Debora Ellis 'Parvana': The Effects That War Has On Children

‘Parvana illustrates the effects that war has on children.’ Discuss.

Debora Ellis’ novel, Parvana, follows the life of an eleven-year-old girl and other children living under the brutal regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Parvana clearly illustrates how Afghan children have dealt with terrible effects from war. The ways children are affected include their quality of life, freedom and personal identity. In addition the children’s mental and physical health are also affected due to war. The novel not only focuses on the war effects children but also how they cope with these terrible circumstances and the positive messages that come out of it.

From the early stages of the novel Ellis creates a world where children have very little freedom and

The brutality of the Taliban soldiers combined with the ‘ugly’ things the children must experience makes for not just poor mental health but also poor physical health. Parvana sees both ends of the spectrum whilst in the market, when a Taliban soldier ‘raised his arm’ and ‘brought his stick down’ on Parvana. She has also witnesses the effect the Taliban’s brutality has on other people. Parvana observed shopkeepers being ‘beaten for serving women inside their shop’. The issue of mental health was even brought into her own house with her mother’s depression and everyone ‘going around with … unshed tears’. The children are aware that these influences are taking their toll saying they ‘didn’t want to see anything ugly for a little while’ and not wanting to ‘know anymore’ about ‘blood, death [and] pain’. The adults are also affected by the loss of mental and physical health. The adults are either physically not there for the children or emotionally not there for them. Although some children (like Shauzia’s) parents’ are still with them, the lack of the emotional support is almost like they have lost a parent. As such, the children must take on more responsibilities and lose their childhood innocence. Despite all of these challenges, the children somehow don’t lose hope. They band together and prevail over the challenges they are faced with because of the