Social Issues in Parvana by Deborah Ellis
In the novel Parvana by Deborah Ellis there were many characters who were affected by the war in Afghanistan and one of them is Parvana. Parvana had many experiences some of them were cruelty of war, cruelty of the Taliban, the discrimination against women and friendship.
Firstly, parvana experiences cruelty of war in Afghanistan. “ Bombs had been a part in Parvana’s whole life”. This shows how her mind be tuned to only seeing destruction such as war, bombs, injuries, loss of houses, poverty of her family. Though she says that they used live in a huge house and used to have a car and a fridge but now she and her family is stuck in a house with only one room that only has a cupboard. However this situation was not only to her but to all of Afghanistan. This is evident when the author says, “neighbourhoods had turned from homes and businesses into bricks and dust”.
In addition to that Parvana also suffered the cruelty of the Taliban. The Taliban was a group of men who were ruthless in their dealings with the country. They had many restrictions most of them directed towards women. They restricted women from seeing the outside world and “ ordered all the girls and women in Afghanistan to stay inside their homes”. They had “forbade girls from going to school” and thus they had restricted girls from having education. They also had “ kicked….Mother out of her job as a writer for Kabul radio station”. The Taliban had made it clear that it was wrong for woman to be educated and earn living and stand on their own feet. This would have made parvana street smart because she would have to become brave survive in the world with the Taliban.
Finally, parvana also had found a friend in shauzia when she on her way to work. Friendship was something that was important in parvana’s life as she was being deprived of all the things girls her were doing in other parts of the world. Friendship is a relationship that parvana is gifted with to cope with the situation she is in.
Firstly, parvana experiences cruelty of war in Afghanistan. “ Bombs had been a part in Parvana’s whole life”. This shows how her mind be tuned to only seeing destruction such as war, bombs, injuries, loss of houses, poverty of her family. Though she says that they used live in a huge house and used to have a car and a fridge but now she and her family is stuck in a house with only one room that only has a cupboard. However this situation was not only to her but to all of Afghanistan. This is evident when the author says, “neighbourhoods had turned from homes and businesses into bricks and dust”.
In addition to that Parvana also suffered the cruelty of the Taliban. The Taliban was a group of men who were ruthless in their dealings with the country. They had many restrictions most of them directed towards women. They restricted women from seeing the outside world and “ ordered all the girls and women in Afghanistan to stay inside their homes”. They had “forbade girls from going to school” and thus they had restricted girls from having education. They also had “ kicked….Mother out of her job as a writer for Kabul radio station”. The Taliban had made it clear that it was wrong for woman to be educated and earn living and stand on their own feet. This would have made parvana street smart because she would have to become brave survive in the world with the Taliban.
Finally, parvana also had found a friend in shauzia when she on her way to work. Friendship was something that was important in parvana’s life as she was being deprived of all the things girls her were doing in other parts of the world. Friendship is a relationship that parvana is gifted with to cope with the situation she is in.