What is The Computer

Like cars, computers symbolize luxuries available only to the upper class in Amal’s village. Amal encounters computers when Nasreen Baji and Asif write emails. The computer acts as a learning tool for Amal when Asif teaches her how to use it at the Literacy Center. Computers therefore also represent mediums for transmitting and accessing knowledge. Because computers are so prevalent in North America, Amal’s unfamiliarity with them emphasizes her poverty.