The paradox of cultural expectations
The bacha posh tradition in Afghanistan is a culture in which young girls masquerade themselves as boys to gain confidence during interactions. For instance, Azita’s daughter, Mahnoush, disguises herself as a boy and changes her name to Mehran. The main paradox is that disguising girls as boys does not make them men in the end because, at maturity, they get married.
The satire of sexual identity
The satire of sexual identity is evident throughout the text. The reader asks, 'What is the point of girls disguising as boys but getting married at the end?' The reader realizes that when young girls disguise themselves as boys, they attain manly traits. Therefore, when marriage comes, such women fail to behave as wives because they compete with their husbands. Therefore, many women, such as Shukria, divorce their husbands because men cannot control them.
The irony of patriarchy
There is a complete contrast between the expectations of the bacha posh culture and the patriarchal society. The bacha posh culture is intended to boost the girls' confidence, while the patriarchal society aims at intimidating women to obey men in all aspects. The author finds it pointless for members of parliament such as Azita to advocate for bacha posh instead of introducing legislation to favor a girl child.
