Under The Persimmon Tree Character Analysis

(AGG) Ernest Hemingway once said “Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime,” (“Ernest Hemingway”) especially true because of how war affects civilians. (BS-1) In Under the Persimmon Tree, characters experience a loss of control over their lives and consequently a loss of hope as well. (BS-2) For many, humanity and morals become less of a priority as war leaves them struggling to survive. (BS-3) However after experiencing all these negative aspects of war, survivors still come out stronger, more mature, and with greater appreciation for what they have. (TS) Suzanne Fisher Staples’ Under the Persimmon Tree shows how living in war and conflict has severe negative impacts upon people, though those who survive come out stronger than before. …show more content…
(SIP-B) This loss of voice, or not having a say in life, leads to a loss of hope in refugees as well. (STEWE-1) As Nusrat says of the refugees at the camp “They no longer dream of returning home… These people have nothing to return to in Afghanistan” (Staples 176). War has cost them everything, and in the camp they have no hope of going back to Afghanistan. Their dreams for the future are also lost as they have to remain in the camp and have no way of getting out of it. They do not have any hope for a better outcome, stuck in the camp as they are. This is evident when Nusrat notices that “many people still move like automatons, staring straight ahead, their faces expressionless” (Staples 175). (STEWE-2) Similarly, Najmah also loses hope after a bomb falls on her family’s house, killing her mother and baby brother. She hauntingly thinks “I don’t care whether the Taliban find and kill me” (Staples 83). The combination of losing family members and her home leads to Najmah no longer caring about what happens to her and having no hope that it will turn out alright. Even her hope of reuniting with her father and older