Essay- What Can We Learn From Parvana

This is one of our big/ important essays we wrote at the beginning of the year. "Parvana" was a book, and the girl which is the main character from the story is called Parvana. She and her family are Afghanistan people, and they are fighting for freedom. There are a lot of morals and themes in the book, and we learnt a lot from it. We learnt especially from the girl Parvana, so we wrote an essay about it.

What Can We Learn From Parvana?

By Rex


Everyone has had a tough time, but can you imagine being in a condition where your father is arrested, you cannot even step out of your door or you will be beaten by soldiers, and you have to change your identity to be the bread-winner for your family's living? The book “Parvana” by Deborah Ellis is about an eleven-year old girl called Parvana. In the story, the Taliban have taken control of Afghanistan and their beliefs were that females- except for little girls- could only go out with their husbands, or their husbands’ note explaining why the women could go out. They did not like people receiving any education. Parvana's father was arrested because he had gone to a university in England. Due to the strict rules of the Taliban, Parvana had to cut her hair and change her identity into a boy to earn money and buy and get things home for the family's survival, like her father did. She was successful in solving her family's problems. What can we learn from Parvana? Parvana teaches us to take risks, she teaches us to be brave and face our problems and not to run away from them. She also teaches us not to give up our hopes and dreams but to take action to see them came true.


Firstly, Parvana teaches us to take risks in order to solve our problems. Parvana, as a girl, was not allowed to go out in Afghanistan. However, she overcame her fears of being caught by Taliban soldiers and changed her identity into a boy to be able to go out to earn money and get all the needs, for a better life of her family. After talking about the plan of Parvana to become a boy, Parvana said, “All right, I’ll do it.”(Ellis 68). This showed that Parvana was willing to take risks. It was really dangerous going out disguised as a boy. There was always a possibility of people finding she was a fake. Nevertheless, she overcame her fear and took this big risk for her family. Parvana also wanted to buy trays to sell stuff around the market. She was told that digging up bones could make a lot of money. Though that sounded like a really horrible, disrespectful job, Parvana went there at last to make money to buy trays and did what she wanted. Although it was tough, she earned enough money to buy a tray and succeeded at last. The book said, “Getting left behind did not sound so terrible to Parvana but she obediently fell in behind Shauzia as they ran to catch up with group.” (106). It says that Parvana did not really care about being left behind, but she still went to dig up bones. This shows that there was not other factors that made her go, but she went to dig up bones because she thought that risk might be worth it. She was a risk-taker, we can see Parvana was a risk-taker, and it always turned out good for her, she succeeded and reached her target. We should be a risk-taker like how we learnt from Parvana because it can turn out good.


Moreover, Parvana teaches us we should never give up our hopes and dreams but take action to see them come true. Half a year after her father was arrested, she was called to leave Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, for her elder sister's wedding. She strongly refused because she believed that her father would come back. When she was told she had to go, she exclaimed "We can't leave Kabul! What about Father? What will happen if he gets out of prison and we're not here? He won't know where to look for us!” (138-139). She believed her father would come home. She waited and she refused to leave because her hope that her father was going to come back home. This showed that she was keen that her hope would come true. This proves Parvana never gives up hope. Another time, Parvana brought home a girl who told Parvana Mazar- the place where the rest of Parvana’s family were going- was under the Taliban’s control- it was not before- and the Taliban were killing everyone they saw. Some days afterwards she brought the girl home, when Parvana's father finally came back, Parvana was very excited. She did not worry anymore, she was filled with hope and was looking forward to reuniting her family. Parvana said "I feel like I'm working for something now. I'm working to get my family back” (159-160). Parvana was working for her family, she was working to get her family back. What she hoped after knowing that the rest of her family was in danger, was to have her family back, to help their family, to save them, to reunite them. This shows she was working for it. This shows that she was taking action for her hope and never stopped and never gave up. So remember, Parvana teaches us we should never give up our hopes and dreams but take action for them.


Last but not least, Parvana teaches us to be brave and face our problems and not to run away from them. Once, her family had a plan to turn her into a boy so she could go out and earn money and get the needs home. Parvana could refuse and stay at home all day long expecting the rest of her family to do the job, but she faced the problem. She achieved this challenge and went with that plan. The story said, “They could hold her down and cut off her hair, but for anything more, they needed her cooperation. In the end, it really was her decision" "All right, I'll do it." (68). After hesitating for a while. She said she would go along with the plan. She agreed to accept the challenge herself instead of being forced. This is a really good example of facing a problem and accepting a challenge. There’s another example of Parvana facing her problems bravely. After the first day of digging up bones, her mother asked her where she was. Parvana said, “I was digging up graves.” (116). She told the truth, she faced the problem that she did something bad. She did not hide from it and tell a lie. This is a good example of facing a problem, bravely, instead of hiding and telling lies. Afterwards, her mother got mad and scolded her angrily. Parvana could be ashamed and never dig up bones and stop talking about it again. However, she really wanted to buy a tray and she knew that the family couldn’t make enough money for a good living. She shouted back and fought for herself. "I don't want to quit yet. I want to buy trays, and things to sell from the trays. I can follow the crowd the way, instead of waiting for crowd to come to me. I can make more money” (118). This was how she shouted back at Mother and stood up for herself, and for her family. At last, Parvana got what she wanted. Therefore, this is a good example to face a problem the way you believe it’s right, too. So, be brave and face the problem the way you think is correct. Learn this from Parvana.


Parvana teaches us to take risks. She teaches us to face our problems and not to away from them. She teaches us to never give up our hopes and dreams. These things that Parvana teaches us are very important as they are some basics of our life principles. What we learnt from Parvana can affect our attitudes and even our lives. Therefore, what we learnt from Parvana is enormously important. Therefore, always keep in mind of what parvana teaches us!