The Breadwinner takes place in Taliban-era Afghanistan (1996-2001, also 2012-present) in the city of Kabul.
Kabul is the capitol of Afghanistan, and is also the largest city in the country, with an estimated population of 3.678 million - even more than Chicago.
According to Wikipedia, "During the hardline Taliban regime*, Kabul became a ruined city, most infrastructure was already destroyed, many residents had long left, poverty levels were high...there was little to no education or public services" (Wikipedia). This was the Kabul that Parvana lived in. Nearly all roads, buildings, and homes were ruined. There were landmines everywhere. Women were forced to wear burqas covering their entire faces, and to stay in their homes. They were not allowed to work, and girls could not go to school. If a person owned anything that was thought to be at all "Western," like English books/literature, they were punished severely. The Taliban would amputate thieves' hands and feet as punishment for their crimes.
*The Taliban is currently regaining power in Afghanistan.
Kabul is the capitol of Afghanistan, and is also the largest city in the country, with an estimated population of 3.678 million - even more than Chicago.
According to Wikipedia, "During the hardline Taliban regime*, Kabul became a ruined city, most infrastructure was already destroyed, many residents had long left, poverty levels were high...there was little to no education or public services" (Wikipedia). This was the Kabul that Parvana lived in. Nearly all roads, buildings, and homes were ruined. There were landmines everywhere. Women were forced to wear burqas covering their entire faces, and to stay in their homes. They were not allowed to work, and girls could not go to school. If a person owned anything that was thought to be at all "Western," like English books/literature, they were punished severely. The Taliban would amputate thieves' hands and feet as punishment for their crimes.
*The Taliban is currently regaining power in Afghanistan.
Important places in the story
Parvana's home
Parvana and her family live in a tiny, one-room apartment in a building that's been half-destroyed by bombs. They sleep on mats, not beds, and they don't have working appliances. They live near one of the mountains in the Hindu Kush mountain range, and they've named it "Mount Parvana."
Parvana and her family live in a tiny, one-room apartment in a building that's been half-destroyed by bombs. They sleep on mats, not beds, and they don't have working appliances. They live near one of the mountains in the Hindu Kush mountain range, and they've named it "Mount Parvana."
The market
Much of the book takes place at the market, which is a colorless, dirty, crowded place where everything from tea and naan to burqas and jewelry is sold. Before he was taken away, Parvana's father would earn money by sitting on a blanket in the market and reading and writing letters for people who were illiterate. He would also sell any possessions the family had left that were of value. Parvana continued to do this after he was taken away.
The graveyard
The graveyard is where Parvana and Shauzia go to earn money by digging up bones that have been partially unearthed by the bombs. It's in an especially ruined area, and it's dangerous to enter any of the buildings around it because of land mines.
The Kabul prison The prison is where Parvana's father was taken, and where Parvana and her mother go to demand that he be let out. Parvana finds the prison dark and intimidating. The stadium The stadium is where Parvana and Shauzia watch the Taliban punish their prisoners. |