Swallows of Kabul
~Blog Post #3~
Topic B
May 5, 2015
By: Megan Teehan
Up until this point, Atiq has been having a difficult time
in his life. The Taliban has come and destroyed his town, he does not have the
best job, and his wife is dying of an illness. This has caused Atiq to be “checked
out” a lot of the time and he seems to be mechanical and distant. Each important
person in his life has noticed these changes, and they are unaware on how to
help Atiq. He has becoming a different person. He has turned into a mean man
with no heart or personality. During this time, Atiq is just fine and he can no
longer find happiness and peace.
This all changed when Atiq saw the woman in her cell. Due to
the culture, Atiq has not seen a woman, other than his wife, reveal her face.
This was a special and rare moment for Atiq to see this woman without her
burqa. Just by seeing her face, she was able to open up Atiq’s eyes and mind
and allow him to be giddy again. Mussarat comments on Atiq’s new personality
saying, “I’d like to kiss the feet of the woman who’s awakened such sensitivity
in you in the course of a single night. She must be a saint” (151). Mussarat
has been with Atiq for twenty years and she has not seen him this happy in a
while. For her to notice the difference in her husband, it means the this
jailed woman has done something to Atiq that will change him forever and has
left a lasting impression.
I agree with everything you said, Megan! I also wrote about Atiq’s change in character in my third blog post. It is amazing how a sight so normal to us these days could change a man so strongly only a few years ago in another country. Khadra not only used Atiq’s reaction to a Zunaira’s face to add to Atiq’s character development, but he also used it to show the physical and emotional beauty of women in everyday life. By emphasizing Atiq’s reaction, Khadra highlights the importance of women to society. Mankind cannot be happy and fulfilled without the presence of women, and women-kind cannot be happy and fulfilled without the presence of men. They both bring light and joy to society and culture.
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