The Breadwinner Character Analysis

Words: 1009
Pages: 5

Childhood. It is a relatively small portion of one’s life, however it is by far the most significant. It is the first taste of life someone receives upon entering the world, and it forms one's world world-view, and provides a foundation for adulthood. The experience of childhood is often thought of as an innocent, happy time. However, for an abundance of children around the world, this is not the case. An unfortunate reality exists; That children are oftentimes forced to grow up too fast, and are put into circumstances that no human being, child or adult, should have to endure. However, although neither happy or innocent, these circumstances are still in fact part of one's childhood. Thus they will cultivate qualities and characteristics that will exist for the rest of one's life. Unfavorable experiences that exist in childhood, although not ideal, result in greater values, resilience, and a stronger work ethic. …show more content…
In the novel The Breadwinner, Parvana is a young girl who lives a relatively normal life in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan with her family. However, after the Taliban invade the city, strict and radical religious customs are forced upon its citizens. Many of these customs are oppressive toward women, such as not allowing women to venture outdoors without a male counterpart, forcing women to wear clothing that covers their entire bodies, and forbidding women to go to school. As seen in the quote below, Parvana at first considers this ban on education to be a blessing.
“When they first took over the capital city of Kabul and forbade girls to go to school, Parvana wasn’t terribly unhappy. She had a test coming up in arithmetic that she wasn’t prepared for, and she was in trouble for talking in class again. The teacher was going to send a note to her mother, but the Taliban took over first!”- Chapter One, The