera is of young girls having
Homa. She has a cousin in a refugee camp, and they’ll meet up independence and say in their lives, it’s somewhat surprising that
with other women’s group members. If there’s no school, they’ll she’s so against taking Shauzia. However, Mrs. Weera reveals that
start one. Parvana suggests that Mrs. Weera take Shauzia, but she simply believes it’s necessary to care for one’s family instead.
Mrs. Weera is incredulous that Shauzia is going to abandon her Parvana’s willingness to not take a side shows that she’s becoming
family. Parvana half agrees with Mrs. Weera, but she also thinks more comfortable with situations that have moral questions with no
that Shauzia has a right to look for a better life. She can’t decide clear answers.
who’s right.
Several days before she and Father leave, Parvana feels While Mother and Nooria also often talk about how Afghanistan
something hit her head. It’s a tiny camel made of beads. and Kabul used to be, this old man is the first to incorporate an
Parvana is relieved that the Window Woman is alive and well older understanding of what the country is like with what it can be
enough to toss a gift down, and she tries to come up with a way in the future. In helping Parvana plant the flowers and insisting that
to say goodbye. After lunch, she digs up wildflowers. She it’s a very Afghan thing to do, the old man helps Parvana
decides to plant them where she usually lays out her blanket; understand that as she grows up and becomes a proud, strong,
that way, the Window Woman will know she’s not coming back. confident Afghan woman, she needs to look for the beauty
Parvana struggles to dig in the hard soil and several men watch everywhere and spread beauty whenever she has the opportunity to
and tease her. One old man helps Parvana plant the flowers and do so. She also needs to care for her friends in every way possible, as
notes that Afghanistan has seen so much ugliness that Afghans she does here with the Window Woman.
have forgotten to enjoy beautiful things. He assures Parvana
that though the plant looks scraggly now, it’ll soon grow strong
and healthy. When Parvana is certain that no one is watching,
she waves at the window.

Two days later, Parvana and Father are ready to leave. Father It’s telling that Parvana’s departure is one heavily attended by
tells Parvana that whether she chooses to travel as a boy or a friends—final proof that friends can be just as meaningful and
girl, she’s still his “little Malali.” Mrs. Weera shows Parvana supportive as one’s family. Now that Parvana has grown up and
Mother’s magazine and asks Parvana to tell Mother that copies discovered a sense of agency, she’s able to look to her future with
are headed all over the world. Parvana hugs Mrs. Weera and more hope. This is because she now feels more prepared to meet
Homa and hops into the truck. Shauzia appears with apricots that future after all she learned during her time as Kaseem.
for Parvana. She announces that she met nomads who will take However mature she may seem here, though, Shauzia’s insistence
her to Pakistan. Panicked, Parvana asks when they’ll see each that they’ll meet in Paris in 20 years drives home that no matter
other again. Shauzia says that in 20 years, they’ll meet in Paris what the girls have experienced, they’re still children—true maturity
on the first day of spring. They hug and then the truck pulls out. is still ahead.
Parvana wonders where she’ll be in 20 years and what
Afghanistan will look like then. The future stretches out before
Parvana and Parvana feels ready to meet it. She watches
Mount Parvana sparkling in the sun.

To cite any of the quotes from The Breadwinner covered in the

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MLA Ellis, Deborah. The Breadwinner. Oxford University Press. 2014.
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2020. Web. 26 Jun 2020.
Ellis, Deborah. The Breadwinner. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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Retrieved June 26, 2020. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-
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Explanation and Analysis

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Explanation and Analysis

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Explanation and Analysis childhood, in addition to the childhoods of countless other

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SUMMARY AND ANAL

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