Analysis Of Under The Persimmon Tree

Firstly, the war caused a huge problem to Maha, a 12-year-old girl, who lost her parents and her older sister after a bombing in the Muslim area of the city. Moreover, she has to take care of her younger brother who is 6 months old, while they threaten to separate her from him. Maha’s suffering is demonstrated when she explains to Karim, “What’s important is that I don’t have anything left to lose. Except Jad. You say we’ll be killed before we

War leads to oppression and leaves negative implications on all people and societies by impacting the poor, women, children, and nations as a whole. "War is a state of violent conflict between one or more groups" (Rasenberger 3). Rasenberger defines war as a state of conflict between one group within itself or several groups in combat with each other, what is not mentioned are the after-effects of war. War itself leads to many civilian and military deaths, an estimated 1.5-3.8 million people died during the Vietnam War and an approximate 500,000 people died in the Iraq war. The biggest tragedy of War is that it always results in fatality, but another key, negative, factor to understand is that after the War many adverse implications arise. Post-war ramifications in the nation fall upon the poor, women, and children, making them weaker and less motivated leading to the downfall of a society. Regardless if a nation wins or is defeated in war they have to deal with consequences of war and find solutions to the impacted people and society. It is essential to understand that there is never a true victor in war because regardless of the outcome, fatality and a fall of morale within society on both sides are inevitable. War has often been the solution to situations that required force or violence, but in recent times this has

“War is hell, but that’s not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead.” (80)

The loss of somebody or someone can lead to PTSD, which can later lead to other effects, and it is said that up to 20% of all adults in America who have experienced some type of loss develops PTSD. (BS-1) Towards the beginning of the novel Under the Persimmon Tree, there is a character named Najmah who loses the ability to speak and loses control of her life, as a result of Mada-jan and Habib’s loss. (BS-2) As an effect of Baba-jan and Nur missing from her life, Najmah changes her mindset and the decisions she makes from then on. (BS-3) Najmah’s relationships with others and voice is altered, this happens once she meets Nusrat and she adjusts due to her losses. (TS) Throughout the novel Under the Persimmon Tree, we see a character named

Persimmons, by Li-Young Lee, is a poem that discusses many aspects of growing up in a split between two cultures. Lee is presumably the narrator of this poem and describes different aspects of him growing up between the lines of Chinese and American culture. This poem touches on the many ways Lee feels as he is growing up in American Culture and how that affects the Chinese Culture he has at home. Each stanza represents a different memory that describes an instance in which he feels as though he falls between the two cultures, not exactly pertaining to one or the other. Throughout the poem, we can see that Lee is struggling with this notion of losing his Chinese Culture. The poem begins where Lee is an outsider to American Culture, then

(AGG)Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “only in the darkness can you see the stars.” with this, Nusrat relates because the stars shined brighter in the darkness of Faiz’s death. (BS-1)In the book, Under The Persimmon Tree, Nusrats’ loved ones are related to the stars in her mind because she has a basic connection with the stars. (BS-2) Additionally, when Nusrat realizes Faiz is dead, the author uses stars to symbolize her loss of faith. (BS-3)Similarly, the author uses Nusrat’s connection to the stars to symbolize her loss of faith when she accepts Faiz is dead. (TS)Furthermore, at critical moments in Nusrat’s life, the author uses Nusrats’ connection with the stars to highlight how she loses faith.

People say war changes people, molds them, changes the way they act, think, and behave. The true effect of war can never be measured, nor forgotten in the eyes of the changed. War is something you never want anyone to go through. It's a brutal thing that changes the softest of people into “Statues”. When people look back at wars and think how terrible it was to die there, Yet the people who survived may have the greatest wound.

(AGG)In Afghanistan the people say that U.S. bombings and suicide bombers are “evil twins” and in the novel U.S. bombings, which are meant to root enemy positions, are characterized a evil and greatly affect the characters.(BS-1)The U.S. power to hit targets from the air greatly changes and affects nusrat in many ways. (BS-2)Because the U.S. caused the deaths of 2 of Najmah’s family members Najmah has a growing fear and affect deeply by the U.S.(BS-3)Finally the U.S. affect both Najmah and Nusrat due to airstrikes causing indirect, bombings near the characters or near their loved ones, and direct, deaths of family members, changes in the 2. (TS)The characters in the book “Under the Persimmon Tree” are greatly affected by the U.S. involvement and the author uses real life events to provoke conflicts and changes in how the two characters act and think.

(AGG) Despite all of its faults, war is what first forced humans to band together, blossoming the flower of civilization out of a god-forsaken battlefield. (BS-1) Everybody loses something in war, whether it be their family member, or their life. (BS-2) War also kills in a way sometimes unseen, contorting the minds of the apparent “survivors.” (BS-3)

This is when Najmah starts to mature and become more responsible because she does her father’s and brother’s chores. This shows how Najmah has changed because she is taking care of her mother like an adult. (STEWE-2) Najmah explains to the reader how she doesn't get scared of silly things anymore and how she has matured. “I no longer think of leopards at all. I am more worried about leaving my mother and baby brother alone in the house with the possibility that the Taliban might return looking for more food”(62). Now Najmah doesn’t worry about silly leopards, she only worries about the Taliban coming back. Her soul focus became protecting and taking care of her mother. (CS) These are a few examples of how Najmah changes due to the loss of Baba-Jan and Nur.

War shows both sides of our world:the positive and negative.The positive of war is that freedom will hopefully be gained. The negative of war is the pain and fear that comes with trying to gain this freedom. The Americans living during the revolutionary war saw this first hand. The men that went to war saw the death,injustice,and cruelty it brought but they also saw the great new life it could bring. In the book “My Brother Sam is Dead”, the main character, Tim, sees the suffering,tyranny,and unjustice war brings through the deaths of Jerry, Life, and Sam.

(AGG) People have the choice to deal with loss in two different ways: they can choose to let it control their lives, or they can let it empower them through their actions and other decisions. This was the choice Nusrat had to make in the book Under the Persimmon Tree. (BS-1) Nusrat's connection to the loss of Margaret; her sister, shaped her decisions throughout the book. (BS-2) Nusrat loss of religion led to her decision of finding Faiz and adopting Islam. (BS-3) When she found out Faiz died, she realized she must make amends with her parents. (TS) Nusrat chose throughout the book to let her losses help her and shape her character.

Life is full of struggles and obstacles that all individuals are faced with and must overcome. Whether emotional or physical, experiences and encounters shape a person's personality and point of view on life. People who are put through more difficult situations can become either more grateful, thankful and want to achieve more out of life or they can eventually become depressed and discouraged about their situation in life. Either way, we must all try to overcome the hard events in life and focus on what makes us happy and satisfied. War has the power to destruct people's lives and inflict unnecessary harm on citizens. People become broken and discouraged when seeing their environment destroyed and people they

(AGG) As said by the great William Shakespeare, “Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting”, a journey through life will be dampened by self neglect, but can be made richer in acceptance. (BS-1)In Under the Persimmon tree Nusrat’s life is turned upside down through a struggle with grief, and attempts to correct it through helping lead to her dissociating from her world. (BS-2)Nusrat additionally heaps on feelings of helplessness as she neglects herself to help others. (BS-3)Luckily Nusrat is able to see the crossroads she passed and finds the empathy to reconnect to her past. (TS) Throughout Under the Persimmon Tree Nusrat's attempts to find out why her sister died leads to her losing the ability to be herself, until she eventually reconnects to her past and finds peace.

(MIP-1) Najmah became more brave as a result of losing her father and brother to the Taliban. (SIP-A) When Najmah was still united with her father and brother, she was able to behave like a little sister who did not need to show much bravery. (STEWE-1) When Najmah went into the woods with her brother she was terribly afraid of creatures that she didn't fully know existed. “I am terribly afraid of leopards, although I have never seen one in my life”(Staples 6). Najmah is a scared, little girl that focuses on figments of her imagination, and relies on her older brother to provide her with security. (STEWE-2) When Najmah is asked to go by herself into the woods she is terrified. She would prefer to have someone with her to protect her. “This is the first time I’ve gone with the flock alone. Walking up the hill, I am still afraid, but with the sun shining I find it easier to believe there are no leopards in our hills”(Staples 11). Najmah is a nervous wreck when