1. Explore Response Iqbal Novel Study:
Chapter 5
I have just finished reading chapter 5 of a novel we are reading in class. The title of the novel we are currently
reading is Iqbal, by Francesco D’Adamo, and translated by Ann Leonari. There was no illustrator indicated in this
non-fiction novel. The style of the text is narrative. In the fifth chapter we had read, Fatima, the narrator, talks about
the day the foreign buyers arrive to Lahore, Pakistan and visit the carpets the fourteen children had made ever so
delicately and carefully - well, except the numskulls who would work slowly, poorly, and make countless mistakes on
their carpet patterns. Of course, Hussain Khan, the master, treats the children with respect to convince the foreign
buyers that they were treated well with a promise to a better future, and a life without hunger or poverty. Hussain
Khan acts out his caring role by feeding the children more than they had eaten daily, and used kind gestures like
giving the children a pat on the back for their hard work to show that he was affectionate. The story reaches it’s
most dramatic part and reached the climax when Iqbal looks at each one of the children in the eye, calmly turns
around to the beautiful Blue Bukhara with a knife lifted high in the air and tore the amazing valuable blue carpet
straight down the middle, and cut it again for it to become four pieces where it cannot be fixed and hemmed back.
He does this surprising action for the children in the carpet factory to show that they didn’t have to work for Hussain
Khan, and to also show Hussain Khan that he is not a slave, nor a pet. Because of Hussain’s anger towards Iqbal’s
insane action, he loses his anger and drags him in the frightening dark tomb. It was as if Iqbal was trying to say
something to Fatima before he faced the mysterious place, but the words he was mouthing could not be
comprehended and the worry in Iqbal’s eyes gave a thought to Fatima that he was terrified of what lay beyond the
tomb he did not enter before.
The author’s purpose for writing this text is to show Iqbal’s character traits and to also display Hussain Khan’s real
identity under his false individuality. Some of the character traits Iqbal demonstrates is that he is courageous. He is
courageous because when he had cut the admirable looking Blue Bukhara into pieces, he did not just accidently and
impulsively cut the carpet, but he had made that decision.To make that decision, he had a heads up to what the
consequences on his plan would be, and what might happen to him. He is courageous because he knows that he is
worth more than being held captive to work so early without full permission, and that the other children working with
him are too. He knows that every child has rights, and does not deserve to be working at such a young age. He
wanted to show the others that they can have freedom if they really wanted to, even if it meant a vicious
punishment. Another character trait Iqbal presents is that he is rebellious. Iqbal is rebellious because you can
imagine what he looks like while he looks at each of the children in the eye. To me, in my head his eyes are not
afraid and trusts his actions. The kind of look that is reassuring yet so focused and stands confident into what he was
about to over come. When he calmly turns around to ruin the Blue Bukhara, he rebelled against obeying Hussain
Khan to follow what he says. The last purpose for writing the text in chapter 5 was to show Hussain Khan’s true
colours. Hussain is greedy for money because when the delicate carpet pieces fell on the floor, he got frustrated so
easily and clearly shows that the most precious concern to him was money. Hussain Khan also demonstrates that
inside his brutal heart, he is actually provoked to anger and will not settle down to humiliation. Hussain displays that
he wants to get what he wants and will not let anyone look down on him.
Some key lines or words worth remembering in chapter 5 are, “Hussain Khan screamed like a stuck pid.” This key
line is important and is worth rememvbring because it shows how hurt Hussain Khan was when Iqbal tore the
marvelous carpet into pieces. Also, this was important information because it meant that if the carpet couldn’t be
fixed and was ruined, the carpet wouldn’t be worth as much and the highly expemsive carpet is now worth very little.
He screamed so bizarrely because Hussain loves money, and now he wouldn’t be able receive the money he had
dreamed of. therefore causing him to scream like a stuck pig. One other line worth remembering from this text is,
“then we heard the awful, terrifying sound that was haunted our sleep: the grate of the Tomb as it was raised and
then bang! as it fell closed.” This term is important because when you read the sentence, it really makes you jump
and wonder if Iqbal is alright. The mystery lurks on you because you know that just by the loud bang,it terrified the
children and startled them because they knew they had no idea how to help Iqbal escape the Tomb. I think it is

2. important because if it shocked them out so much to the point where it haunted their dreams, I’m pretty sure at
least one of the children would have wanted a stop to the countless thought of he Tomb that haunted them and
understood what Iqbal was trying to tell the children when he had cut the Blue Bukhara. Maybe when Iqbal was
trying to tell Fatima something as he was being dragged to the Tomb, she probably would have wanted to know
what he was mouthing and it could be the start to the children getting the idea that they do have a right to freedom.
One of the names definitely worth remembering in the chapter is Iqbal. Iqbal is the main character, and the
character that drew an impact to the children’s daily carpet making lives by facing a consequence none of them could
ever do. Also because Iqbal is the most unique workers because he could do what the other children couldn’t, and
that was to make a Blue Bukhara because Iqbal was fast, skilled, and unique with his hands. HussainKhan, is also
another important character in this chapter because he is the evil carpet master. Not only is he an evil carpet master
though, but he is the person who dragged Iqbal into the Tomb and had gone mad once Iqbal had destroyed the
beautifully made carpet. Hussain Khan is also responsible for the dull lives of the children who had also given them
empty stomach’s on some days and purposely had the children go hungry, or give them a brutal punishment for their
wrong actions or mistakes that Hussain Khan would think was wrong. Hussain Khan is the character that sort of
molds each of the workers personalities, and either changes them to become scared and frightened, or rebellious and
strong like Iqbal. Lastly, the last character name that should be known to the chapter is Fatima. Fatima is the
narrator and also one of the main characters in the story. She tells Iqbal’s story on how she remembered it, and
becomes the girl who would want to reach to the window overlooking the big almond tree, and wants to become
brave like Iqbal too. Fatima is Iqbal’s friend, and also has very large knowledge for a small, thin girl like herself. The
plot and places in this chapter were the carpet factory and the Tomb, because that is where the story takes place
and the only places the children know because they cannot escape.
The organizational features or supports that helped me read this text is the plot sequence. The plot sequence
includes the beginning, middle, and end in this chapter. In the beginning of chapter five, the fourteen children in the
carpet factory had been working hard to arrange the arriving of the foreign buyers who were interested in
purchasing the beautifully skilled patterns and carpets they had used time and effort to worked hard on. Hussain
Khan becomes a new warm-hearted man with a warm sympathetic side when talking about the children to the
foreign buyers. Hussain Khan persuades the foreign buyers when he tells them that they were treated like his own
children and assured them they were in the hands of a man who would lead them to a successful future. Although,
the middle was when Hussain abandons his believing role when Iqbal uses his defiance and disobedience and
ruptured the outstanding and eye-widening Blue Bukhara right in front of Hussain Khan’s angry eyes using a knife.
Iqbal then tore the carpet again so that it cannot be fixed. Iqbal did not just do this impulsively though, but for a
good purpose. That purpose was to show Hussain Khan that he was not a slave nor a pet, and neither are the other
children working in the carpet factory. Lastly, the end was Iqbal’s consequence for his startled action. The result of
his destructive plan was Iqbal being dragged in the Tomb by Hussan Khan who looked as if he was not going to
show mercy and wanted Iqbal to pay for his misbehaviour.
I can relate to what I just read when someone was being called ugly on the internet and I decided to step up and
prove the other person wrong. When Iqbal tries proving Hussain Khan that he was not just a child that he could take
advantage of by cutting Hussain Khan’s most prize possession, showing the children that they cannot live their lives
working at a young age, and showing them they can gain freedom, it reminded me of a timewhen I took all the
courage in my fragile body to prove someone wrong also. One day I was scrolling through tumblr, a blog for
entertainment and venting, when I noticed an anonymous person had sent a message saying the girl I thought so
beautiful being called ugly. This wasn’t the first time i’ve seen hate messages on tumblr by grey faced anonymous
people though, so i decided that it should just stop. Before, tumblr used to be a site to blog freely without being
judged by your appearance or blog posts, and I hated what society has done to young girls. It kills me to know that
when other people tells someone they’re ugly, they believe them. It hurts me most though when seven in ten girls
believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way. They say society is the reason for the 75% of
girls with low self esteem reported engaging in negative activities such as eating disorders, cutting, smoking, and
drinking when we are the society. We want to help them, but yet we still judge them and make them feel bad about
themselves and expect girls not to be doing horrible activities to themself? I exploded and got so angry and fed up

3. that I told the anonymous person to reveal their true identity if they were that tough enough to go around telling
someone they were ugly and I told the girl who was being called ugly to keep her chin up because she was beautiful
and worth way more than she thought she was. It didn’t matter what she looked like because beauty is not defined
by the size of your jeans or the gap between your legs, it’ personality though that captures the heart even if
appearance catches the eye. I was pretty amazed with myself because I didn’t know I had the guts to go something
like that, especially since I was defending a stranger, but the moment I pressend send, I knew nobody should be felt
like no one is there for them or that they are are ugly. Because feeling alone is like being the last person on earth.
You’re screaming for comfort and for someone to understand what you’re going through, but no one is there and all
you can hear is the distant echo replying to you, and no one on earth deserves that. No one.
The ah-ha’s O have while reading this chapter was when Iqbal had cut the Blue Bukhara on purpose so he could
not only humiliate Hussain Khan, but to show him that he is not a pet and someone who could be taken benefit out
of, especially since Iqbal is a very powerful boy for someone so thing and small. I chose this ah-ha moment because
it was what moved the story. A question I have is: How many days or amount of time will Hussain Khan keep Iqbal
in the Tomb to pay off his mistake? I chose this question because if Iqbal stays in the Tomb for a long time, would
the children do anything to help him? Would the children’s lives be the same usual day without him? What would
happen to Iqbal in the tomb? I chose these questions because what would the story turn out to be without the main
character? Finally, a connection I have for this chapter is not talking for 24 hours to show respect for kids in different
parts of the world who cannot speak for themselves. This one day event was called the Vow of Silence. On
November 30th, we had to stay silent in solidarity with children who are silenced by the denial of their rights. This
was a connection because us being silent was like how the children could do nothing as Hussain Khan dragged Iqbal
to the Tomb. The children cannot even have the courage to speak up because they are afraid of the consequences
that may over power them, just like children around the world today.