The Breadwinner

The Breadwinner is definitely a must read and I am so glad Dr. Jone's assigned this book to our class.  Once I began reading, I couldn't put it down. The Breadwinner is about a young girl named Parvana who lives in Afghanistan.  Parvana's family was once rich but now they are forced to live in poverty.  Unlike many other Afghan families, Parvana's parents are educated and as a result, Parvana is able to read (this is not common, especially for Afghan women).  As a result of being educated in England, Parvana's parents do not believe in many of the things that the ruling, Taliban enforces.

Imagine living in a world that is bomb-stricken.  Imagine being a female in a country in which women are not allowed to work or leave there homes without a male.  This is exactly the world in which readers enter through eleven year old Parvana.  While reading The Breadwinner, I couldn't imagine living in this world.  Yes, I watch the news and I am constantly viewing images or reports about Afghanistan or the "foreign" world, however, I never really put myself in the story.  I never really thought what my life would be like if I lived in that world.  Through Ellis, I am able to experience life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. 

As stated before, Parvana's parents are Western educated.  As a result, Parvana's father is arrested, leaving the family to struggle on their own without their sole provider or "breadwinner."  In order to help her family survive, Parvana is forced to grow up quickly and become her family's "breadwinner."  As stated before, women are not allowed to leave the house without a male.  Parvana cuts her hair and becomes her father by taking on his job of reading letters for people.  Through this story, I am able to realize how lucky I am to be living where I am.  I could not imagine living in the world that Parvana lives in.  I honestly could not do the things that Parvana did. 

Like many of the other books we have read in this course, I feel that I can use this book in my classroom.  In The Breadwinner, readers witness a young girl and her family's struggle against the Taliban.  Readers are able to relate and sympathize with the characters.  As humans, we all experience struggles, some more than others.  I honestly don't think this book changed me as Dr. Jones says all good books should do. Rather, I think it opened my eyes or awakened me to how lucky I am to be in the shoes I am in.  I honestly cannot imagine becoming my family's sole provider at such a young age. I don't think I could even do it now. So did the book change me?? I think it awakened me. However, once I closed the book, I went on with living my life.

As stated before, Parvana struggles to become her families "breadwinner."  However, move away from the streets of Afghanistan and bring it back to our own neighborhoods or our classrooms.  As an Urban educator, I witness and hear about many of my students struggling to balance school and work.  Many of my cheerleaders miss practice because they have to go to work.  Yeah, many of us had jobs as teenagers because we wanted extra money, BUT these students need to work. They need the money to help support their parents, guardians, or caregivers that may also be working two or three jobs.  Like Parvana, these students are forced to abandon their childhood and become "breadwinners."