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Under The Persimmon Tree Summary

Good Essays

(AGG) In Kabul, women were 60 percent of the teachers, 50 percent of the government workers, and 40 percent of the doctors before 1996, when the Taliban came into rule (Dass). (BS-1) The literary elements Staples’ forms in Under The Persimmon Tree accurately uses the Taliban’s mistreatment of women. (BS-2) As a result of Staples’ accurate use of these details, certain aspects of Najmah and Nusrat were revealed by the literary conflicts that are created. (BS-3) Furthermore, women’s struggles for equal rights today worldwide connects to women’s struggles in Under The Persimmon Tree. (TS) Staples uses accurate details about the Taliban’s mistreatment of women to create literary conflicts and reveals certain aspects about the characters, which …show more content…

(SIP-A) On the outside, Najmah is Shaheed, but inside, she’s still the girl of Golestan. (STEWE-1) Najmah’s transformation to Shaheed occurs during her journey to Peshawar. Khalida tells her, “I shall call you Shaheed...It isn’t safe for a woman or girl in a strange city” (Staples 90). This is the start of Shaheed, the “boy” who isn't afraid of anything. (STEWE-2) After thinking about Akhrat’s comment, “this is not the girl Najmah,” a new realization comes to her. Najmah realizes, “Neither am I a boy named Shaheed...I will be Shaheed for as long as necessary.” (Staples 150) The only reason Najmah is continuing to be Shaheed is to reunite with her father and brother, and she is willing to pretend to be someone else in order to find them. (SIP-B) Likewise, Nusrat is torn between two sides of herself, Elaine and Nusrat. (STEWE-1) This division occurs because of the Taliban’s ruling system. Nusrat “...of course wear burqas whenever they leave the house” (Staples 79). Although Nusrat may appear as a Muslim, she is Elaine underneath her burqa, an American woman who isn’t able to show her true identity due to the Taliban’s restrictions and harsh ruling. (STEWE-2) Nevertheless, Nusrat has come used to wearing the burqa, even though it still hides who she really is. In her burqa, “...peering through the crocheted latticework eyepiece can feel like looking through the bars of a prison...whose blond hair and blue eyes drew stares when she went to the bazaar without it when she was new…” (Staples 21). The required burqa hides Nusrat’s true identity as an American, with her “un-Muslim” appearance. (CS) Certain aspects of Najmah and Nusrat are revealed by the literary conflicts Staples creates using these accurate details about the Taliban’s mistreatment of

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