Themes and message

Access to education

Education is an important theme in the short story “Farida's Eyes” by Leila Aboulela, especially connected to the difficulties girls have when it comes to access to education. This is illustrated with the help of Farida and her struggles to continue her education. 

Farida attends an all-girls Catholic school, and she is a good student who enjoys learning. To her, learning is something both vital and natural, since she “learned like she breathed” (l. 5). However, we become aware that although her mother is pleased, her father does not express any kind of approval and only “grudgingly” (l. 8) pays Farida's school fees. Also, Farida's father refuses to buy her glasses, as it would represent a further burden on the family's finances. He does not seem to realize that Farida's future depends on this, since her poor eyesight is affecting her ability to do well in school. He only sees the superficial aspect of glasses, convinced that it would make Farida l...