2. Courageous
Hannah is the main character in this story who gets verbal, physical, and sexual abuse from her father. It can be seen that Hannah’s suffering and
oppression are caused by her sex. She gets oppression because she is a woman who is considered as weak, small, and unwanted human being. In Hannah’s
culture, girls are less welcome than boys. Hannah lives in Islamic patriarchal culture that constructs this awful and unfair stereotype on women.
In the beginning of the story, Hannah chooses to remain silent when she gets oppression and she must be obedient to her father. She is also afraid if people
know about the oppression and abuse, it will attract dishonor to the family or to the community, and her father’s good name as an Imam 2009: 43. Hannah likes
to keep her problem in secret and never wants to express what she feels. Her father beats Hannah if Hannah does not do household chores properly. He also
sexually abuses her. He rapes his daughter from the age of five until fifteen. He justifies raping as part of her daughter’s “punishment” because being
“disobedient” to him. Hannah feels that she should follow what her father says to maintain the family’s honour. Hannah’s father has an authority on Hannah’s body
and does whatever he wants to Hannah. The abuse happens for many years until Hannah cannot live with it.
Hannah is trying to rebel the patriarchal system that is constructed in the society she lives in. She is brave to follow her heart to be what she wants to be, without
any control from her father. Hannah has courage to go outside and break the rule. Hannah’s courageous personality is described by her rejection to follow the rules
in the society. It can be seen both in her appearance and also in her behaviour.
2.a. Courageous to Visit Her Western Friends
The society where Hannah lives do not like Western people. They do not like the ‘disrespectful’ way that English children speak to their parents and they
choose to believe that western people are dirty, godless, and immoral and might even serve the Muslim pork to eat. But Hannah does not follow this old tradition
rules. For example, Hannah is brave to visit her western friend’s house, such as
Jane’s and Susan’s house.
My visit to my friends’ house had been true rebellion. It felt frightening and dangerous, and I was relieved that no one had actually caught me.
But it was also exciting, and somehow liberating. That evening, I thought to myself that it was good to have done it. I had broken the rules and it
felt good. It was my first secret rebellion, and I would keep it all to myself. I vowed there would be more 2009: 31.
Hannah is brave to take a risk to visit her western friend although the society around her dislikes her attitude. She is not afraid if her father catches her because
she likes the sense of being free to live her own life by doing that.
2.b. Courageous to Make Decision about Dressing
Related to Hannah’s being courageous in breaking the traditional rule in her society, she even has tried many kinds of uncommon attitude which is
forbidden in her society. She also has a rebel spirit in positive ways, for example, when she does not wear her traditional costume, Shalwar Kamis, to non-uniform
day at school. Pakistani women are supposed to use their traditional costume whenever they go outside. Yet, Hannah wants to feel the sense of freedom which
is incredibly valuable to her. She wants to wear what she wants to. She does not care if it is haram or forbidden under the name of Islam, their belief system rule in
Pakistani society. She controls her own life and does something by her control and choice.
This was the most delicious rebellion that I’d yet experienced, and it both thrilled and frightened me. From now on, whenever it was non-uniform
day I did the dressing-up routine at Sonia’s house. But I was willing to take that risk. The reward was a simple. Blissful sense of freedom, and
that was incredibly valuable to me. Everything else in my life seemed to be beyond my control: who I worshipped, what I thought, how I was
treated physically as the de facto family slave. Even my own body was someone else’s to control and misuse in horrible ways. At least I had
managed to do something that was by my choice, and under my control. I wasn’t about to give that up very easily 2009: 67.
2.c Courageous to Escape from Arranged Marriage
Hannah is also brave in making a decision although she has to take many risks in order to get her freedom. She is also brave to accept all the consequences.
In Hannah’s community, girls are supposed to be married at the earliest possible age before they are tempted into ‘dishonouring’ the family by falling in love. She
wants to be free from the arranged marriage. Hannah is also brave to liberate her life from patriarchal society, Hannah is brave to escape from her house and leave
her family. She cannot be silent about what has happened to her, and what is still happening to other young girls and women in her society. She realizes that she
cannot tolerate the silence in a family and community. She does not like to suffer the same fate as her mother who experiences an arranged marriage, according to
Pakistani tradition. “My dad was on the phone last night and I heard him and its all arranged
for this evening and they’re flying me out to Pakistan for an arranged marriage and I’m not going and there’s no way I can go home tonight
No way I had to get away. I had to escape. I couldn’t afford too make a mistake the next day. I only had the one chance 2009: 91.
When Hannah knows her father has arranged a marriage to her, she is brave to PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
make a decision to leave home. She uses her chance to escape and be free from patriarchy.
Hannah also wants to help women who are trapped in patriarchal culture to be free from the arranged marriage itself. It can be seen when Hannah helps her
best friend, Skip, to escape from the arranged marriage. Towards the end of the first year their friendships, Skip tells Hannah that she is going on holiday to
Pakistan. Two days after Skip has left Pakistan, there is a phone call at Hannah’s home. Skip gets a trouble there. She tells Hannah how she is taken to visit in some
distant relatives somewhere in the northwest Pakistan and she is presented with a Pakistani man whom she has never met before. They are going to marry each
other. Skip is determined to escape. She asks Hannah to get help by talking to her older sister.
Just soon as I could I hurried over to Saira’s place. If my father found out that I was helping Skip escape an arranged marriage, then I would be
punished terribly. Once again, I would be rebelling against everything that he stood for. But I didn’t care. I had to help skip. Anyway, what
worse was there he could d to me? Only kill me 2009:52.
Hannah has to help Skip repels the rule arranged by patriarchal society to get her freedom and be liberate. This moment also proves that Hannah is
courageous as a woman. She becomes a rebellious person to fight against the arranged marriage. She does not care about the consequences that her father will
punish her terribly. Being rebellious makes Hannah finally realize that the oppression that she gets since a child is not inappropriate. Hannah becomes a
courageous woman to liberate her own life. Without any support from anyone in the home, Hannah is brave to escape from her home and change her own identity.
She does not want to end up like her mother whose life is under the control of her husband.
For my whole life I had dreamed about running away and escaping my family. Now I was finally doing it. I hadn’t had time to think or process
anything. The shock was starting to overwhelm me 2009: 64.
Hannah has a big dream about running away and escaping from her family because she cannot find happiness there. Because of her bravery, she can do that.
2.d. Courageous to State Her Argument
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