The Pearl That Broke Its Shell

Many characters throughout the novel express superstitious views of the world. What role does superstition play in the novel? Which characters are the most superstitious? What does this say about the contrast between village and cosmopolitan life?

Shekiba’s name means “gift,” and in many ways, her story is a present handed down to Rahima—her only family legacy. How does Shekiba’s story affect Rahima’s life? What lessons does Rahima learn from Shekiba?

Examine the roles of matriarchs such as Bobo Shahgul and Gulalai. What does this say about women gaining power in Shekiba and Rahima’s societies? 

Both Rahima and Shekiba take on masculine roles to survive. What are the differences between the way Shekib’s role is enacted as opposed to Rahim’s? 

The bacha posh is a societal role that verges on being inappropriate. How do characters react to Rahima as a bacha posh? What factors make the roles necessary? What factors make it dangerous?

When most of her family dies of cholera, Shekiba becomes Ismail’s son-daughter, helping with necessary farm work usually assigned to men. How does this differ from Rahima’s experience as a bacha posh? What makes one acceptable and the other taboo?

The title The Pearl that Broke Its Shell is thematically linked with the characters’ need to escape from oppressive situations. Analyze the forms of escape the women in the novel use. What does this say about the individual characters?

Motherhood is a central theme that unites many of the characters in the novel. Examine the mothers in the novel. How does motherhood change Rahima and Shekiba? How does the loss of her daughters affect Raisa?