Importance of Long Hair

Amal notes the incredible length of Nasreen Baji’s and Mehnaz’s hair. Saeed draws a connection between the age of these women and the length of their hair, suggesting that their hair is so long because they are older than Amal. The length of a woman’s hair therefore symbolizes her age and maturity in this novel. The commonality of long hair among older Pakistani women in Saeed’s text additionally enforces cultural differences between Pakistan and North America. While women in North America wear their hair at whatever length and in whatever style they desire, women in Pakistan cannot present themselves with the same freedom.