Bibliography
Ellis, Deborah. 2000. THE BREADWINNER. Berkeley, CA: Publishers Group West. ISBN 0-88899-419-2.
Plot summary:
The story is set in Kubal, Afghanistan. The main character is 11-year old Parvana. She works with her father in the market, where he reads and writes letters for people to earn a living. The story tells of how Parvana's family works to survive both before and after her father is arrested by the Taliban.
Critical Analysis:
Parvana's story is heartbreaking and it brings the atrocities of how women and families are treated in that area of the world. I feel the story gives readers a good view of how life is for many in Afghanistan. Parvana's family is close, but their are issues: the 2 sisters do not get along, there is a brother who was killed and the family mourns for him, constant fear of the Taliban and the unknown of what they may do.
I feel language plays a huge part in this story because the author uses words like burqa, nan, pakul and many others that most Americans would not be familiar with. She also provides a list of words and definitions in the back of the book to help readers.
In the novel I felt there were quite a few "holes" that the author did not finish in the story. A few were: Who was the woman throwing gifts to Parvana? What did the buyer of the bones do with them? What happened to the rest of Mrs. Weera's family?
Review Excerpts:
Booklist: "Unfortunately, the novel never deals with 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 conditions."
Connections:
Here is a Prereading WebQuest for grades 4-7 on The Breadwinner.
http://literacynet.org/cortez/
Eillis continues the story with the sequal, Parvana's Journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment