When I first started at Hidaya I hated wearing the hijab. I found it itchy and I absolutely despised wearing it during gym class. I also thought it looked awful on me and in the first two weeks I was always styling my bangs and letting them out at the front so that everybody knew I had nice hair. Talk about being insecure. But then I got to know the other kids and it no longer felt awkward. I got used to it and I met girls who were wearing it full-time outside of school, like, voluntarily, and I started to really respect their courage. I was even a bit jealous because there I would be, ripping it off as soon as I was off school property, and there they would be, calmly and proudly stepping onto a train filled with students from schools all over without so much as a hint of fear or doubt. They looked so at peace with their identity and everybody got to know and respect them on their own terms.

Question

When I first started at Hidaya I hated wearing the hijab. I found it itchy and I absolutely despised wearing it during gym class. I also thought it looked awful on me and in the first two weeks I was always styling my bangs and letting them out at the front so that everybody knew I had nice hair. Talk about being insecure. But then I got to know the other kids and it no longer felt awkward. I got used to it and I met girls who were wearing it full-time outside of school, like, voluntarily, and I started to really respect their courage. I was even a bit jealous because there I would be, ripping it off as soon as I was off school property, and there they would be, calmly and proudly stepping onto a train filled with students from schools all over without so much as a hint of fear or doubt. They looked so at peace with their identity and everybody got to know and respect them on their own terms.

–Does My Head Look Big in This?,
Randa Abdel-Fattah

What is the central idea of the passage?

The narrator is unwilling to admit that she no longer identifies with her religion.
The narrator finds the hijab to be uncomfortable and embarrassing.
The narrator resents the other students in school for pressuring her to wear a hijab.
The narrator wants to be as comfortable with her identity as the other girls are with theirs.

Answer 1

The central idea of the passage is that the narrator initially dislikes wearing the hijab but starts to respect and admire the girls who choose to wear it voluntarily, as they seem comfortable and at peace with their identity. The narrator wants to be as comfortable as them and to have others respect her on her own terms.