THE BURKA
The chapters in today's readings were very focused on the role that women have in Afghani culture. The chapter I found the most intriguing was "Billowing, Fluttering, Winding." This chapter describes Sultan's sister Shakila as she and some other women, all clad in burkas, navigate the market in search of things needed for the wedding. What made the chapter so interesting was the manner in which the author referred to the women. At the beginning she refers to them based on their burkas. For example, there is "lead burka," "pregnant burka" and "billowing burka." In fact, the reader doesn't even know the identities of the women in the burkas until, in a desolate alley, Shakila reveals her face. By describing the women this way, the author demonstrates what the burkas do to the women. The burka allows the woman almost no individuality and asserts the authority of the man.
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