"This mother, who had spent her life housebound, in purdah, had suddenly found enormous strength and gone out to run the small gemstone business (turquoises, rubies, diamonds) which had put Aadam through medical college; so he returned to find the seemingly immutable order of his family turned upside down, his mother going out to work while his father sat hidden behind the veil which the stroke had dropped over his brain" (7).
This quote from the book was interesting because it talked about the restrictions of purdah which I initially had no idea what it was. Purdah, according to Wikipedia, is "the practice of preventing men from seeing women. This takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes, and the requirement for women to cover their bodies and conceal their form. Purdah exists in various forms in the Islamic world and among Hindu women in parts of India. Physical segregation within a building can be done with walls, curtains, and screens. A woman's withdrawal into purdah restricts her personal, social, and economic activities outside her home... with... a veil to conceal the face". This step by Aadam's mother shows how she is independent, and although their family had been quite strict, she was a modern person and dedicated to her son. It is also interesting to note that the father's new role after his stroke is characterized by a veil, a piece usually worn by women when following purdah. Aadam's mother and father have truly switched places, and this must make him rather uncomfortable.
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