Throughout the novel their is no physical or emotional male presence until late in the text. The first man in the novel with any emotional or physical presence is referred to as The Major. The author purposely introduces him late in the novel to emphasize the emotional and physical suffering of women. The Major was also the first man to become wounded in battle fighting for Bangladesh. The Major was able to summon the desire that Rehana had to serve her country. Not only is he responsible for her personal development, but he was also able to demonstrate his trustworthiness, “He reached over and laid a finger on her arm. ‘I understand,’ he said” (146). The Major exemplifies how Rehana’s actions reveal her growing identification with the Bengali revolution. “She piled the saris loosely into her arms, rushed into the drawing room and presented them to her daughter. ‘Here. Blankets for your freedom fighters. I’ll help you sew.’” (91). With this gift to the liberation army, Rehana demonstrated a significant transfer of love and authority. Moving out from the shadow of Iqbal’s death, the widow was initiating a courtship with her nation. As she discovered her love for Bangladesh and sealed it with the sari gift, Rehana found a parallel love in the Major.
By the end of the novel, Rehana has grown and is no longer the silent mourning mother that was once perceived. She was not only a mother to Sohail and Maya, but a mother to all Bengali revolutionaries who were forming the new Bangladesh. Sohail asked Rehana to give her blessing to all the young men one day before they were about to enter battle, “They’ll be happy to get your blessings. Some of them haven’t seen their own mothers in a long time” (Anam 109). Rehana realized she had a motherly identity towards Bangladesh when she refused to tell Mrs. Haque the news of her sons, “But now she was something else—a mother, yes, but not just of children. Mother of a different sort” (140). This new and improved Rehana allowed herself to grow and move past her beloved husband to unite herself with the Bangladeshi Revolution. Which also parallels the Bengali people before country division. Other Bengali revolutionists had to move past their fears and sadness to protect their beliefs and family, just as Rehana did.
The two authors Tahmima Anam and NoViolet Bulawayo both decided to rewrite a historical event through a usually unheard perspective. Even though they have many similarities throughout their writing, the differences in the texts are prevalent. Similarly both authors rewrote a historical event, although the perspectives were from very different views. Tahmima Anam writes through the perspective of a widow who represents the Bengali people during the Bangladesh War. Unlike Bulawayo who writes from the perspective of a young black girl, as a way in which she is able to give narrative back to Zimbabwean Culture that is often misrepresented in Western Culture. Just because these main characters in the texts are both women, they are treated similarly in their cultures. Rehana is denied credit for a loan, then was almost violated by the banker. Similarly to how Darling experienced her young friend Chipo being the victim to her grandfathers abuse. Women are not treated with respect in their cultures and both authors emphasize this by rewriting a historical event through an otherwise unheard perspective.
Rehana and Darling both have a voice from below, allowing these voices to be heard creates a new aspect of an historical event. These historical events were both extremely tragic in many aspects. The Bangladesh War was extremely violent, similar to the tyranny of Mugabe. The gender violence was seen throughout both texts. Although, both texts have different forms of violence as well. The Bangladesh War was fought between East Pakistan and West Pakistan. East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh, was fighting for their Independence from Pakistan. They gained independence after nine months of fighting during the year nineteen seventy one, then were officially proclaimed Bangladesh. Rehana demonstrates how a new unheard perspective can rename an event such as the Bangladesh war. Unlike Zimbabwe who endured violence for thirty three years caused by their tyrant ruler Robert Mugabe. Darling who is a young black girl during the time of Mugabe’s tyranny, was able to rewrite the violent Zimbabwean history through a silenced voice.