Under The Persimmon Tree Analysis

(AGG) The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said: “Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.” (BS-1) Both Nusrat and Najmah have a deep connection to the stars through their lineage and the people they love. (BS-2) Stars also hold a deeper meaning of hope to the reader, which is evident through the author 's interpretation. (BS-3) Much like Najmah, Staples symbolically uses the stars to show Nusrat’s faith in a new light. (TS) In summary, On the surface, in Under The Persimmon Tree, stars represent many important things for both characters, but Staples also uses them symbolically to convey a deeper meaning to the reader.

(MIP-1) On the surface stars represent each

(MIP-2) For Najmah, Staples uses stars to convey a deeper meaning of hope to the reader. (SIP-A) Najmah loses all hope after her loved ones are taken from her; this is reflected in the dimness or invisibility of the stars, during the course of her journey. (STEWE-1) Just after her mother and newborn brother were killed in the bombing, Najmah was left alone wondering if she was dead. She was then rescued by Akhtar and Khalida. They promptly embarked on their painstaking journey through the mountains leaving Najmah’s old life behind, “As the stars disappear one by one, Akhtar leads us away from the path” (Staples 85). The author shows that Najmah is hopeless by making the stars disappear, just like her family members and her motivation. (STEWE-2) Najmah and her rescuers were hiding from the Taliban on the side of the road; to disguise themselves effectively, they cover themselves with their shawls to look like boulders. The refugees must wait for a long time, and Najmah looks up at the star called al-Qutb for strength, “I think of Nur and my Father, and I look at al-Qutb, the star that never moves before I remember we are under the cover of the shawl” (Staples 107). All her life al-Qutb provided Najmah with perseverance and strength, but it is now gone, hidden under the cover of a shawl. The author uses al-Qutb’s absence to emphasize Najmah’s lack of desire to carry on after her family’s death. (SIP-B) Najmah becomes more hopeful as she gains initiative to discover her

(RTS) In Under The Persimmon Tree it is clear, stars represented large significance to both characters, but beneath the surface stars are used symbolically to portray deeper messages to the reader. (BS-3) Nusrat’s faith is evident to the reader through the stars, that are used symbolically by the author. (BS-2) Staples also uses the stars symbolically in another way, to mirror Najmah’s hope in a way that is evident to the reader. (BS-1) In a addition, the two characters have extremely grounded networks of loved ones who have instilled in them a deep connection to the stars. (R) As a reader, it is unfortunately far too easy to miss the intricate patterns that an author goes to great lengths to weave beneath the surface, although, when discovered, it can reap the greatest