A Thousand Splendid Suns Ch. 27 - 47

After the murder of Rasheed, how has the relationship between Mariam and Laila changed?

After murdering Rasheed, Mariam and Laila become closer than they were before. They have to work together.

How is Aziza changing in the orphanage?

Aziza seems well cared for but she develops a stutter when she talks which suggests she is dealing with insecurities over how she views her worth. She is becoming more submissive.

Why does Rasheed demand total submission from the two women?

He follows the rules of Islam and treats women as lower class citizens of society. He also wants to bully them so they are too afraid to leave him.

How will Laila's lying to her son affect him when he realizes the truth?

If Zalmai becomes engulfed in the culture in which he lives, he will likely punish Mariam for killing his father. If he is influenced by his mother he would find mercy in his heart and forgive her.

What is ironic in what the judge says to Mariam about carrying out God's laws?

In God's eyes, murder is murder. In the Afghan culture, if Rasheed had killed Laila or Mariam, he would not have been punished but because a woman killed a man, she is punished. Sin is sin in God's eyes yet in this culture, the laws are different based on gender.

Rasheed digs Laila out of the rubble of the explosion that kills her mother and father and takes her into his home. Does his behavior seem unusual? What are his motives for taking care of Laila?

It is unusual for Rasheed to do something for someone without expecting something in return based on his previous behavior. He is probably taking care of her so he can "have" her.

Why does Laila agree to marry Rasheed, a sixty-year-old man, even when she considered the act dishonorable?

Laila agrees to marry Rasheed because she is pregnant with Tariq's child and knows she would be shunned for having a child out of wedlock. She also knows her child, and she, will need to be cared for.

Why does Laila confront Rasheed with his inability to keep a job when she risks being beaten by him?

Laila confronts Rasheed about getting a job and risks a beating because they need food to survive.

What does the suffering that Laila endures to visit her daughter in the orphanage say about the Taliban's effect on society?

Laila enduring cursing and beatings to see her daughter with no one stepping in to help her proves that the Taliban has created an atmosphere of acceptance of cruelty to women.

Why does Laila not go through with aborting Rasheed's baby?

Laila realizes that the baby she is carrying is not to blame for her hatred of Rasheed. She realizes that there is enough killing happening in the world and killing the baby would be unforgiveable in her own heart.

Why does Mariam blame Laila for marrying Rasheed? Why does she see Laila as a competitor for Rasheed?

Mariam blames Laila for taking away the one thing she could say was hers, her husband. Laila is competition because she takes what little attention Mariam receives from Rasheed.

What does Mariam come to understand about motherhood?

Mariam comes to learn that being a mother is both wonderful and difficult. She also finds that even though raising a child should be a woman's job, men are still in control in all things.

How does Mariam find peace before she dies?

Mariam died at peace because she had had a life in which she had loved and been loved. She had been able to experience being a mother which gave her joy and peace.

How does Mariam feel when she finds out that her father tried to visit her when he was dying and she refused to see him?

Mariam feels guilty for believing the worse of Jalil as well as not seeing him when he was about to die. She also feels grief because her life could have been different if she would have swallowed her pride and spoken with her father.

What are Mariam's changing feelings as Rasheed becomes more upset with Laila?

Mariam finds herself feeling sympathy toward Laila when Rasheed changes his feelings toward her. They become allies.

Is Mariam justified in killing Rasheed? How is the act of murder a kind of fulfillment for Mariam?

Mariam is justified in killing Rasheed because he would have killed both her and Laila. The act of murdering Rasheed is almost a vengeful act for Mariam. After years of cruelty, she is the one in control; she liberates herself.

How does Mariam show that she has grown into a woman of strong character before her death?

Mariam proves she has grown into a woman of strong character in the way she accepts her death. She found peace in her last moments.

Why does Mariam request no visitors when she is put in prison?

Mariam requests no visitors because she knows how painful it would be for Laila, Aziza and Zalmai to see her suffer. She is thinking of them before herself.

What enables Mariam to have the courage to bring about Laila's escape from Rasheed's home?

Mariam says that she has everything she wished for as a girl because she had a family with Laila and her children and she finally felt love in her life.

Why does Rasheed continue to taunt Mariam when he has absolute control over her?

Rasheed asserts his authority over Mariam because it is expected in their culture but also to validate himself and his own power.

Why has Rasheed become so cruel to Mariam and Laila? How has the breakdown of society, as a result of the war, allowed this to happen?

Rasheed feels as if Mariam and Laila are now trying to work together against him which angers him. The war has caused laws against women to become more strict which encourages Rasheed to continue his cruelty as it appears, to him, to be expected and right.

How has the death of his son affected Rasheed?

Rasheed is focused on having a son and doesn't appreciate having a healthy child.

How does the presence of the Taliban in Kabul affect Rasheed differently from Laila?

Rasheed's affinity to the Taliban rule is due to his support of their strict rules on women which he loves. Laila is against any further restrictions on women and is; therefore, upset about Taliban rule.

What is the effect of wearing a burqa on Laila?

Surprisingly, Laila finds the burqa almost comforting since it allows her to keep her new life of shame hidden.

What is it about the movie, Titanic, that is so interesting to the people of Kabul?

The movie, Titanic, shows that even when faced with difficulty, some people can still survive. It shows that there is hope.

What is the significance of Mariam and Laila having tea together?

The significance of Mariam and Laila having tea together is that it allows the women to have time together away from Rasheed. This time allows them to learn more about one another and become close.

How is the violence in the streets of Kabul parallel to the violence in Rasheed's home?

The violence in the streets of Kabul parallel's the violence in Rasheed's home because in both situations, women are innocent targets to men and their need to have power.

Mariam and Laila ask a young man for help when they are trying to leave Kabul. Why does he betray them to the soldiers?

The young man betrays Mariam and Laila partly because it is expected in his culture for women to be controlled but also because he may have feared what may happen to him if he helped them.

How has U.S. foreign policy led to the continuing chaos in Afghanistan?

U.S. foreign policy led to the war continuing in Afghanistan.

How is Laila's son being educated in the male-dominated culture of the Taliban? How does Zalmai show that he is following his father's example in how he responds to Laila and Mariam? How is Laila's daughter taught to conform to the role laid out for women?

Zalmai is learning how to treat women from watching his father and how he treats his sister, Mariam and his mother. He shows this through the way he treats and speaks to the women in the home. Aziza is sent to an orphanage to live because she is a financial burden.