Study Guide: The Breadwinner Know this information!!
1.Burka- is a loose, usually black or light blue robe, that is worn by Muslim women, especially in Afghanistan, and that covers the body from head to toe and has a narrow mesh screen over the eyes.
2.Chador- is a piece of cloth worn by women and girls to cover their hair and shoulders.
3.Shalwar Kameez- is an outfit worn in Afghanistan: a pair of light loose trousers with a tight fit around the ankles with a long tunic (shirt).
4.Toshak- is narrow mattress used in many Afghan homes instead of chairs or beds.
5.Nan- is a type of flat bread eaten in Afghanistan.
6.Where is the setting? Afghanistan
7.What decade did the story take place? 1990’s
8. Be able to describe Parvana’s home.A one-room apartment in a bombed out building
9.Who is the protagonist? Parvana
10.Who is the antagonist? The Taliban
11.How do the Taliban laws impact women and girls? Have to wear a burqa and be escorted by a male in public
12.What happened to Father at the beginning of the novel? Imprisoned by the Taliban
13.How does Parvana help her family? dressed as a tea boy to make money
14.Who is Shauzia? another girl from school who is also dressed as a tea boy
15.Who is Mrs. Weera and what does she do in the story?She moves into their one-room apartment and starts a school for a small group of girls.
16.What name does Parvana go by as a boy? Kaseem
17.What do Parvana and Shauzia do to earn more money for tea trays? Dig up bones in the graveyard.
18. Does Parvana tell her mother what they did to earn money? Yes, she can not lie.
19.What do they sell on the teas trays?Things that didn’t weigh much like cigarettes, matches, and gum.
20.What happened in the stadium?Taliban punished thieves by cutting off their arms or hands
21.Who left little gifts for Parvana in the market? The window woman.
22. Where does Shauzia want to go one day? Paris, France
23. Why does Parvana stay home and not go to the wedding?It would be too difficult to explain her appearance when they arrive for the wedding
24.What does Parvana learn about Mazar al Sharif after her Mother & Nooria leave for the wedding? It was taken over by the Taliban
25. Who does Parvana meet in the alley who tells her about the Taliban taking over Mazar al Sharif? Homa
26.Who does Parvana find being helped up the stairs to her families’ apartment? Her father
27. What language does both Parvana’s father and Homa speak? English
28.What happens at the end of the story? What is the resolution?When Parvana and Father leave to find the rest of the family
29.What going away gift does Parvana leave for the window lady? She plants wildflowers under her window.
30.What going away gift does Shauzia give Parvana? Dried apricots
31.Where do Parvana and Shauzia agree to meet in 20 years?On top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
32. Know the parts of the plot diagram and what they mean. (Elements of Plot…Complete the diagram on back.)