I was quite intrigued with her leadership and compassion that she demonstrated at Leila’s Academy. Now I can also understand how readers have been captivated with her story since The Breadwinner was published in 2000.
There are moments throughout the novel when Parvana acted childish such as her rebellion about learning fractions or listening to Nooria but I see how she has matured by this point in the novel. This is evident by how she comes out of her moody spells and daydreams to focus her time, energy and emotions on others.
Now in her conversations with her mother she chooses her words carefully to avoid a fight and refuses to respond to her mother’s hurtful comments. As a teacher she engages her students in learning. She also fights against the racism and the threats from the community to keep the students safe as well as improve the reputation of the school. Parvana’s maturity as the tension between the school and the community escalates is admirable. As a reader, her leadership and sense of responsibility throughout these events made me forget that she is not an adult yet.
While there are a few moments in her earlier memories and her time in jail that remind me that she still is quite young, I think that Ellis is clearly establishing Parvana’s identity as an independent, strong-willed, educated, compassionate woman.
After reading this section it is also easier to understand the strength of Parvana’s conviction to remain silent and trust nobody. The title, “My Name is Parvana” is quite fitting because her resistance to the Americans and her leadership at the school affirms that she is confident in herself and resolute in her convictions.
I predict that the two separate storylines of her past at the school and her present as a detainee will finally merge when she remembers the school bombing. I also predict that she will not be broken by the Americans in the interrogation. I think that whatever happens to her in the final chapter will be a result of her own resourcefulness.