BUIST ACADEMY 2019 BOOK SYMPOSIUM

Summer Assignment for Rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders: Read The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
and complete the writing assignment below. Essay should be returned to Mr. Garner Friday,
August 23, in class. You will have a further assignment in class on that date.

Select one (1) of the prompts below and respond clearly and cogently in 250-500 words. Be sure to
have a clear thesis and a detailed argument using specific references from the text.

1) Perhaps the biggest moral choice faced by Afghanis in this novel are whether to stay in their
native country to try to mitigate the damage caused by war and the Taliban, or escape to a
better life elsewhere. Parvana agonizes over this dilemma as she recalls her parents’
arguments, sees the efforts of Mrs. Weera, and listens to Shauzia’s plans to leave her family
behind and escape to Pakistan. Based on your reading of the novel, what would you argue
is the better choice, and why? Be sure to address both sides of the argument in your
response.

2) “These are unusual times,” says Mrs. Weems. “They call for ordinary people to do
unusual things, just to get by” (104). Consider the out-of-the-ordinary measures Parvana
must take in this novel, from taking over as the family’s prime support at age 11, to
disguising herself as the opposite gender, to scavenging and selling human bones from a
graveyard. What toll do these measures take on Parvana’s identity and moral compass?
How, if at all, are these heretofore unimagined actions liberating for her?

3) What is the importance and impact of Parvana’s reading the letter of the Talib’s dead wife?
“Could they have feelings of sorrow, like other human beings?” she wonders (75). Why
does the author create this scenario in contrast to such other depictions of the Taliban such
as the arrest of Parvana’s father and the mutilations on the soccer field? How does Parvana
grapple with the problem of what humanity truly is?

The BUIST ACADEMY 2018 BOOK SYMPOSIUM will be held Thursday, August 29,
time and location TBA. Parents, students, and faculty are invited to share their responses to
The Breadwinner in a powerful and inspirational start to the 2019-20 school year. Please
plan to participate.

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis is available in paperback and for NOOK from Barnes &
Noble.com; and in paperback and for Kindle from Amazon.com. Check your local
bookstore or library for availability as well.