Women in Afghanistan are looking to escape the cruelty of their family, but there is just one way of escaping and that is to a brutal and unimaginable act. These women are constantly abused by her in laws and husbands, and have no reaction to this except to burn themselves to death. Afghan women have limited choices and are believed to serve her husband’s family but this results to a disaster. The NY Times article states “Their family is their fate. There is little chance for education, little choice about whom a woman marries, no choice at all about her role in her own house.” With this being said, we can see that these women cannot fight back to their family.
This article is similar to “The Pillowbook”, Sei Shonagon has many thoughts but are only kept to herself. She does not tell anyone how she feels nor does she expect her book to be made public. Sei Shonagon includes much of what she sees and feels in her book and most importantly as she states “…when I have a good deal of time to myself and thought no one would notice what I was doing.” (p 258) Clearly, she does not want anyone to know how she feels. Sei Shonagon states “Since much of it might appear malicious and even harmful to other people, I was careful to keep my book hidden.” (p 258)
Women in Afghanistan setting themselves on fire is a way of expressing how they feel about their life and Sei Shongagon writing in her book is lettings all her thoughts out privately. Both of these acts display how women are oppressed in various countries and that they are not heard from by their words, but by their actions.
