Something caught her eye, a flicker of movement. She thought it came from the blacked-out window, but how could it? Parvana decided she was
imagining things. She folded up the blanket and tucked it under her arm. She felt the money she’d earned, tucked safely in her pocket.
Feeling very proud of herself, she ran all the way home. Ellis, 2000: 82
The datum above shows how proud Parvana is after she earns money. At the beginning, Parvana works in the market and does two things. First, she
works as a letter reader. Second, she works as a seller. These are her new experiences to go outside in order to work alone. Moreover, firstly she is doubt
whether she can do these jobs. She believes that her disguise will not work Ellis, 2000: 82. However, her disguise as a boy completely succeeds. No one
notices her as a girl and finally she can earn money for her family. Because of her struggle, Parvana’s pride is improved.
At first, Parvana does not fully acknowledge her capability. She says that sometimes she is proud of herself that she can fetch water for her family’s daily
needs. Along with the struggles that she does, she gains more experiences. Finally, she can fully feel proud of her capability in struggling for her family. It
means that her pride is improved along the experiences she gets. It conveys the message to female children in Taliban society that their capability is worthy
and they should be proud of the result of what they have done.
3. Arousing a Feeling of Satisfaction of Her Efforts
Besides boosting Parvana’s self-esteem and improving Parvana’s pride on herself, Parvana’s struggles can give another significant meaning, that is,
arousing a feeling of satisfaction of her efforts. Satisfaction is a feeling of
happiness of something that has been done. It does not come to the extent of acknowledging someone’s capability. Yet, it is only happiness feeling because
something has been achieved. Parvana’s satisfaction is represented by this datum:
It was good to make a sale, to have more money to stuff away in the little pocket in the side of her shirt. It felt so good that she almost felt no regret
as she watched the vibrant red cloth flutter in the breeze as it was carried away into the crowded labyrinth of the market, never to be seen again.
Ellis, 2000:81
It shows that Parvana is satisfied to what she has done in the market. She is happy because she is able to sell something. She is also happy to earn
money from her selling activity. Parvana has done big effort in selling the shalwar kameez that her mother asks to sell. She manages to get the money
and she thinks that it is a good thing to sell something and have money from it.
The feeling of satisfaction is also shown by another expression. It can be seen from this datum: “Parvana loved being in the market. She loved
watching people move along the streets, loved hearing snatches of conversation that reached her ears, loved reading the letters people brought
her ”
Ellis, 2000: 91-92.
It intends to say how Parvana loves her activities in the market. She loves seeing people around the market. She loves hearing
their conversation and she loves becoming a letter reader. The feeling of love signifies a happiness of someone. When someone loves doing something, it
means that she or he is happy to do the activity. Parvana loves her job as a
letter reader in the market, so she is happy and in the same time, she is also satisfied with the result of that job.
Besides becoming a breadwinner for her family, Parvana also struggles to save her family. One of the family members she tries to save is her father. At
first, she fails to bring her father home since the Taliban soldiers keep forcing her to go home. They even beat her to force her going home. Although she
knows the risks of staying alone in Kabul, she insists to wait for her father in her home alone while her family goes to Mazar. She struggles by herself to
survive in Kabul with all the restriction of the Taliban group. Finally, she can meet her father.
Parvana didn’t mind that he was unable to talk right away. She was overjoyed just to have him home. She spent her days earning money, and
her evenings helping Mrs. Weera. When her father felt better, she would read to him from his books. Ellis, 2000: 156-157
Her father cannot talk after he is back home. It may be because he is so distressed to live in the jail. Even if so, Parvana is so happy to meet him. She is
encouraged more to earn more money for her father’s needs. She reads her father some books to make him happy. Parvana is satisfied that her effort in
saving or waiting for him to come back home is not useless. She is happy to find her father. Therefore, she does not mind to take care of him well.
Parvana has struggled a lot against the rule of Taliban group which make women and female children inferior compared to men. She does every job that
is supposed to be done by men. Her struggles can give significant meaning to female children who live in Taliban society that her struggles can arouse a
happiness and satisfaction on them. They should no longer be sad and
miserable. Even though struggling is hard, it still can satisfy them and make them happy.
D. Discussions
