The Taliban restricts people's freedom in order to control them, and they use prison and violent oppression to assert their power and enforce obedience to their regime. In The Breadwinner, Parvana's family has been confined to their tiny apartment for almost a year and half with little hope in sight—and when we say confined, we mean it. Parvana and Father are the only two family members who have gone outside since they moved in. Ironically, Father's kidnapping is the turning point for the women in the family—his imprisonment forces them to break out of the apartment in order to survive.
Questions About Freedom and Confinement
- How does confinement affect the younger children's development?
- Why does the Taliban restrict women's freedom?
- How does Mother deal with her lack of freedom and confinement?
- Why isn't Parvana affected by women's lack of freedom as much as the other women in her house? Is her disguise a sort of confinement too?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
This book argues that every person in the world is born free.
This book argues that freedom comes with consequences.