writing_womans_lives_symposium_paper_book_v2

most writers of these texts are men, and they have discussed the solution to their problems through
their own perspectives,” 10 and concludes his argument citing a Pashto proverb which reads: “The
land is only scourged where fire burns”, suggesting that only one who suffers from hardships has the
capacity to really understand its full extent. Although Ahmadi’s rather incisive assessment may be
true to a certain extent, the writers included in the anthology addressed here are proof of the
opposite; Afghan women who do in fact possess decision over their own lives.
Children, women, and mothers
As one would expect, the greater part of these stories forefront the lives of women, however, in
some of these the notion of being woman, mother, or child is emphasised in particular. Previous
studies have showed that both men and women writers tend to represent “women as vulnerable and
suffering, and children as innocent and fragile,” 11 often in dichotomies with supressing men at the
other end. However, although this can occasionally be seen also in these texts, we find more
diversified adaptations of this topic as well. “The second wife” written by Fariba Solamal revolves
around the common theme of the often strained relationship between wife and mother‐in‐law,
problematizing a women’s suffering from not giving birth to a son. Toba Neda Sapey’s story
“Deception of the eyes” is a textbook case of the genre with an introductory part building up tension
before suddenly changing into a resolution of violence. Here Sapey relates a story about men’s
commodification and violation of women’s bodies as a site of control. In brief, the plot centres on
Rana and her husband Aman. Rana’s husband works in another town and is supposed to come home
later that day. She wants to surprise him by cooking a nice meal and putting on a new dress. While
waiting for him to arrive she writes a poem with the title “Waiting”. She also types a text message on
her mobile phone asking him when he is supposed to come back, but she is unable to send it since
her phone is out of credit. When Aman arrives at the house Rana is asleep. He finds the poem and
other love poems as well, and he also sees the undelivered text message in her phone. His conclusion
is that she must be having a love affair. The concluding paragraph reads:
Before Rana could say anything Aman had put his hands around her neck. Her voice
got stuck in the throat, her face turned red, and her vision was blurred… Aman removed
his hands slowly. He gave her a push and she fell down on the bed. She hit her forehead
on the side of the bed. Red blood poured down over her face and chest and dissolved into
her red dress. With great difficulties, Rana took a few breaths in the form of sobbing.
Along with the blood, also a tear fell down her cheek. She looked at Aman with languid
eyes. She wanted to say something but not a sound came out. 12
In the very short story – “Blood” – written by Firishta Ghani we find children’s experiences at the
centre of attention. Although the story seems to have a moral agenda at the bottom, the plot and
resolution, and the emotional range, almost transcend the graspable domains of human misery. As
with many other stories from this collection, the scene is set in an anonymous home at an
unspecified point of time. The story revolves around a father named Zalmai, his wife Maryam, and
their three children Osman, Sulaiman, and Hamida. Adhering to the generic structure of the genre,
the story moves from the ordinary into the spectacular. The story begins with the father chopping a
hen’s head off in front of his children. While the father leaves the house to buy some cookies for the
toddler Osman, the mother is busy preparing the hen in the kitchen.
– Hamida, do you know that I also can slaughter a hen?
– No, only father can do that.
– Should I show you?
Hamida nodded her head as to say yes.
Sulaiman went to get the knife, which was out in the backyard, and said:
– Look when I slit the knife across Osman’s throat. 13
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