THE BREADWINNER

THE BREADWINNER

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ellis, Deborah. 2001. THE BREADWINNER. Toronto, Ontario: Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 0888994192

B. PLOT SUMMARY
After Parvana’s father is imprisoned she is forced to masquerade as a boy to earn money to provide food and necessities for herself, her mother, older sister, and younger sister and younger brother in the Taliban ruled city of Kabul, Afghanistan. She earns money by reading and writing for men in the square as her father did. She thinks she is the only girl dressing as a boy until one day she sees an old classmate doing the same. She struggles to survive as a boy to support the family until her father is released from prison.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The reality of life in Kabul, Afghanistan sets the stage for Parvana’s story of survival and triumph. Ellis constructs a fast paced story of a daily struggle to survive under a cruel regime. The Taliban control is evidenced in this story by the suppression of women. Women are not allowed to be outside unless covered in a burka or accompanied by a male. The girls are not allowed to go to school nor the mother to work. Ellis uses the cruelty of Taliban to create tension throughout the story.
Parvana, the main character is like any eleven year old in some ways. She fusses with her sister, doesn’t like housework, and loves her family. Her culture is evidenced in her obedience to her family, acceptance of the hardships of daily life, although she wants to change them, and refusal to abandon her family. Parvana begins the story as an eleven year old helping her father and grows to become the sole supporter of the family, accepting (not without argument) the responsibility of feeding her family.
Referral to specific clothing worn is a cultural marker throughout this book. Women must wear burkas to be in public, girls wear a chador outside while boys and men wear a pakul. Shalwar kameez are a loose shirt and pants worn by both men and women with color and adornment designating male and female outfits.
Other cultural markers used in this book are used include food such as nan and kebabs. The family rests on a toshak. Knowledge of the two main languages, Pashtu and Dari, are how both, Parvana and her father support the family.
Random imprisonment, land mines, lack of running water, beatings, brutality, and constant fear are used to illustrate the reality of life in Afghanistan and show the courageous determination to survive by Parvana.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Book Report (November/December 2001)
Parvana, an 11-year-old Afghan girl, accompanies her father to the marketplace, where he sells items and reads and writes letters for those who can't. As a girl, Parvana can no longer attend school, because Afghanistan has been taken over by the Taliban militia and women are forbidden to travel unless accompanied by a male. They must also wear a burqa, a tent-like garment, and a chader, a head cover. Afghanistan has been at war for almost 20 years, first with the Russians and now in a civil war with the Taliban. Parvana's city of Kabul lies in ruins, and her father barely ekes out a living for her, her mother, her two sisters, and her brother. Before the civil war, Parvana's educated parents had held high-paying jobs. When Parvana's father is arrested and taken to prison, her mother falls into a deep depression, and the children are left to fend for themselves. Parvana's hair is cut and she is dressed as a boy so she can move freely through Kabul. This story is great for history students, helping them better understand Afghanistan's turbulent history and the current plight of Afghan women. Although simply written, this tale contains some graphic scenes for mature readers. It also presents a lesson in philanthropy, because all of the book's royalties go to support the education of Afghan girls who remain in Pakistani refugee camps. Recommended. Sandra B. Connell, Librarian, Valwood Private School, Valdosta, Georgia

BookList, 03/01/2001
Gr. 5-7. Ever since the fundamentalist group Taliban secured power in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Parvana and her family have suffered. The group's relentless oppression makes it impossible for the women of the family to leave the house without their father. When Parvana's elderly father is arrested on the grounds that he is a scholar, the women are trapped in their cramped apartment. Eventually, running out of food and hope, Parvana dresses as a boy and becomes the family's breadwinner, doing whatever is necessary to keep the family alive--from reading letters for the illiterate to digging up and selling the bones of her ancestors. Unfortunately, the novel never deals with the religious facets of Afghan life, failing to explain that the Taliban sees itself, essentially, as a religious group. Nonetheless, The Breadwinner is a potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive and sexist social conditions. -- John Green. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

E. CONNECTIONS
Students can compare the ways Parvana’s life is the same/different from theirs, research children of war, and discuss/generate ideas on ways to end female suppression.
The sequel to this book is: Ellis, Deborah. PARVANA’S JOURNEY. ISBN 0888995199