Wanting Mor, Rukhsana Khan

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The novel, Wanting Mor, by Rukhsana Khan is an enthralling tale of life lessons. The story unfolds through the eyes of a traumatised Afghan female named, Jameela. Jameela begins to discover and comprehend themes and morals of life after witnessing the death of her loving mother, Mor. As the novel progresses, numerous themes arise throughout the course of the novel. This powerful novel depicts themes of confidence, tranquility, and righteousness in the cruel cold-hearted world in which Jameela inhabits. The concept of standing up for one’s self plays a key theme in the novel, Wanting Mor. The novel unfolds with an illustration of Jameela, as a timorous, obedient girl, influenced by her religious beliefs. As it states in the novel, “ ‘Don’t tell me what I am! I’ll tell you!’…My face is hot. How could I have been so careless? So disrespectful. Maybe I’m tired too” (Rukhsana 29). These statements are followed after the death of Mor and how Jameela’s father, Baba, reacts to the situation by demeaning everything including his own daughter. Jameela tries to soothe her father in the attempt to make her father relaxed by informing him he is simply fatigued. In spite of this, her father believes this to be offensive as he needs to be mollified by her young daughter, which results into Jameela believing the cause was of her own. She is also depicted as diffident because she abides to anyone regardless of her own feelings and emotions. This is illustrated through chapters’ three to nine, which begins with Baba telling Jameela that they are leaving their village to go to the picturesque city known as Kabul, regardless of Jameela’s consideration in the process. Afterwards, Jameela labours away with the multiple Khalaas, respectable term for o... ... middle of paper ... ...imism of attending school. This depicts how if she was angry, she would be blinded of the aftermath of being pessimistic such as, not seeing the advantages of pursuing education for the first time, nonetheless, she will only keep recounting the same question of why did her father abandoned her, and will eventually harm someone, as in the case with Arwa, a child in the orphanage. Jameela finally channelled her anger into violence with Arwa, as in pushing her to the ground because she was a tad bit clingy; she wanted to know the outcome of Jameela’s surgery of her cleft lip. The result of committing this is that Jameela experienced remorse and depression. A theme portrayed in the novel, Wanting Mor, is making strong bonds, as in peace with one another, not hatred and anger. Work Cited Khan, Rukhsana. Wanting Mor. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books, 2009. 190. Print.

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