W ha t a re th e p syc ho lo gic a l im pacts o f w earin g a b urq a fo r b oth M aria m a nd L aila in "A T housa nd S ple ndid S uns "? F or M aria m , th e b urq a is a c o m fo r ...

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W ha t a re th e p syc ho lo gic a l im pacts o f w earin g a b urq a fo r b oth M aria m a nd L aila in
"A T housa nd S ple ndid S uns
"?
F or M aria m , th e b urq a is a c o m fo rt. It a llo w s h e r to o bse rv e o th e rs fr e ely , w ith o ut fe ar th a t s he w ill b e e xp ose d to th e
"s cru tin iz in g e ye s o f s tr a ng ers ." S in ce o th e rs c a nno t s e e h e r fa ce , M aria m im agin e s th a t th e " s ha m efu l s e cre ts o f h e r p ast"
w ill n o t p la gue h e r in te ra ctio ns w ith o th e rs . A s...
S olu tio n
F or M aria m , th e b urq a is a c o m fo rt. It a llo w s h e r to o bse rv e o th e rs fr e ely , w ith o ut fe ar th a t s he w ill b e e xp ose d to th e
"s cru tin iz in g e ye s o f s tr a ng ers ." S in ce o th e rs c a nno t s e e h e r fa ce , M aria m im agin e s th a t th e " s ha m efu l s e cre ts o f h e r p ast"
w ill n o t p la gue h e r in te ra ctio ns w ith o th e rs . A s a h a ra m i ( o r ille gitim ate c hild ) o f a b usin e ssm an, M aria m h a s a lw ays h a d a n
a dded b urd en in li fe . N ot o nly d oes s he h a ve to n a vig ate a fie rc e ly p atr ia rc ha l c ult u re a s a w om an, b ut s he m ust a ls o li v e
w ith th e s ha m e o f a h e rita ge s he d id n o t c ho ose .
W he n R ashe ed m arrie s M aria m , it is h e w ho o rd ers M aria m to p ut o n a b urq a. U ntil h e r m arria ge, s he h a d n e ve r w orn o ne
b efo re , a nd h e r in itia l r e actio n to th e b urq a is n o t p ositiv e .
She p ra ctic e d w alk in g a ro und h e r r o om in it a nd k e pt s te ppin g o n th e h e m a nd s tu m bli n g . T he lo ss o f p erip he ra l
vis io n w as u nne rv in g , a nd s he d id n o t li k e th e s uffo ca tin g w ay th e p le ate d c lo th k e pt