Connections to Global Issues Novel Study
Under the Persimmon Tree is a Novel that focuses on two stories one is about a family living in Afghanistan when the war started in 2001, the young girl's father and brother are forced to fight alongside the Taliban. The second story is taking place in Pakistan and focuses on a young woman whose husband is off doing business in Afghanistan during the same time period.
In Under The Persimmon Tree the family living in Afghanistan does not go out and buy food and other things they use what they grow and end up giving lots of it away to the Taliban, I think that them giving food to the Taliban is similar to us paying taxes to the Government, however in Afghanistan they are using the taxes selfishly and not Paying them back to the people. Whereas in Canada they use the Taxes we pay towards social programs that benefit us, such as, health care and education. These social programs are necessary to unify our country as one, this could play into effect why our country is at peace and has remained in peace for a number or years whereas in Afghanistan they there are wars in process and people are rapidly dying.
From what I have read in the novel the education is clearly lacking if at all present in these two countries. The second story line about the young woman living in Pakistan, is also focusing on Education as she is a teacher. and from my perception she is not getting funds from any government and is just doing it out of good will, whereas once again in Canada education is also considered a social program, paid for by taxes. When the children go to school she provides them with food and water and that is probably all the eat all day. This is sad because these are two of our physiological need (Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) that we as Canadians take for granted. Another part of our needs I believe we take for granted is our Safety needs, we can walk down the street and not even think about getting killed whereas in Afghanistan they can sleep in their home and feel threatened for their life. As Maslow's Hierarchy works without these two need none of the needs above can work (Social, Esteem, and Self-Actualization Needs).
I find it interesting that here in Canada majority of everything we have including food is store bought instead of growing it ourselves. In Afghanistan however, they just about make everything themselves. They are the ones providing us with the exports and are not importing anything for themselves. Here in Canada we have land/materials that we are saving for ourselves by providing countries with the Capital in exchange for the land and labour, causing us to have a higher limit on what people wand and need.
