The Breadwinner

Parvana whispers and confirms that the girl is Shauzia. Shauzia says her name now is Shafiq and Parvana says that she’s Kaseem. Shauzia says that she’s working, the same as Parvana, and promises to come back later. Stunned, Parvana watches Shauzia for a while and then decides she could put Shauzia in danger by staring. Parvana and Shauzia were just acquaintances at school, but Parvana is thrilled to learn that there are other girls like her. At the end of the day, Shauzia offers Parvana some dried apricots and walks home with her. Shauzia has been working in the market for six months, since her brother went to Iran and her father died. Shauzia isn’t convinced that Father is ever getting out of prison, but the girls change the subject and discuss work.

Shauzia says she’d like to sell things off a tray instead of carry tea; it’s more lucrative. Parvana is intrigued, since her family seldom has money for kerosene and thus spends evenings in the dark. When they get to Parvana’s apartment, Shauzia accompanies Parvana inside and Mother greets her warmly, though they’ve never met before. Mother assures Shauzia that she can visit any time, and Mrs. Weera wants to know if Shauzia has been keeping up with her studies. Unfortunately, the relatives Shauzia lives with don’t believe girls should be educated, but they don’t mind that Shauzia dresses like a boy to work—it’s what allows them to eat. Mrs. Weera announces that she’s thinking of starting a secret school and invites Shauzia to come. She assures the girls that the Taliban aren’t invited.

After Shauzia leaves, Mother says she’d like to visit Shauzia’s mother to get her story for her magazine. When Parvana asks, Mrs. Weera says that they’re going to smuggle their stories to Pakistan, print the magazine there, and then smuggle the magazines back into Afghanistan. Suspicious that the women are going to turn her into a magazine smuggler, Parvana asks who’s going to smuggle things. Mother says that they’ve connected with other women, some with sympathetic husbands. Nooria is very excited about the school. Parvana isn’t excited about the prospect of having Nooria as a teacher, but she stays quiet. It’s nice to see Nooria so excited.

Parvana and Shauzia see each other nearly every day in the market. Parvana always waits for Shauzia to come find her, since she’s too afraid to venture into the crowded market. One afternoon during a lull, something lands on Parvana’s head; it clearly came from the Window Woman. It’s a beautiful embroidered handkerchief. Shauzia runs up before Parvana can look up at the Window Woman in thanks and says she found a way they can make money. She doesn’t like it, and Parvana won’t either—but it pays.