Imagery And Symbolism In My Forbidden Face

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Being oppressed in a society where you're supposed to be free that’s how Latifa was living under the Taliban regime. My forbidden face is a powerful memoir that expresses the painful and agonizing experiences of a teenage girl under the Taliban regime. In the memoir, Latifa not only portrays her own struggles but also those of every woman who suffered hardships under the Taliban regime. Latifa achieves the theme of resilience in the face of difficulty through the use of imagery, symbolism, and characterization. My Forbidden Face has vivid descriptions of the environment and people. The vivid descriptions of the war-torn streets of Kabul and the suffering and torture caused by the Taliban. A quote from My Forbidden Face by Latifa that has vivid descriptions of a person would be “His breathless and a ghastly color and looks as if he's shivering on the inside” (Latifa 1) This quote has a vivid description of a person in horror. The person being described is in both physical and emotional distress. There are also many quotes with vivid descriptions of the environment and surroundings, for example, “Our city is walled in, a citadel of silence where only whispers and unverifiable information circulate” (Latifa 128) This quote uses imagery to …show more content…

For instance, “Father, we have to let the canary go, I want him to be free. Opening the cage feels like a necessary act – an important symbol” This quote is expressing the desire for freedom and freeing the canary of the cage is a symbol of freedom. Latifa believes that the canary should be free and setting the canary free is a representation of the desire for freedom. Another symbol in the book is the burqa, For instance, “Women and girls must wear burqas” (Latifa 31) This quote illustrates the restriction of freedom on women and girls. Burqas symbolize the oppression that women and girls face because of the