In Kathleen Jamie’s essay, ‘Shia Girls’, Jamie describes her travels in parts of Northern Pakistan. She describes encounters between various people and herself.Through most of the encounters she does this to show the reader that from the Pakistanians point of view, western customs are very hard to comprehend. Just as we don’t understand their way of life. She also gives the reader insight on the rebels in Pakistan who don’t follow all the customs. Furthermore, Jamie’s focus on women’s lives in Pakistan begins with a letter excerpt from her friend Rashida. The effect of Jamie starting off with this is the reader gets to learn what most pakistanians think about the average lifestyle of westerners. The reader also gains insight into what most pakistani women feel about their own lifestyle. Rashida writes “Your lifestyle is very strange and very difficult to us, because you know we are purdah observing. We live in a home and safety . And you know,…show more content… We live a simple Islamic life. I am very surprised you are living in a flat with your friends without your parents.” (62) The initial purpose Purdah- observing, according to wikipedia, “is to protect women from being harassed, but later these practices became a way to justify efforts to subjugate women and limit their mobility and freedom.” In other words, in earlier times the goal of Purdah-Observing was too protect women from being harassed. The women were to dress modestly. Modesty in their culture is much different in ours. The Pakistan women must be covered head to toe. In our culture modesty is not showing cleavage, too much leg etc. Nowadays, the goal of Purdah-Observing has transitioned into marginalizing women by limiting their freedom and mobility. Jamie observes a conflict after the bus ride, There was a woman on this bus. She remained aboard when we all got off. She was fully veiled. Her husband or brother flanked her…” Flank meaning hit. When a child grows up, they learn from what they
