23 the setting of place and time, readers can obtain more detailed information about
the story in the novel. The setting of place in the novel was in Afghanistan and the setting of time
was during the Taliban regime which was in 1996 to 2001. During the Taliban regime women were oppressed by the Taliban. The Taliban applied rules which
were not fair to women. Many women struggled to survive during the Taliban regime even though they could not do much. Women
’s oppression happened during the Taliban regime.
During the Taliban regime, women does not have their freedom. Cudd 2004 defines oppression as a name as social injustice, which is to say that it is
perpetrated through social institutions, practices, and norms on social groups by social groups. Oppression can be done to everyone p.2. Cudd 2004 also
defines oppression as a “harm, which persons are systematically and unfairly constrained, burdened, or reduced by any several forces
” p.2 In this study the person refers to women. The Taliban apply very strict rules to women. The
Taliban forbade women to go to school or work. By employing the theory of women
’s oppression, the following is the evidence of women’s oppression during the Taliban regime which is exposed in the novel.
1. Women are not allowed to get education
The Taliban has ordered all women to stay inside the house. During their regime, women are not allowed to go to school. As stated by An-
Na’im 1998, in 1996 the Taliban issued an edict forbidding women to attend school p.11. It also
happens in the novel.
24 The Taliban had ordered all the girls and women in Afghanistan to stay
inside their homes. They even forbade girls to go to school. Parvana had to leave her sixth grade class, and her sister Nooria was not allowed to go to
her high school p.7.
Once the Taliban find out about school, they would close the school immediately. “The Taliban would close down any school they discovered” p.132. Therefore,
besides women are not allowed to go to school, there is also no more school in Afghanistan because the Taliban has closed the school.
2. Women are not allowed to work
Besides school, women are also not permitted to work. An- Na’im 1998
states the Taliban forbid women to work outside the home p.11. In the novel, Parvana’s mother does not work anymore because the Taliban has kicked her out.
Their mother had been kicked out of her job as a writer for a Kabul radio station ”
p.7. Besides her mother, Mrs. Weera also loses her job. “She had been a physical
teacher before the Taliban made her leave her job ” p.58. Women are allowed to
do the housework only. “Mother and Nooria were always cleaning something. Since they couldn’t work or go to school, they didn’t have much else to do”
p.22. Only men are allowed to work. Men do the shopping which is usually done by women. “Men were supposed to do all the shopping” p.54.
3. Women must wear burqa
Even though the Taliban has ordered women must stay inside the house, women could still go outside. However, if they go outside, there is also a rule for
them to obey. Women must wear burqa when they are outside. An- Na’im 1998
states “In public, women must be covered from head to toe in a burqa, a body-
25 length covering with only a mesh opening to see and breathe through
” p.11. By wearing burqa, they could only show their eyes. Burqa covers their body and their
faces. In the novel, it is explained that burqa is, “A long, tent-like garment, it covers women completely and even has a narrow mesh screen over the eyes
” p.169. If they go outside without burqa, women could get trouble and
punishment. “Where is your burqa?” She looked around but couldn’t see one.
“Are you outside without a burqa?” The woman nodded. “What are you doing outside without a burqa? You could get in a lot of
trouble for that ” p.145.
When Parvana is asked to go shopping, she is confused about what is she
going to do in order to buy the things. Parvana is confused because she does not wear burqa. She does not know how to shop because there is also a rule for
women when they are shopping. Parvana wasn’t sure if she would consider a woman. On the one hand, if she
behaved like woman and stood outside the shop and called in her order, she could get in trouble for not wearing burqa. On the other hand, if she went
into a shop, she could get in trouble for not acting like woman p.54.
Women could be punished for not wearing burqa. When Parvana in the market and she does not wear her burqa, she gets caught by the soldier.
“What are you doing on the street dressed like that?” “You must be covered up Who is your father? Who is your husband? They
will be punished for letting you walk the street like that” The soldier raised
his arm and brought his s tick down on Parvana’s soldier p.55.
By wearing burqa, sometimes women could not see the street clearly. It is difficult for women to walk with burqa.
“How do women in burqas manage to walk along these streets?” Parvana asked her father.
26 “How do they see where they are going?”
“They fall down a lot,” her father replied. He was right. Parvana had seen them fall p.17.
4. Women are not allowed to enter to the shop
