Free Essay Example: Parvana's Journey

People are different in terms of personality and character, which distinguishes them from each other and makes them unique. Parvana's Journey is a book published in the year 2004, written by Deborah Ellis. It follows a story about a thirteen-year-old girl who embarked on a harrowing quest to find her mother and siblings in Afghanistan, which was war-torn. On the way, she comes across a boy called Asif. The below essay is a compare and contrast essay that compares two characters Parvana and Asif.

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Parvana and Asif are loving. Love is crucial in everyone's life, for everybody needs affection. In the story, as Parvana continued with her journey, she arrived at an abandoned village and found a baby boy all alone, crying next to the corpse of his dead mother. The baby was lucky enough that Parvana was passing by. She took the baby and named him Hassan, which signifies love and affection." Parvana took the baby to the least damaged part of the house" [1]. Another scenario is while she was traversing the land, Hassan and Parvana discovered Asif a one-legged boy living in a cave after fleeing from his abusive uncle. Parvana showed him affection, but Asif was mean and rude. On the other hand, Asif's attribute of love and friendship saw when he holds the Hassan and takes better care of him, and it made Parvana tag him along on her journey.

Another similar attribute between the two is that they are caring. When Parvana met Asif, and he held the baby, Asif took good care of the baby. Likewise, during the journey, Parvana takes good care of Hassan and Asif. "Parvana never had to worry about Hassan when she got up, Asif was consequently with Hassan" [1]. Parvana is seen looking for work after going for days without food. Parvana cared when she gives them water to drink, although the water not correctly boiled, led to the children becoming sick. The two scrubbed Lila's forehead, which had some maggots' and finally, Parvana is seen taking good care of Leila's ill grandmother in the Green Valley.

The two children both live alone without a guardian. After the death of her father, Parvana looks for her mother and siblings. She had no idea of where to look for her family but remained hopeful despite being alone without enough resources. "She hated those times when there was nothing she could do to make things better"[1]. When Parvana and Hassan met Asif, he was living alone in a cave after fleeing from his abusive uncle. Although he was all alone in the cave, he was determined to live.

Parvana and Asif have differences in their body structures. From the beginning, Parvana disguised herself as a boy cut her hair and deepened her voice for fear of discovery as a female. On the other hand, Asif was a boy. It creates a difference for Parvana is female, and Asif is male. We find that Parvana has both hands and both legs, while Asif has two hands but has only one leg. Asif uses clutches that help him walk around. Asif and Parvana have different personalities. When Parvana met Asif, he was a rude and obnoxious boy. On the other hand, Parvana was kind to him, but in return, Asif was unpleasant and mean. Asif wanted to live with her because she helped him get washed and made sure she fed him.

Conclusion

Parvana and Asif, despite having the above differences, this did not stop them from being friends. They went through a lot together but were both determined to live. As the story ends, the two had a positive outcome. Parvana finally reunites with her mother and siblings after many frustrations while Asif and Hassan stay at the refugee camp where they appropriately care.

References

Ellis, D. (2004). Parvana's Journey. Oxford University Press.