OVERDUE POST ....The Breadwinner - Deborah Ellis

7th grade Summer Reading Book - The Breadwinner

Marta B. Shares here response for the writing assesment.

Marta B. 7D 25/3/13 Writing Assessment 1- As an old man helps Parvana plant flowers he says, “ They may look scraggly and dying now… but the roots are good. When the time is right these roots will support plants that are healthy and strong.” What is the old man trying to tell Parvana? Support your answer with evidence from the book.      As the old man helps Parvana with the flowers, and says that phrase, I think he is trying to say that Afghanistan may look scraggly and dying now because of war. However, the roots are still good and someday Afghanistan will support with its healthy roots and will be as it once was. Something else I think that the old man was trying to say is that once they are very beautiful and have grown, the window woman will notice that Parvana is gone. Maybe, he is also trying to say that Nooria, Mother, Ali, and Maryam could be in the middle of war, but they will fight until they are free and Parvana will come to get them. Afghanistan has been in war for many years, so maybe the old man was encouraging Parvana not to give up until hopes are not hopes anymore, but actual dreams come true. A safe, nice, war free, gorgeous country. 2-In the fall of 2001, the Taliban was driven from most of Afghanistan. How was life before the Taliban? How is life now? Have women’s and children’s rights changed? If so how? Use the book and documentary Children of Conflict-Afghanistan to support your answer. Life before the Taliban was great in Afghanistan. They had light, water, food, homes, cars, and clothes. But now its all messed up. The Taliban has destroyed lots of houses, killed lots of people, took away everyone’s rights; that, is horrible. Children do not have playgrounds, toys, or clothes! They are most orphans because their parents can’t take care of them. Life with the Taliban around, is not very pleasant. There is not much food, no clean water, or any electricity. Women and children have been punished for nothing. Women’s rights are not the same. They can only go outside with a burqa , they can’t work, and can’t even show their faces out in the sun. Children can’t go to school, well, only boys, yet most of them can’t because they have to work to gain money for their families. In the documentary, you could see boys begging in the streets for money. Will Afghanistan ever change like the old man said? Children of Conflict Essay Afghanistan has been in war for several years now. People in Afghanistan have lived with this for many years. This essay will tell you a little bit about how much people and even tons of kids suffer and many times die for these wars and attacks to Afghanistan. The Taliban attack often, yet when they first came, they promised peace. Since there is war, the Taliban forbid women to go outside, even to school. Only 25% of boys go to school because most of them have to work for their families’ needs. Children suffer often, and there are at least 20 children in the hospital per month. These and every single child in Afghanistan think that war should stop. But, why? Why should it stop? Because children do not have shoes, toys, or nowhere to play! They become orphans, get sick, and die, because of war! I personally think like any Afghan child. I think that Taliban attacks are completely unnecessary. I think that Afghanistan should live in peace. Yet, they can’t; because they have no electricity or water systems, because they have no place to live or for children to have fun. A very important point is that they use the word if for everything. If I grow up, if I go to school, if my father comes back, if we eat tonight. I mean, no child should ever have to say the word if. Perhaps, someday lon from now, war will stop in Afghanistan. Attacks will stop, if will stop, hunger will stop… Someday. Maybe, people will rebuild homes, buildings, parks, and make Afghans happy like they should be. I hope that Afghanistan turns into a nice, peaceful, beautiful country. Someday…