Fatima's_Story

Fatima’s Story Fatima is a mother with five children – a son, Aziz, and four daughters. Her husband, Jalal Din, is a reliable man and a good father. He and Fatima are farmers and they work hard together in the fields. They all live together with Jalal Din’s mother, who is a widow. She is a good woman, but she is always critical and nags at Fatima. In fact, she talks from early morning until she goes to bed. “When are you going to light the fire' It is broad daylight already!” And, “Wives should obey their husbands.” Sometimes she criticizes Fatima for work not done, sometimes for spending too much money. And she always complains that Fatima has produced only one son and burdened her dear Jalal Din with one daughter after another! Fatima has learned to live with her mother-in-law and to keep her mouth closed. In this way, she is a very dutiful wife and daughter-in-law. But she did do something in secret last month – well, it was a secret between her and Jalal Din – that they didn’t tell Jalal Din’s mother. Fatima started practicing family planning. The big reason she made this decision was that she wasn’t feeling very well. As you know, having 5 children in 9 years can make a woman feel unwell. She has a backache and she is tired most of the time. But she has so much work to do – finding firewood, carrying water, preparing food, washing the family’s clothes, working in the fields – when can she rest' But there was another reason Fatima started using family planning. It was because of her eldest daughter, Zarin. She is the first child and a lovely little girl, a joy to everyone. Zarin goes to school along with Aziz. Every afternoon she brings her exercise book home and proudly reads to her mother what she has written. She is so happy in school! But Fatima knows that if she has another baby, Zarin must leave school to care for the new baby while Fatima works in the fields. There is simply no other way all the work can be managed. In a way, Zarin knows this too, because she has seen this happen to her little friends. Almost all of them no longer go to school, but instead care for younger brothers and sisters. Today there is a terrible scene in the house when the family gathers to eat. The old woman is wailing and pulling her hair. The family is alarmed and gathers around her where she sits on the floor. Between sobs, she finally tells them. At the village well this morning, she talked with an old friend who told her someone had seen Fatima at the family planning clinic. “You are very bad!” she shouts at Fatima. “And you will pay! You will pay for such wickedness. Now you will have no more sons. And who will care for you in your old age' Aziz is a good boy, but he is only one. A family needs many sons. Think of our name. Who will help Jalal Din in the fields' Who will take care of me, if God forbid, something happens to Jalal Din'” Jalal Din sits next to his mother and comforts her. And he looks at Fatima as if he doesn’t know what to do. Zarin is also looking at Fatima. She knows what this is all about – at least she knows what it will mean to her. There are tears in her eyes. Fatima really has a problem. What would you do if you were Fatima' What are Fatima’s problems' What are her concerns' What are some of the things that Fatima must do every day for her family' If Fatima was married when she was 16, about how old is she now' What if she was What are the concerns of Fatima’s mother-in-law' Why is it important for her to have grandsons'Is she concerned about the effect on her granddaughters of another baby in the family' What does this say about how she values her granddaughters' What are some reasons sons are more highly valued than daughters in Fatima’s How do Fatima and Jalal Din’s views differ from those of his mother' Is there a How might it benefit Fatima and her family if she has no more children' How might it benefit Fatima and her family if she had another son' What will happen to Zarin if her parents have more children' How might it affect her