There are many themes, symbols and motifs present throughout the novel The Breadwinner. In this activity, students will identify themes, symbols, and motifs in The Breadwinner and illustrate examples from the text. Students can explore by identifying these elements themselves or in an “envelope activity”, where they are given one or more to track throughout their reading. Then, they'll create a spider map illustrating what they found!
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Identify recurring themes, symbols, or motifs found in The Breadwinner. Illustrate each and write a short description below each cell.
Student Instructions:
Ask students to relate a chosen theme, symbol, or motif from The Breadwinner to something in their own lives or community. This personal connection helps deepen understanding and makes literature more meaningful.
Lead a class discussion where students share examples from their lives or media that mirror the novel’s elements. Encourage everyone to contribute so all students see relevant, diverse connections.
Choose a theme, symbol, or motif and share your own story or observation related to it. Think aloud so students see the process of linking literature to life.
Have students draw a scene from their own lives that ties to the theme, symbol, or motif, and write a brief description explaining the connection. This supports creativity and reflection.
Divide students into small groups to present their illustrations and stories. Encourage respectful listening and questions to deepen understanding of each other’s perspectives.
The Breadwinner explores themes such as oppression of women, education, literacy, freedom, suffering, family, hope, courage, gender roles, poverty, trauma, and war. These themes highlight the struggles and resilience of Parvana and her family in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Engage students by having them identify and illustrate symbols and motifs from the novel using activities like spider maps or envelope activities. Encourage them to connect each symbol or motif to characters and events, then describe their significance in their own words.
Key symbols include the replanted flowers (hope and renewal), Parvana’s red shalwar kameez (identity and sacrifice), Hossain’s clothes (loss and memory), and the bones (survival and hardship).
An envelope activity involves giving students envelopes containing specific themes, symbols, or motifs to track as they read. This active approach helps students focus on recurring elements and makes analysis more interactive and engaging.
Recognizing themes, symbols, and motifs helps students deepen their understanding of a text, analyze characters’ motivations, and connect literature to real-world issues. It also develops critical thinking and interpretive skills.