The Dressmaker Of Khair Khna Analysis

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Mendoza, Jocelyn Professor, Ramirez English 26 May, 20 2012 Title? Have you ever criticized the United States? We all criticize our state not really out looking all that this country has to offer. How lucky are we to be as free as the birds that fly above our heads? We don’t ever stop and think how much value the word FREEDOM has on other people in other states. In the book “The Dressmaker of Khair Khana”, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon she goes in deep into the country of Afghanistan. There she meets the Sidiqi family, where in particular Kamila, which is the oldest daughter living in the household stands out in between all the chaos that is surrounding them. In 1996 the Taliban Regime took over Kabul Afghanistan, and that happened to be where…show more content…
Morton Deutch whom wrote the article “A frame for thinking about oppression and its change” shows how Kamila underwent “Cultural Imperialism”. In “The Dressmaker of Khair Khana”, Gayle states, “Kamila Jan, I’m honored to present you with your certificate […] Kamila took the paper and read: This is to certify that Kamila Sidiqi has successfully completed her studies at Sayed Jamaluddin Teacher Training Institute” (K.K 1). Kamila happy thinking after she got her certificate she was on her way to an elite University to receive her bachelors but she was in for a big surprise. After the Taliban Regime took over in 1996 women were prohibited to go to school and get an education. However, men had all the right to go to school with no problem. In the article “A frame for thinking about oppression and its change” Deutch says, “consequently, the difference between women from men, American Indians or African from Europe’s, Jews from Christians becomes reconstructed as deviance and inferiority” (Deutch 15). Kamila is being oppressed because she had her right from getting an education taken away. This was a huge injustice because unlike men, men were still able to complete their duties with no Islamic laws interfering. How Deutch states, the opposite sex was being held, therefore it causes conflicts and injustice. Kamila nor no one else knew how much longer the Taliban Regime would be in Kabul for. It could have been…show more content…
Since women weren’t allowed to be as free as the men they were forced to learn how to only live inside their homes. Kamila notices that money is running out, she knows that her as the oldest one has to find a way to get money coming in the home. She can’t attend an elite university like she planned too due to the Islamic rules, so while sitting for days thinking for a way to work from inside her home, she finally has a brilliant idea. She decided to become a seamstress. Not only would she able to work from her living room but her sisters would be able to help too. Plus the Lycee Myriam which was the market of clothing had remained strong through the Regime. Of course Kamila knew that all women would need clothes to wear especially with the conditions that all women were in. Kamila knew that Malika her sister would be the perfect person to teach her. Kamila goes to Malikas place and she explains the idea she had, and so Malika agrees to help her sister. Malika made sure she told her younger sister Kamila to be very careful with every move she made, and with every word she said because any one could listen and turn their back on her. In “The Dressmaker of Khair Khana” Lemmon states, “Malika realized that it would be pointless to stand in her sisters way, no matter how worried she was, she could tell by Kamilas tone of absolute certainty that she had already decided to go forward with her plan
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