For Parvana and her family in The Breadwinner, suffering is a part of life. The thing is, though, that even though their circumstances are pretty awful, we see that other Afghans have it much worse. Shauzia, for instance, pretty much can't stand her family and they deny her access to learning after the schools are closed. The only upside to so much suffering in a book is that for us, as readers, the way characters respond to it gives us meaningful insights into their personalities. That's what we'd call a very thin silver lining, though, Shmoopsters.
Questions About Suffering
- How has Parvana's family managed to persevere in the face of so much loss and suffering?
- What does Parvana learn about suffering as she reads people's letters?
- How do men and women suffer differently?
- How has suffering changed Parvana? Or has it?
Chew on This
The mental and emotional anguish Parvana's family suffers is much worse than any physical pain they could endure.
While Father appears to be the bravest, he is the member of Parvana's family who has suffered the most.