How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Parvana looked at Mother, still lying on the toshak. She looked at Ali, worn out from being hungry and needing his parents. She looked at Maryam, whose cheeks were already beginning to look hollow, and who hadn't been in the sunshine in such a long time. Finally, she looked at her big sister, Nooria.
Nooria looked terrified. If Parvana didn't obey her, she would have to go for food herself.
Now, I've got her, Parvana thought. I can make her as miserable as she makes me. But she was surprised to find that this thought gave her no pleasure. (4.64-4.66)
Since Father left, the family has really been suffering. The babies are hungry and dirty, and Mother has shut down completely, so Nooria tells Parvana that she has no choice—she has to go out for food. But Parvana doesn't want to—she's only eleven, after all, she isn't supposed to go out alone. Going out is seriously dangerous, but after assessing her family's situation, Parvana realizes she has no choice. Her family needs her, and so she goes.
Quote #2
She kept hauling water. Her arms were sore, and the blisters on her feet started to bleed again, but she didn't think about that. She fetched water because her family needed it, because her father would have expected her to. Now that Mrs. Weera was there and her mother was up, things were going to get easier, and she would do her part. (5.51)
For Parvana, being part of a family means chipping in and making sure everyone is taken care of, and with Mrs. Weera's arrival, Parvana feels her family can make it through these hard times if they all do their part. While fetching the water is probably the worst of the household chores, Parvana knows it is also the most important—plus Father's expectations linger even though his presence in the house is gone, and she wants to make him proud.
Quote #3
"Dear Niece," Parvana read. "I am sorry I am not able to be with you at the time of your wedding, but I hope this letter will get to you in time. It is good to be in Germany, away from all the fighting. In my mind, though, I never really leave Afghanistan. My thoughts are always turned to our country, to our family and friends I will probably never see again." (7.27)
When a woman gets married, she agrees to leave her family and start a new one, very often with a husband she's never met, which can be upsetting for those she leaves behind.