Amal Unbound 7-1 (water class) by Margaret McCleskey

Chapters 6-10 discussion post

mmccleskey5 — 2024-12-05 15:10:39 UTC

Directions: Write or film a post discussing a major topic from chapters 6-10. MUST CITE A SPECIFIC PAGE / pages! Ideas to consider:

-Developing themes

-Information that you're learning about the characters

-Questions that you have

Technical directions:

mmccleskey5 — 2024-12-05 15:19:38 UTC

Video:

Click the + sign (bottom right corner of screen) in the correct section to record your video post
Write a heading in the box, then click the +12 to find the video recording option
Enable the video and microphone from the URL browser if needed
Don't forget to push PUBLISH

Text:

Click the + sign (bottom right corner of screen). Write a heading and a post!

Umal unbound

2024-12-05 19:03:31 UTC

I've noticed that the theme on motherhood has been coming up in the recent chapters. On page 27 she decides and is forced to stay home instead of going to school. Because she is the eldest daughter she has to fill in the role of the mother. One of her younger sisters wants to help her but she tells them to go to school. She is taking on the burden by herself. Motherhood also plays into gender roles and inequality.

Social Constructs

avaj15 — 2024-12-05 19:26:53 UTC

Social constructs are something that are a tale as old as time, existing since the beginning of human civilizations. Now, they differ between countries, differences between each, and are something to search for in every story, fiction or otherwise. In Amal Unbound, it is easy to realize the constructs of man versus woman, men belonging in the fields and running businesses, while women are deemed appropriate in the kitchen and watching children, not eligible to inherit anything, completely and utterly dependent on their husbands. As such, boys are the better offspring to have, girls seen as lesser beings, resulting in tears every time one was born. This is clearly shown throughout the first ten chapters, an example being on pg. 24 where Fozia shows resentment for the baby being a girl, showing that girls are frowned upon by everyone, not just parents. It is interesting though, to see them frown on girls, girls that will grow into women, for they will be the ones to carry the young, to add to the next generation.

Amal Unbound Chapters 6-10

2024-12-05 19:38:17 UTC

In chapter 6-10 I saw many themes of inequality. One example is pages 50-51. Amal goes to the market all by herself for the first time and while she is there she gets the last pomegranate. On the way out a man pulls up and hits her with his car then tries to buy the pomegranate off her and she decides that she won't let him have it. The man gets very mad at her and Amal runs. This represents inequality because this man thinks that oh she is a girl I can just take it but Amal said no you just hit me with your car i'm not letting you have it. Is this man important? Is he in Khan Sahib's family?

Amal Unbound

2024-12-06 19:46:48 UTC

(page 48-51) In this passage, I found the experience that Amal goes through to be very disturbing. Amal's accident brings a lot of her feelings to the surface. As readers, we know the pressures that she has been under and the accident seemed to bring all those deep resentments of pressure to her consciousness. I think she showed courage and self respect to stand up to the rich boy, but the crowd's reaction makes me feel that there will be consequences. Amal shows an inner understanding of personal justice and injustice. Her reaction to the boy shows that she believes in an equal self worth. Amal was also disturbed that the crowd turned their attention to the rich boy and ignored the fact that she had been hit by a car. I believe that this incident foreshadows Amal's future in having to learn about power in society.

Almal Unbound

2024-12-06 20:58:16 UTC

On pages 33-34, Amal's father said that she couldn't go to school anymore because her mother is sick. Something that I have noticed is that Amal is suddenly expected to do all the work her mother did before she had the baby, just because she is the oldest daughter. I personally think that Amal should be able to go to school while still helping around the house. Then, she could keep up her studies and pursue her dream of being a teacher. I am aware that her father said that this is her responsibility, I just think this is too much for her to handle at such a young age.

Amal Unbound - her role in her family as an older sibling and a girl

lilac7 — 2024-12-08 22:37:57 UTC

In chapters 6-10 of Amal Unbound, a topic that I noticed showing up a lot was Amal's role within her family, especially as the eldest sister. When Amal's mother falls ill, she takes on many household responsibilities, like taking care of her little sisters, doing laundry, going to the market, and other things. Although she doesn't want to, she has to be absent from school, making her very behind on her work. On page 34, when Amal pleads with her father to let her go back to school, he states "I'm sorry, Amal. But this is how it has to be now. You're the eldest daughter. Your place is here." This quote from the book shows the expectations for her as a girl, and the first born child. Another quote that I think is very important is when her father speaks about how she already has a lot of education, more than many other girls in their town (pg. 34) "You can read and write. what more do you need to know?" This shows how, despite her aspirations to further her education, her role in her family restrains her. This sacrifice represents the struggle of many other girls in similar contexts, where, because of gender or other factors, education is not prioritized .

Amal Unbound

2024-12-08 23:49:58 UTC

I wonder who the guy in the black car with darkened windows is. On page forty-nine, they explained that the man was very put together. I can assume that he has lots of power in the village because when Amal got hit, no one rushed to help her. In Amal's village, most people are very generous and kind, so he might have been royal for them to not have assisted her. He stated, "You should pay better attention," which is very cruel because he had just hit her with his car. Then he teased her on page fifty after she bluntly said it is not for sale. Once she took what was hers from him, people started to whisper meaning that he was in a way like the evil queen. If you disobeyed, they thought that your head would get chopped off. I imagine he was so surprised that Amal defied his order, that if the mysterious man did have power, what would he do to her?

Amal Unbound

2024-12-09 02:13:38 UTC

In chapters 6-10, I saw a huge theme of inequality in gender and family roles depending on gender. An example of this was on pages 49-51 when Amal was going to the market to get some ingredients. she grabbed the last pomegranate and started to walk home. on her way home, the book says that a shiny black car pulled up behind her and knocked her to the ground. the man asked if he could buy her pomegranate and she said no, so the man got mad and yelled at her. she ran home with her pomegranate. I think that this is an example of inequality because whomever was in the car must have thought that Amal was vulnerable and weak since she was a girl. Who is the man? does he have any power over the village? is he related to Khan Sahib?

Amal Unbound

2024-12-09 12:40:17 UTC

In chapter 6-10 a topic I noticed was that gender makes a extreme impact where they live. Amal has to take care of all her siblings just because she is the oldest daughter. However, if she would have been a boy, she would be able to go to school and not have to do any housework. Another thing I noticed is that when Amal is hit by the car the man tries to take Amal's pomegranate. Did he think he could take the pomegranate just because she was a teenage girl? Would he try to take it if she was a boy? This shows that people treat women differently than boys. Also, who was this man, was he related to Khan Sahib? Is he Khan Sahib?

Amal Unbound Chapters 6-10

2024-12-09 16:03:21 UTC

Something I have seen throughout the book so far is the gender roles and inequality. For example, on page 11, Omar and Amal meet up so he can bring her a book. Because Omar is a boy, and goes to a boy's school, he has a much bigger library to choose from. I also noticed how disappointed Amal's parents with the new baby girl. Where Amal is from, the girls will take care of the household chores, and the boys are like an heir to the family's property, businesses, and money. An example of this is how the produce seller Shaukat inherited the family business from his father.

Gender inequality

lucieh2 — 2024-12-09 16:21:13 UTC

On page 47, chapter 10 Amal is walking through the market and thinks “It’s only a trip to the market, but I would cherish this time to myself.” This tells us that Amul, while loving her family, needs a break. I think this might be one of the reasons why she likes school so much. Amal also said “Traveling the same streets I’d walked hundreds of times before, without little hands to keep out of fruit stands, without tiny feet to steer around idling rickshaws, I noticed it all as though for the first time. The sun was hotter this time of year, but I enjoyed this.” I think Amal didn't miss taking care of her little sisters because not only are they a lot of work but she also wants to be a teacher, despite women not being allowed to have as good of an education as men. On page 43, chapter 9 Amal asks her father if he thinks she will be able to go to school again anytime soon. When he says no Amal gets angry and realizes that if she was a boy she wouldn't be told to stay home to take care of her sisters like a mother. This only makes her more angry at the fact that she has to miss school. In conclusion doesn’t want to take care of her sisters to miss school any longer and thinks that keeping her home because of sexism is wrong. Why can't others see this perspective? Why is sexism so strongly enforced? What's the danger? Why can't others see this? Do women care? Do men care?

2024-12-09 16:58:04 UTC

In these chapters (6-10) I noticed a misuse in power. on pages 49-51, I noticed that a strange man approached Amal asking for her pomegranate. Before the conversation, a black car hits her and knocks her down. The man in the car had bright white teeth.when he got out the car he asked if she was hurt, then went straight to asking for a pomegranate from Amal. I think that the man thought he had more power than Amal, and thought that since she is a girl, he can boss her around. I think there is also inequality in this chapter because since he is a boy he assumes he is better and has more control of the situation. Since Amal is the oldest of the siblings, she knows what to do and is mature person. When Amal realized that he wouldn't budge, she took the chance and tried to run away. This chapter shows a lot of inequality and power.

Amal Unbound Chapters 6 - 10

2024-12-09 16:59:15 UTC

In chapters 6-10, I have noticed a lot of gender inequality .When Amal has to stay home from school to take care of her little sisters because she is the eldest but she really wants to learn. But if that happens to the boys the girls would be forced to stay home and the boys would have to go to school. On pages 35-36 and mostly through chapter 8 her sister Seema wants to stay home and help Amal with the chores around the house but Seema is really smart and she can't stay home. And Seema was saying that it is not fair that she can go to school but Amal can't this is on page 35. This is really hard for a 12 year old girl she wants to lean but she is basically being forced because if she does not do it the little sisters would not be taken care of , and the clothes would not be washed and the house would be a mess without her.

Men with "power"

lucieh2 — 2024-12-09 21:08:45 UTC

On page 59 chapter 12, Amal was scared because she stood up to Jawad Sahib, the “powerful” landlord’s son. She stood up to him because he ran over her with his car then tried to take her stuff. Amal is worried that she will get punished for talking back to such a powerful man. Amal’s little sister Seema, reminds her that nothing bad can happen and if he wanted to do something that bad he would have already done it. Why does everyone think that men with money are so powerful? Who decided that men are better compared to women? Why did people believe them? Why do people still believe this?

TOPICS TO CHOOSE FROM:

mmccleskey5 — 2024-12-10 14:22:59 UTC

-Developing theme (and evidence to support)

-How characters are changing / showing you who they are (and evidence to support)

-Creative point of view: write a journal entry from the perspective of a supporting character (Hafsa, Omar, Amal's mom, Amal's dad, Seema, one of the "twins," Ms. Sadia, Parvin)

Leaving

avaj15 — 2024-12-10 14:39:17 UTC

They seem to treat her leaving as something akin to her dying, an interesting fact as she treats everything as a last time. They seem to be comforting her, saying she'll come back in a couple weeks, and yet they don't believe it themselves. For instance, on pg. 69, Amal's Amma and Fozia were seen wearing a white cotton shalwar kamizes, which was explained to be commonly worn to burials. As Amal noticed this, you could see her becoming less confident that this wasn't the last time. She became increasingly nervous when she realized that Aba wasn't there to send her off, scared that it was going to be the last time to see her. It was as if everyone had already accepted her inevitable demise.

"Power"

lucieh2 — 2024-12-10 14:40:40 UTC

Amal Unbound Chapter 11-15

2024-12-10 19:17:57 UTC

Dear Diary,

It is Amal's mother, and I feel so bad. I never ever ever wanted Amal to leave so early and because of me. It is all my fault, and now I owe Jawad Sahib my own daughter. I am kind of mad at my husband because he said of course she is getting taken, only children were running the house. I just was not feeling like myself, do I have postpartum depression? I hope my husband can earn enough to get her back. I will starve for my eldest, and feel so bad for making her do all the work around the house while I just laid in bed. I hope she is okay there. I feel so bad, and will never let that happen again, in fact I will work twice as hard around the house when I have another kid. I hope Amal does not think that I am a bad mother.

Amal Unbound

2024-12-10 19:29:20 UTC

In these chapters Amal is scared because she was "rude" to Jawad Sahib. Jawad thinks that if he has a lot of power, he can do whatever he pleases and punish whoever he wants. In this case, he punished Amal for being "rude" to him. She now has to live on his estate until she pays him back. Something I noticed was that Amal's father was very hesitant about giving Jawad his daughter, but strongly believed Jawad when he said that he would take good care of her and not hurt her. However, Amal's mom does not believe him due to all the stories that have been told about the Sahib family.

Creative Point of View, Abu's Perspective

2024-12-10 22:28:22 UTC

I watched Amal sleeping and thought about all that had befallen our family. That my beautiful, proud Amal must suffer because of the arrogance of my misplaced trust in Jawad. My bad judgment has led to this humiliation of my daughter's bright spirit. Amal is so brave even though she is terrified. My daughter is more courageous than any son would be. Even in her fear, she trusts her father and though I don't know how to fix this, I can't forget how Amal looked at me with such confidence. I feel so helpless, and although Jawad has given me his word that no harm would come to Amal, I have learned what his word is good for.

Gender rolls

2024-12-10 23:30:06 UTC

In these chapters I am seeing how your gender plays a very big part in how you are treated. From her parents crying because a girl was born to her mom saying who is going to take care of the farm and all the land. They said they need a boy to carry on the grandfather's dream. I would be very hurt if that was told to me. This would make me feel like nothing. I am also curious if Jawad is going to actually not hurt her. I agree with her mother by not believing him because of the story's the book told us. I was very surprised that Apa believed him. I am eerie to see what's to come.

Amal Unbound

2024-12-11 00:35:35 UTC

Money is a part of life that everyone knows. Some people are less fortunate than others. And sometimes people need to take loans, but not all people are nice. Some, like Jawad Sahib, will use those in need. When stuck in a situation where you owe someone with more money and power than you something it can typically get dangerous. And in Amal's case the simple act of agency that so many have cost her so much of her life.

Amal's Dad

2024-12-11 01:43:41 UTC

Dear Diary,

I have been thinking about Amal's future a lot lately. It seems as though she has been working really hard on taking care of her siblings and keeping up with her schoolwork. I am very proud of her for managing both. But recently, Amal accidentally insulted someone very important. Jawad Sahib. Even though she did it by accident, he is making her become a servant to pay for my previous debts that I still haven't paid. I am thinking I can pay off my debts in a couple of weeks, a month at most. I just hope she's ok.

- Malik ( Amal's father)

power dynamics

2024-12-11 02:53:01 UTC

In chapters 11-15 I noticed a use of power. On pages 62 and 63, I saw that Jawad was taking control of how Amal's life is going to be for the next few weeks or months and is basically taking control over her own life. I think that because their family holds so much power, they have the ability to do anything to anyone and not get it back on them. I think that there was no reason for him to be mad about not getting a pomegranate and making it a big deal because he wanted to. I want to know if Jamal is going to really treat her like another servant or better or worse or if he really wont do any harm. I think that based off of what we know so far about the Sahib family is that they aren't the kindest and don't want to help others so I think there is a change that Jawad could be lying about his plans, or Khan has an idea.

Economic inequalities / Power

lilac7 — 2024-12-11 03:15:16 UTC

In Chapters 11-15 of Amal Unbound, I noticed how the theme of economics and power differences showed up a lot. When Amal went to the market by herself, she was hit by a rich man's car. She was slammed onto the floor, her head throbbed, but the man who hit her did not show any remorse. Amal was even more infuriated when he stole her freshly bought fruit. She stated that she would not be selling it and snatched it from his grasp. Little did she know, this man was named Jawad Sahib, son of the "powerful landlord" of their land. On page 55, Abu told Amal that she should have bit her tongue so she wouldn't have gotten in trouble for being so disrespectful, especially because they aren't as prosperous as Jawad's family. On page 63, Jawad says "If I let this pass, who will disrespect me next?". Because he wants authority over them, he has to make sure no one shows him any disrespect. Amal tells her father how she thinks it is unjust, because she's the one who got hurt, not Jawad. Then, on page 56, her father mentions how he is a very powerful figure within their community. He states, "He's done far more for far less." This shows how Jawad is an individual which a lot of people in their town fear, even being said to have burned down entire fields when he did not get his way.

2024-12-11 17:03:57 UTC

In Chapters 11-15, Chapter 11,In this chapter, Amal begins to see the full extent of her new life as a servant at the Khan estate. She is physically and emotionally exhausted, realizing that her dreams of education and a better future are slipping away.Amal's frustration with her lack of freedom intensifies. She also experiences the sting of humiliation when she is treated harshly by the Khan family.Chapter 12, Despite the hardships, Amal starts to reflect on her situation and gather the inner strength to face the challenges ahead. She realizes she has to find a way to survive while holding onto her sense of self.

amal unbound chapters 11-15

2024-12-11 17:50:31 UTC

In these chapters I see Amal changing and stepping a little more into her mother's role in the family. Amal's mother, Amma is having a hard time after giving birth. I think that Amma was really disappointed with the new baby being a girl. While Amma has time to process and have time alone, Amal steps into her mother's role in the family, which includes laundry, meal prep, caring for the younger sisters, and shopping for groceries. Amal is quick to stress over all the housework, and has to skip school. During all of this, Amal is also getting angry with the gender roles in her community.

Post ideas:

mmccleskey5 — 2024-12-16 20:30:56 UTC

Post ideas:

PLOT focused questions

-New characters and how they are spicing things up

-Developing themes--- gender, power, role of education, family expectations, guilt

STYLE topics

-Use of imagery, symbolism, personification, similes / metaphors

Creative topics:

-Write a letter from Amal to .... ???

-Write a journal entry from Jawad Sahib's point of view

Amal Unbound

2024-12-16 21:08:16 UTC

Amal is in a new place to serve a master. She is scared, she doesn't know what to do, and is surrounded by people she doesn't know. She's lucky enough to be guided to start but not alot. She tries to help someone but despite that she still becomes an enemy. Women from a young age are taught to compete with each other. She becomes the servent to Jawad Sahib's mother. On the back of the book it says that she will eventually start to favor Amal. This will only create competition with the other workers. She most likely will be shunned. I don't see this going well for Amal.

New Character

2024-12-16 22:34:51 UTC

Amal meets fellow servants in these chapters. Amal is shocked to see some servants so young. Others seem unfriendly and jealous of her room with air conditioning and windows and jealous of the jobs that she is assigned to do. Nabila, in particular, is totally antagonistic for no real reason. This seems to foreshadow an important difficulty for Amal within the household. Because Amal is in service to the lady of the house, she is seen as above the rest which could be a source of problems.

Amal Unbound

toris7 — 2024-12-16 22:41:35 UTC

Something that I have noticed about this chapter is how wives are expected to do certain things. For example, on page 86, Nasreen Baji was saying that Jawad Sahib was taking her job of telling Amal what she needs to do. This shows me that there is not much for her to do around the house, other than entertaining guests. Although Amal is afraid of Nasreen Baji husband, Nasreen Baji told her that he is not here for most of the time. This gives me another reason that she doesn't do as much as her husband and her son.

Amal Unbound

2024-12-16 23:15:20 UTC

In chapters 16-18 Amal is timid of what her new life is like. She got a room with Ac and was very surprised that the other servant's were so young. Despite that Amal tries to be kind to someone but ends up with enemies. This is not looking good for her. She is a servant for Jawad's mother which she is considered lucky for that. Will she end up with more enemies or more friends?

Amal Unbound

2024-12-16 23:17:10 UTC

Amal Unbound

2024-12-16 23:18:25 UTC

In the chapters I can tell Amal is very scared because Jawad was telling Amal that he had other punishments for her and it was because of his mother that he didn't do them. Another thing I noticed is that Nabila was not to happy that Amal is here. First she yelled at her for helping clean up a mess and then she was saying mean things about her being rude to Jawad. Why was Nabila acting like this? On page 86 I saw that Jawad was very cruel by taking her phone and telling her that the more you learn how to leave your backward ways behind, the easier things would be. Amal then decided to fight back. This really showed how brave she can be, but I am worried about what could happen to her.

Journal Entry Jawad Sahib Chapters 16-19

margaretb11 — 2024-12-17 00:44:34 UTC

Today the new servant girl, Amal, came to settle in to her new life at my house. She is to be my dear mother, Nasreen Baji's, servant. I am quite worried for my mother, as she is very close to my heart, and I could not bear to see that brat, Amal, ever bring any harm to her. That girl Nabila needed a replacement though. She will be angered by this, I am sure. Amal must pay for what she has done. She has disrespected my family, and she needs to learn discipline. Nobody likes unruly children. Nobody. Really, I am doing her a favor; her family must feel like a weight has been lifted from their tired shoulders. It must be extremely difficult to have such a rampageous child living in their home. They mustn't have raised her right.

Mumtaz

leilam17 — 2024-12-17 02:09:10 UTC

Mumtaz is an older women with a nose ring who shows Amal to her room. She shares knowledge about the other servants and makes her feel at home. She is sort of like the mother of the group, keeping people in line like Nabila. For example, when Nabila dropped an iron pot and Amal offered to help clean up, Nabila was spiteful saying, "I took care of myself before you came and I'll take care of myself when you're washed out and gone." When Amal started complaining about her room, Mumtaz corrected her gently saying most people would die for a room like that. She is a kind and thoughtful person, and I think Amal and her will be good friends later in the story.

Amal Unbound Jawad Journal Entry

2024-12-17 02:27:02 UTC

Im so mad! Basically there was this girl who wouldn't sell me the stupid pomegranate and so I was going to punish her very hard, but my stupid mom was in the car with me and told me to make her my servants! How lame! If I was in charge, she would be in prison for the rest of her life. I gave her an easy job which is helping my fathers wife. Not to bad. Also, she got a really good room, one with AC, a nice bathroom and good beds. I took her phone away though to cause her more pain and make her miss her mom and dad more. I don't feel bad for the girl because she was the rudest to me and she started it by not letting me have her pomegranate...

I think that worse is yet to come for Amal.

-Eugenie Burghardt

rank/gender inequality/social class

lucieh2 — 2024-12-17 04:47:24 UTC

On page 81 chapter 17, while working for the Sahib family, Amal noticed that she wasn't allowed to use porcelain plates. She had to use metal plates instead which made her wonder why rank mattered. She wanted to know where she stood on the ranks as a female. Amal did not like having less education opportunities compared to males, she was forced to accept it, now she is realizing that it's not just about education it’s about overall rank. Why didn't Amal realize this pattern earlier? Has the rest of her friends realized yet?

Social classes and inequality

lilac7 — 2024-12-17 05:12:12 UTC

In Chapters 16-18 of Amal Unbound , I noticed how the theme of social classes/inequality was developing a lot more. In these chapters, Amal is forced to leave her home and become a servant for a rich and powerful family as a punishment. (page 73-74) She arrives at their luxurious air conditioned home with big couches and marble floors, but she is soon lead into a dark and musty hallway with concrete floors. I think this already shows the extreme inequalities between the rich people and the servants living situations and the respect they are shown. One other example of the clear inequality is when Amal goes to pick up a plate, but realizes something. (page 81) Amal began to pick up a nice, porcelain plate, when she noticed everyone else grabbing them from a separate cabinet. Although it may not seem like a big deal, Amal was irked by this. The plates that the her and the other servants were meant to eat from were not much different from the ones she had at home, but Parvin and Omar always ate from the same dishes as her family. To Amal, this showed a clear "dividing line" between the servants and this powerful family. For Amal's servants, they would always be treated with equality, but for Jawad and his family, they are seen as less than because of their role or social class.

Social Structures

avaj15 — 2024-12-17 12:49:28 UTC

In Chapters 16-18 I saw the development of social structures in the home of the Khans. The reason I say this is because there is a very clear tier list that can get moved around in the flip of a dime, but when one person moves up in the ranks, another person has to move down. An example of this is on pg. 95 when the reader discovers that Nabila used to be the chambermaid until Amal came and the roles and tier list changed. The reason I find this so fascinating is due to the fact that everyone is very clearly afraid of the Khans and yet everyone desires to be in a position close to them, as if the closer a person is, the farther away from danger they are. The other important factor is the topic I brought up earlier, which is the roles can be moved at the flip of a dime, so you never really know where you are in the house. I was wondering about this actually because I thought that it would be better to have one person to do a job for a long time and become good at it, while it seems to be that the entire reason that this is happening is solely to create confusion, disruption, and dissonance between the servant of the household.

Amal unbound

2024-12-17 14:19:58 UTC

In Chapters 16-18 got me really upset, because Amal got in trouble because she would not give him her pomaganite and he kept harassing her and her dad said this is not okay and that she needed to apologize. And I don't think that is fair for Amal. Will her Dad forgive her?

Chapter 16 - 18

2024-12-17 14:35:42 UTC

Dear Diary,

Its Amal, the whole village is all goispping about me. I didn't know who he was. I never knew that he would turn me into a severvent. I am not sure what will happen. All of the other people who work for him seem very scared of him. I am not sure what will happen. I am very scared for the time coming. What will my family do? I think I runned all of there lives . I wish I didn't do such a bad thing . Its only for a little bit though!