Characters
This is the main character of the novel.
Parvana
Parvana earns money doing this job after dressing as a boy.
Reading and writing letters for people in the market.
Complete the quote: "Parvana could read and..."
write.
The novel is set in this country.
Afghanistan.
This basic human right was taken from girls when the Taliban banned them from schools.
Right to education.
Parvana’s father was once a teacher of this subject.
History.
Parvana and Shauzia dig up these for extra income.
Dig up bones.
Parvana’s name means this in Persian.
Butterfly.
The setting of the novel is mostly in this city.
Kabul.
Parvana’s mother was beaten for doing this, which is a violation of freedom of movement.
going outside without a man/burqa.
Parvana meets this girl at the market, who is also disguised as a boy.
Shauzia.
Parvana and her family had to leave this when the Taliban came to power.
Her school and apartment building.
What is this simile describing?
“like a giant cracking the sky open"
The sound of bombs.
The Taliban restricted women from doing this simple activity in public.
Going outside without a male or without a burqa.
This job that Parvana and Shauzia do shows how some children are forced to work to survive.
digging up bones (child labour).
This character loses part of his leg and is found crying in the stadium.
Homa's brother.
Parvana hides this in the window to signal to her father.
A flower.
The novel is written in this narrative perspective.
Third person limited.
This historical event led to widespread poverty and instability in Afghanistan.
Soviet-Afghan War or the Taliban's rise to power.
Name one way the Taliban violated the right to freedom of expression.
They banned women from speaking in public, publishing, or having opinions outside the home.
Compare how Parvana and Shauzia respond differently to their situation and explain what this reveals about their characters.
Parvana chooses to stay and support her family, showing responsibility and loyalty. Shauzia wants to escape to France, showing her desire for freedom and independence. Both are brave in different ways.
At the end of the novel, Parvana sets off on a journey to this place.
A refugee camp/to find her mother and siblings.
Name one symbol used in the novel and its meaning.
the flower (hope), or the bone (survival), or the window (freedom).
Explain how the Taliban's rules reflect their interpretation of religion and how it affects society in the novel.
The Taliban enforce a strict and extreme version of Islamic law (Sharia), limiting freedoms and rights, especially for women. This causes fear, inequality, and hardship throughout Afghan society.
Explain how Parvana shows both the loss and protection of human rights.
The novel highlights rights taken away by the Taliban (e.g. education, safety, freedom), but also shows resistance, such as Parvana reading letters, helping others, and continuing to hope for freedom.