No Admission to Heaven
This chapter is a list of the sixteen decrees issued by the Taliban when they took over in 1996. Fifteen out of the sixteen decrees are prohibitions that dramatically changed Afghan culture. Many aspects of the people's lifestyle were stripped away. Things like shaving and music became illegal and if the laws weren't followed, the "perpetrator" went to prison. In addition to this, a broadcast was made to women that forced them to stay at home and raise their family. Women could no longer have jobs…or anything for that matter.
Billowing, Fluttering, Winding
In this chapter, Shakila, Sultan's sister, is at a bazaar with her other sisters to buy things for her wedding. She weaves through the throng like an expert, and the other two struggle to keep up. The entire market is described and the reader can picture everything that is on display. The chapter also discusses how all women are out in burkas even though the Taliban have left. A brief "fashion" history is given in the middle of the chapter discusses the burka's role over time. It finishes with the sisters haggling over more wedding goods and returning home after a successful day of shopping.
A Third-Rate Wedding
The final chapter of this section depicts Shakila's wedding to Wakil. It starts out with the night before when all of the female relatives on both sides are gathered for a "bachelorette party" of sorts known as "henna night." They dance and sing and eat and are almost out of control, but Shakila is not allowed to participate. She must sit, stone-faced and non-committal on a couch. Her appearance is that of a doll due to all the makeup she wears. The next day all the women wake up to be made up for the ceremony. The wedding takes place in a family member's back yard and everyone is invited. All of the rituals of traditional Islamic wedding ceremonies are described and it ends with the next morning when a small cloth is returned to Bibi Gul to prove that Shakila was "pure" for her husband.
Asne Seierstad is a very direct writer who does not leave the reader questioning about the story. In each chapter, if she wants the reader to know something, she writes it; however, her story is shaped by what is told and what isn't. Seirestad focuses heavily on the oppression Afghani women face by centering the chapters on them. In No Admission to Heaven, by including the list of decrees she is showing the reader that women had little to no rights under the Taliban. The next two chapters focus entirely on the women's perspective of Shakila's wedding. Everything is described in detail except the men's role in the ceremony. Their part was on the backburner in the telling of the wedding story. By focusing greatly on the women's perspective, the reader gains a great understanding of the injustice they faced and in a sense; Seierstad gives a voice to those forbidden to speak out.
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