#Parvana

[automarish]

Happy new year! Sorry for the little disappearance, I hateee posting regularly. I meant to post this a while ago but kinda forgot about. It isn't my best but it's a shitpost so I hope it suffices lol.

[purplebutterflysthings]

Fun fact: Mother’s Day is celebrated on June 14 in Afghanistan. I’ll make another post of the breadwinner mothers then.

But today it will be for Fattema. She’s obviously a very loving and kind mother and it’s very obvious she suffers from the loss of her son.

Fattema seems like the type of mother who won’t scold you but lecture. There’s a clear difference. I feel like she uses metaphors for everything and was definitely a very active role in her kids life. She loved them dearly through thick and thin and would be willing to do a lot for them. I did a little math and estimated that Her and Narullah were 40 and since it takes place in 2001 then they were born in 1961. Let’s just say she had Sulaymann at like 1983 so making her like what? 22? I’m 1990 she’s 29. Don’t take it seriously though since it’s just estimated

[cicidarkarts]

Can you list your favorite characters in order? (Aside from Idrees) and explain why you that way about them? Like an explanation on how you feel about them? It’s nice to know there’s other people in the fandom of the breadwinner still talking about it. 💜💙 You fanart is always slaying!

D… Don't talk about Idrees?? fangirl brain short-circuits

Okay but yeah, I do have thoughts on the other characters as well, just not as crazy in-depth headcanons (mostly). I can't really say that any of these characters are in order because I haven't thought to number them.

WITH ONE EXCEPTION.

Shauzia??? ;0; Gurl, can we just talk about how much I love this chaos gremlin? She's the type of mf who is like "have I ever steered you wrong?" knowing 100% she fuckin has. She's somehow even more of a chaotic demon in the book. omg Parvana do you want to be a grave digger?? omg Parvana let's sell our wares in this totally not bizarre arena full of very angry men and then be traumatized when we see another man's hands get cut off.

I love this girl. On one of those Alignment Charts, she would be Chaotic Neutral. Also she's adorable?? Like how, that's illegal.

I do have a headcanon about the girls that involves Shauzia dragging Parvana into the underbelly of Afghanistan where all the debauchery secretly takes place and stumbling upon the metalhead anarchist society. Unfortunately, my headcanons end there because brain is obsessed with Idrees so that's what I'm forced to follow.

(me right before I sneeze)

But yes, Shauzia is my second favorite character. I love that she's so assertive where she can be, despite her circumstances. She really had Parvana's back no matter what, and it pained me that the movie just kinda left her hanging at the end. We truly did NOT have enough time to wrap everything up.

More below the cut!

Parvana had some of the greatest parts in the entire movie.

Parvana is a strong character who wants to do what's right. Witnessing the horrors around her could've broken her, but she didn't let it. She didn't let it taint her views of right and wrong, she didn't let it break down her spirit. She fought every day to get what she needed and wanted. Parvana went from shut down and trying to avoid confrontation to confident and independent over the course of this movie. She lost sight of herself a few times but always came back around due to her strong moral compass.

Parvana is a fascinating character, proactive and powerful, and much better in the movie than in the book imo. She was the Mom Friend. She just wanted to comfort people and make them feel better, kiss their wounds where she could, and she would give you the shirt off her back if it didn't reveal that she's actually a girl. She's brave and an amazing MC to follow.

Underrated Queen, hello??? Can we talk about how Fattema was a badass for most of this movie? Her husband was taken away, she had no idea if she would ever see him again, she risked her life going out to try and appeal his case, and then after she got the absolute shit beaten out of her, she still managed to escort Parvana back to the "safety" of their house.

The realism of her depression after this was so sad to witness. How she wanted so badly to be there for her children whom she loves so much but was literally and figuratively beaten down by the system at every turn. Her worry over her daughters and son, how she fought so many times. The end of her arc? Where she stood up for herself and her family, asserted her dominance by proving that she was "insane" to this shitty man, and WON?? Oh my god, I was going feral. What an absolute badass.

(yeah that's right, fafo; this guy is fucking terrified of her I'm dead)

Okay I'm ngl Parvana's sister Soraya was like not even on my radar most of the time, I'm sorry ;-; I feel bad because she was a sweet older sister who supported Parvana. They had a lovely sibling relationship that was full of teasing and affection. But they didn't take the time to give her more than that. So she's more of a footnote in the characters to me, which sucks. :( I didn't even remember her name, I had to look it up, I'm so sorry 😭

If you go into the dictionary and look up the word sweetie pie, you'll find a picture of this man. Don't worry, I'll wait.

Nurullah lived his life considering women as his equals. People who deserved love and respect and education just as much as any man. He's a soft-spoken sweetheart who just wanted to teach his daughters how to think for themselves so they could grow up as strong women (as much as they could be in this environment). He risked his life lying to a member of the Taliban and unfortunately paid the price dearly. His state at the end of the movie was heartbreaking to witness and I can't even imagine the abuse he endured while in Pul-e-Charkhi.

Yet this man still smiles when he is reunited with his family. This man still has his spirit despite the abuse and neglect and the wars he's been through. We don't give him the credit he deserves for being a sweet, kindhearted person in spite of everything this world threw at him. Fattema is a lucky woman to have gotten with this cinnamon bun of a man.

(Zaki) ghiagahiohhrklh;nklj HE'S ADORABLE I'M LITERALLY SHAKING AND CRYING RN 😭😭😭😭 But also he's like 2 years old so there's not much to say about him but holy fuck he's soooo cute I'm gonna cry

Who is this man he's ADORABLE???

how the fuck 😭😭 HOW DID HE GET HERE?? He teleported dude, I'm scared

If you go into the dictionary and look up the word teddy-

Razaq is one of the more interesting characters in this movie. He's very complex and-- what if I just immediately moved onto the next character that would be so

LOOK AT THIS SWEETHEART CINNAMON BUN CUTIE PATOOTIE THERE ARE NO THOUGHTS BEHIND THESE EYES HE HAS TO RUB TWO BRAIN CELLS TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET HOME BECAUSE HIS THOUGHTS ARE ONLY CANDY WHO ARE YOU UNNAMED CANDY MAN I NEED TO KNOW

Okay I'll be serious, I'm sorry. I actually really enjoy Razaq. He's a jaded man who doesn't seem like he really wants to be serving the Taliban. I wish we could've gotten more into why he's doing it, because he seems like the antithesis of everything the Taliban stands for. I'd like to believe he's only here to stop the young people (like Idrees) from doing extremely stupid things and getting themselves or other people hurt. But we're never given an explanation.

That scene in which Parvana reads him that letter about his wife's death, and he leaves without another word, was a heart-wrenching scene. He was trying so hard not to cry. LOOK AT HIM ;-; Nooooo

Razaq shows us that not every man in Afghanistan wants to beat and oppress women, even though these types of man aren't exactly in the majority, or are perhaps just silent for fear of retaliation (which we see a lot as well). It's such a mind-fuck that Parvana reflects upon it in confusion. "Up until then, she had seen Talibs only as men who beat women and arrested her father. Could they have feelings of sorrow, like other human beings?"

Razaq puts himself in grave danger for Parvana, a young girl he barely knows and owes nothing. This ends up with him getting into a physical altercation with one of the guards at Pul-e-Charkhi, in which Razaq gets shot but survives (as far as we know). He pulled Nurullah out of there to fulfill his promise to Parvana. He lost everything but still gave it his all for this little girl just to see some hope in her eyes.

My name is Suleiman. My mother is a writer. My father is a teacher. And my sisters always fight each other. One day I found a toy on the street. I picked it up. It exploded. I don't remember what happened after that… Because it was the end.

[book-challenger]

Travel Destination: Afghanistan

Parvana by Deborah Ellis

There are many types of battle in Afghanistan. Imagine living in a country where women and girls are not allowed to leave the house without a man. Imagine having to wear clothes that cover every part of your body, including your face, whenever you go out. This is the life of Parvana, a young girl growing up in Afghanistan under the control of an extreme religious military group.

When soldiers burst into her home and drag her father off to prison, Parvana is forced to take responsibility for her whole family, dressing as a boy to make a living in the marketplace of Kabul, risking her life in the dangerous and volatile city.

One Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi

Obayda’s family is in need of some good fortune, and her aunt has an idea to bring the family luck—dress Obayda, the youngest of four sisters, as a boy, a bacha posh.

Life in this in-between place is confusing, but once Obayda meets another bacha posh, everything changes. Their transformation won’t last forever, though unless the two best friends can figure out a way to make it stick and make their newfound freedoms endure.

Born Under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield

The Taliban have disappeared from Kabul's streets, but the long shadows of their brutal regime remain. In his short life eleven-year-old Fawad has known more grief than most: his father and brother have been killed, his sister has been abducted, and Fawad and his mother, Mariya, must rely on the charity of family to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence.

Then Mariya finds a position as housekeeper for a charismatic western woman, Georgie, and Fawad dares to hope for an end to their struggle. He soon discovers that his beloved Georgie is caught up in a dangerous love affair with the powerful Afghan warlord Haji Khan, a legendary name on the streets of Kabul.

The Patience Stone by Atiq Rahimi

A wife dutifully cares for her husband who lays brain dead with a bullet lodged in his neck, but as she confronts her frustrations with his injury and the petty war that caused it, she begins to test the boundaries of his awareness by revealing deeply held secrets and confronting her darkest, most repressed thoughts. While in the streets rival factions clash, she speaks of her life, never knowing if her husband really hears. The result is an extraordinary confession, without restraint, about sex and love and anger toward a man, and by extension a culture, who never offered her respect of kindness. Her admission releases the immense pressure of marital, social, and religious subjugation, and ends with the most shocking revelation of all.

A House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi

For two decades, Zeba was a loving wife, a patient mother, and a peaceful villager. But her quiet life is shattered when her husband, Kamal, is found brutally murdered with a hatchet in the courtyard of their home. Nearly catatonic with shock, Zeba is unable to account for her whereabouts at the time of his death. Her children swear their mother could not have committed such a heinous act. Kamal's family is sure she did, and demands justice.

Barely escaping a vengeful mob, Zeba is arrested and jailed. As Zeba awaits trial, she meets a group of women whose own misfortunes have also led them to these bleak cells: thirty-year-old Nafisa, imprisoned to protect her from an honor killing; twenty-five-year-old Latifa, who ran away from home with her teenage sister but now stays in the prison because it is safe shelter; and nineteen-year-old Mezhgan, pregnant and unmarried, waiting for her lover's family to ask for her hand in marriage. Is Zeba a cold-blooded killer, these young women wonder, or has she been imprisoned, as they have been, for breaking some social rule? For these women, the prison is both a haven and a punishment. Removed from the harsh and unforgiving world outside, they form a lively and indelible sisterhood.

[44del]

brb this drawing that mercè lópez (the illustrator for the spanish version of my name is parvana) made of parvana and shauzia is actually making me go insane hey guys

[marywoodartdept]

Isabelle, #offcampusartnews, continues her reviews of animated film and #storytelling with her impressions of Parvana. #MarywoodArt

[saysomethingabout]

Say something good about this movie!

[lolimintxo]

the breadwinner movie was such a beautiful masterpiece 🤧

[kidlit-queen-competition]

Round 1 poll 4: Kate Wetherall from The mysterious Benedict society vs Parvana from the Breadwinner

[the-riddler-that-can-riddle]

I have made a thingy! Mrs. S (you know who you are), I hope you see this!

[quotesfromall]

Years would go by. She would become the Wild Woman of Afghanistan, then the Old Wild Woman. She would live to be a very old woman because she would get lots of fresh air and exercise and would never get married. She would be her own boss all her life.

Deborah Ellis, My Name is Parvana

[i-eat-mold]

Alternative: when the trope is girls who not only had it hard from the beginning simply for when and where they were born, but also were forced by their situation and need to survive to present themselves as boys in a context where being a woman would not only be dangerous and would make it impossible to accomplish their goals/survuve/thrive without a man, but also could get them killed, specially if they were discovered. And also it’s infuriatingly far away from being fiction:

Me when the trope is children who grew up so alone that being unloved was the norm for them and didn’t question it, who deep down just wanted to be understood and to have a friend, and who mistakenly realized that love was not a concept they were meant for:

I will keep adding as I think of more

[purplebutterflysthings]

Whenever I watch movies or shows I love to compare and contrast characters especially the protagonist and antagonist and because ‘The breadwinner’ is my favorite and I refuse to make an exception

Parvana & Idrees

Let’s start with contrasting factors, their differences

Most are pretty obvious as you can tell. Idrees has more freedom because he’s a man. He seems like he grew in privileged family or at least a well of decent home in money but you can’t really say the same about his family life. The Taliban took over in 1996 and from what I assume based on his behavior he would have had grown up in a home where he didn’t have much of a female presence instead with a more male presence. I think Idrees grew up with no siblings or if he didn’t have much of relationship with them. Before the Taliban takeover he must grown up in a very toxic place, but I don’t it affected him much until after 1996. We see his uncle who is a Taliban member so I assume his family had connections and that’s how he got in. (I tried doing the math, since the movie takes place in 2001 he would be born in 1984 since I assume he’s 17)

Parvana has much less freedom since she’s a girl. Though this is a similarity Parvana did grow up in a richer home in books and I assume the same in the movie but got poorer due to the war and I don’t think Idrees ended up in that position. Parvana grew up in a very loving and humble family. She had positive male influence like her father, older brother Sulaymann. She also grew up with female influence like her mother who was a very educated woman and older sister Soraya. And later on they would have Zaki who now has more women in his family because of the death of his brother and very loving father he would most likely come out of the family as a very kind man. Getting out of topic right now but Parvana has no connections to the Taliban whatsoever. Parvana grew up close to her family unlike Idrees. Her and her family were affected greatly because of the Taliban (again i did the math so in 2001 Parvana is 11 so she would have been born in 1990 or 1989 but I’m going to lean in with 1990.)

In general Parvana grew up in a safe and healthy home and Idrees didn’t. He has connections to the Taliban. Parvana doesn’t. Idrees didn’t have any positive male relatives, Parvana does.

There’s a very clear difference between them. They’re like a city connecting to another with a small thin bridge between them. Personally I see a huge connection between them and I might be exaggerating but it seems like they wanted them to be seen as similar as possible

-Both are educated, Since Narullah was Idrees’s teacher then he definitely knows how to read and write.

Both are connected to Narullah. He was Idrees’s teacher before the Taliban and he is Parvanas father

I think both have a love for stories or at least used to. I think Idrees may have been like Parvana, since he was Narullah’s student he would definitely know stories that Narullah would tell. In the start of the movie Parvana believes she’s “too old for stories” which changes in the end. Idrees might have believed that he was also too old for that and claimed that it was useless and no worth. In the end he also realizes that he was also a kid.

I ain’t done with them yet! Maybe in another post, not the next one but I’m not done writing about them.

[buttercup-barf]

Yes, this is an Open Season poster reference. No, I won't be elaborating.

[theunpaidtherapistsclub]

Humans are Resilient

[kunpyon]

If you claim to be a fan of the breadwinner but only thirst over Idrees you’re not welcome here, zon’t come near me 😊