The sister of Parwana, Masooma is described (from Parwana’s perspective) as a beautiful young woman, desired by every man in her community. Although Masooma has planned to marry Saboor, Parwana’s connivances cause Masooma to become an invalid for the rest of her life (though she doesn’t know her sister is responsible for her injury). At the end of her life, Masooma tells Parwana to marry Saboor and leave her to fend for herself.
Masooma Quotes in And the Mountains Echoed
The And the Mountains Echoed quotes below are all either spoken by Masooma or refer to Masooma. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Riverhead Books edition of And the Mountains Echoed published in 2014.
Chapter 3
Quotes
All her life, Parwana had made sure to avoid standing in front of a mirror with her sister. It robbed her of hope to see her face beside Masooma’s, to see so plainly what she had been denied. But in public, every stranger’s eye was a mirror. There was no escape.
Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Masooma Character Timeline in And the Mountains Echoed
The timeline below shows where the character Masooma appears in And the Mountains Echoed. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
As the chapter begins, Parwana sees “it” smeared down Masooma’s buttocks and thighs. Parwana “wants to howl,” but she forces herself to be cheerful. It...
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...sometimes sees Saboor. Saboor, as Parwana sees him, is a mature family man. One day, Masooma asks Parwana about a shared memory of going biking long ago, and as they talk,...
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When Parwana was born, she was a surprise. She and Masooma are twin sisters, but their mother didn’t realize she was bearing twins until Parwana came...
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By the time Masooma and Parwana are 11 years old, Masooma has begun to attract attention from the local...
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...sometimes allowed to drive his employers’ fancy car. Nabi brings his family money every month. Masooma asks Nabi if he’s found a wife yet, and he laughs off the question. Parwana...
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...unlikely that he would marry her, and she’s already fully committed to taking care of Masooma.
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When Masooma and Parwana were 13 years old, they used to enjoy going to bazaars to run...
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In 1949, Parwana carries Masooma outside for some fresh air. She is careful to take perfect care of her sister,...
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When Parwana and Masooma are 17 years old, they sit in the branch of a tall tree and discuss...
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Back in 1949, Parwana and Masooma are talking. Masooma tells her sister, “You have to do it now. If you wait...
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After staring into Masooma’s eyes for a long time, Parwana decides to leave her sister and marry Saboor. She...
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