A Thousand Splendid Suns Reading Questions

1. Explain these quotes: · "I'll never escape your son's grief" (358). · "God made us differently, you woman and us men. Our brains are different. You are not able to think like we can" (365). · "...she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back" (370). · "Laila knows that this shameful lie will have to be told again and again" (379).

- in the first quote, Mariam is explaining to Laila why she must say in Kabul after the murder; she won't be able to live knowing that she killed Zalmai's father and is the reason he grieves. · In the second quote, the man is basically saying that God created men to be superior to women and it shows the general misogynistic beliefs of men in Afghanistan. · In the third quote, Mariam is finally at peace knowing that she got what she wanted most in life, love. In the fourth quote, Laila is resenting the fact that she'll have to continue lying to Zalmai about what happened to his father.

1. Explain these quotes: · "Kabul is waiting. Needing. This journey home is the right thing to do" (392). · "Laila thinks of her own life and all that has happened to her, and she is astonished that she too has survived" (395). "Mariam is in Laila's own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand splendid suns" (414).

- in the first quote, we see that initial pull and hope that Laila feels to return home and make a difference. · In the second quote, we understand that Laila has gone through so much hardship and trauma in her life, just like millions of Afghans, and it is crazy that they have gone through so much and survived. In the third quote, we see that Laila knows that Mariam still lives on within her own heart. Mariam had been through so much and she was so beaten down, but the things she did for others was beautiful and she was a good person. She symbolizes the bursting radiance of a thousand splendid suns in this way.

1. Why does Laila's father stay with his wife? How are the mother's and father's dreams different and why?

-He loves his family and does not want to separate them -He also loves the memories of her and their past -The mother wants to stay in Afghanistan because of her sons and the memories -Babi wants to move to America (California) and open up a small restaurant

In what ways is Laila like her mother, and in what ways is she like her father?

-Laila is being educated and cares about school very much -She also has a more progressive father -She is stubborn like her mom and has a similar relationship with Tariq like Mammy and Babi did growing up

1. Explain these quotes: · "She [Mariam] was being sent away because she was the walking, breathing embodiment of their shame" (48). · "I thought about you all the time. I used to pray that you'd live to be a hundred years old. ...I didn't know that you were ashamed of me" (55). "Where I come from, a woman's face is her husband's business only" (70).

-Quote 1: Seeing Mariam lead to people gossiping and remembering Jalil and Nana's scandal -Quote 2: Talking to Jalil--victim of patriarchy -Quote 3: Rasheed talking to her about control [transition from green (growth) to blue and brown (sad)]

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

Although she was walking to her death, she simply accepted it; she didn't plead for her life or throw a fit or cry or anything, instead she found goodness in what was happening and accepts her fate. This shows how strong of a person she has become.

Why is Laila afraid to hope for peace in Afghanistan after the war on the Taliban is over?

Because many innocent people are still going to die, like her mom and dad.

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 knows that it is her best option -There is no other place for Laila to go

1. How has Mariam become a symbol of Kabul for Laila?

Laila believes that Mariam is in Kabul. In the walls, the kids' laughter, and in her own heart.

1. What finally convinces Laila's mother to leave Kabul?

Laila is almost struck by a missile that misses her by about 3 fingers space. After this, Mammy realizes that even though she has lost two sons to the war, she still has Laila and wants to protect her.

What is the effect of wearing a burqa on Laila?

Laila is becoming a woman and is becoming subjective to her knew life. Her father was more modern than Rasheed, so Laila is facing a different way of being treated. Laila also feels invisible with the burqa, the same way Mariam did.

How do Laila's feelings about leaving Kabul contrast with her parents' feelings?

Laila is happy to leave because Tariq is in Pakistan where they are supposed to go. She is eager to leave Kabul because most of the people she knows have. Her parents are sad to leave everything they have known because their whole life has been in Kabul.

Why does Laila feel such a strong attachment to her father?

Laila loves her father so much because he respects women and is more modern in his views. He is not just going to marry Laila off when he gets the chance. He also is a teacher which makes Laila's conversations with him more profound.

Laila enjoys spending time with Tariq's family. How does her family differ from Tariq's and why?

Laila loves how they eat together and enjoy each others company. This is different from her house because they often eat alone and are not close with one another.

1. Why were Laila's brothers fighting? What are the motives for the rebels fighting against the communists?

Laila's brothers were fighting to fight the communists. The rebels do not like that women have more rights and freedoms, and the rebels believe that the Soviets target the children and the citizens to keep people at home and unable to fight back.

1. Why does Laila's father believe in the importance of education for women?

Laila's father is a teacher and in that he sees the power women hold when they are educated. He also believes that a world where women are not educated is a not successful world.

Why does Laila's father take her to see the two Buddhas at Bamiyan? Later these statues are destroyed by the Taliban. Why?

Laila's father wanted her to see the beauty and tranquility of the place -Wanted her to see the difference between where they live and where they were -They destroyed the statues because they believed they were "false idols"

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

Laila's suffering when she goes to visit Aziza in the orphanage shows that the Taliban's power has truly affected Afghanistan, especially the women. She can't even leave her house without Rasheed without being beaten. The Taliban's authority has become very oppressing and widespread throughout the country.

Based on Nana's and Mariam's experiences, what can you infer about the lives of women in Afghanistan in the sixties? Why does Nana forbid Mariam to go to school? What does nana want for her and Mariam? Is Nana's goal realistic?

Lives of women were bad and were dominated by the men and they don't even realize it. Nana doesn't want her to go to school because she thinks women only need to know how to do household chores. She wants her and Mariam to be left alone because they are outcasts

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

Mariam blames Laila for marrying Rasheed because she was helping Laila recover from her injuries and then she feels as though Laila went behind her back to steal her husband. Mariam sees Laila as a competitor because Rasheed glorifies Laila and does not make her work as hard as Mariam does. This leads to Mariam feeling an imbalance between how she is treated and how she could be treated.

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

Mariam feels bad because she can see the pain she felt in the beginning of her marriage through Laila and Rasheed's relationship. This helps lead to a friendship between Laila and Mariam.

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

Mariam is basically a shell of a woman which makes her easy to target. Rasheed also feels the need to keep reasserting his dominance within the household for Mariam and for himself.

1. Explain these quotes: · "Mariam grieved for this baby, this particular child, who had made her so happy for a while" (93). "But after four years of marriage, Mariam saw clearly how much a woman could tolerate when she was afraid" (98).

Mariam is sad about the loss of her child because this would be a source of happiness for her--seems like wrong is going right; she will have someone she can love and someone to love her -Rasheed is mad and Mariam is seeing that she must live in fear or else she will get hurt

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

People think the actors are cute and they also love the thought of freedom and their undying love for each other. It also relates to them because, like Rose, they are waiting for their hero to come save them, like Jack.

1. Explain these quotes: · "Laila knew that the days of innocent, unhindered frolicking in the streets with Tariq had passed. For some time now, Laila had begun to sense a new strangeness when the two of them were out in public." (p. 163) "The Mujahideen, armed to the teeth but now lacking a common enemy, had found the enemy in each other. Kabul's day of reckoning had come at last." (p. 172)

Quote 1: The friendship between Laila and Tariq has become more and she wants to become more than friends with Tariq. People also are viewing them as an item because they are always around each other and they are not seen as best friends (like they were when they were little). Quote 2: The peace that everyone was celebrating has disappeared. They are at war with each other rather than the Soviets. The country may even be in worse shape after the Soviets left and the Mujahideen "won".

Why does Rasheed demand total submission from the two women?

Rasheed is in power and knows he believes that without demanding submission, they will try to turn against him.

1. How has the death of his son affected Rasheed?

Rasheed wants to have another son as a way to give him back what he has lost. This causes Rasheed to only want a son and to prepare everything for only a son (crib, clothes, etc.).

What happened to Mariam's mother? In your opinion, why did this happen?

She committed suicide because she was plagued with guilt

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

She doesn't want people to see her that way; she doesn't want Laila and the kids to have to see her like this, she wants them to remember how she was.

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?

She feels regret and guilt that she never gave him a chance or opened the letter because he died just around that time and came to say goodbye, but she denied him.

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

She feels so grateful that she got to have the loving relationship with a family she wanted her whole life, which she got with Laila. She is finally taking the motherly role that she was unable to do and she makes that sacrifice for Laila and her kids.

Why does Rasheed want a boy? How might life have been different for the family if Mariam could have had a baby?

-Rasheed wants a boy since he lost his son, he wanted someone that could fill the void -Mariam would have been happier and live in less fear because Rasheed would not have been as angry and distant to her

# Explain these quotes: · "Babi had made it clear to Laila from a young age that the most important thing in his life, after her safety, was her schooling." (p. 114) · "People...shouldn't be allowed to have new children if they'd already given away all their love to their old ones. It wasn't fair." (p. 119) · "To me, it's nonsense—and very dangerous nonsense at that--all this talk of I'm Tajik and you're Pashtun and he's Hazara and she's Uzbek. We're all Afghans, and that's all that should matter." (p. 130) · "Women have always had it hard in this country, Laila, but they're probably more free now, under the communists, and have more rights than they've ever had before...." (p. 135) · "But Laila knew that her future was no match for her brothers' past." (p. 142).

-Schooling is very important to Laila's father because he believes an educated woman is powerful. He also believes that women should be treated more equally. -This is when Laila feels unwanted by her mother and feels as though all her love was used up on her brothers. -This is in regards to the war and it addressing the hate that comes with war. -Even though women are being oppressed, change is happening for the women. -When this is said it means that nothing Laila will endure in her future can compare to what her brother's went through at war. She also knows that her mother will always feel saddened by the past of her brother's and that she cannot change that.

Is Mariam right to feel guilt about the suicide death of her mother?

-She did not cause it but her leaving was a triggering point from her Nana to kill herself---> her mother told her that she would kill herself if she left -The way she left may also cause guilt but her rational mind knows that she did not cause it -Since Nana controlled her she may have been mad that she is losing control so she kills herself as a vindictive way

Why does Mariam finally say "yes" in the marriage ceremony to Rasheed? What does Mariam realize about her father? How does that make her feel? Does this explain why she goes along with the marriage to Rasheed?

-She has no other option -He only looks out for himself and he does not care about her -It makes her feel stupid -Yes, she does not want to be around him

Predict how Laila will become important in the story.

-She will show the side of educative and the power that woman can hold

On their outing Laila's father relaxes, re-reading Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea. Why does the novel resonate with the father? You will need to look up a quick summary of the story.

-The plot is a metaphor because they face struggles goin on in their country -The story is about an old man and he struggles to catch a fish only to be eaten by a shark

1. How does the relationship of Laila and Tariq change?

-They start to fall in love with each other and people start to gossip about them dating because they are older now -Laila and Tariq also kiss and Laila dreams about Tariq and wants to be with him -Tariq is also very protective of Laila

What is the motive of Jalil's wives in finding a suitor for Mariam? Why does Jalil go along with them in this plan? How does it appear he feels about the plan?

-To get Mariam out of the house and can continue their good life -He wants to continue his perfect life and get rid of the scandal, looking out for himself -He knows Rasheed and knows the actual treatment of Mariam, he feels bad that he feels guilty, also acting like a kid (thinking why are you doing this to me) -Everything Jalil does is for him, not for Mariam and she starts to understand this

Explain these quotes: · "...for the first time, it was not an adversary's face Laila saw but a face of grievances unspoken, burdens gone unprotested, a destiny submitted to and endured" (249). · "...[Mariam]marveled at how after all these years of rattling loose, she had found in this little creature [Aziza] the first true connection in her life of false, failed connections" (252). "What a man does in his home is his business" (266).

1. This quote shows how Mariam seems completely lost and had given up on life. 2. This shows how stunned Mariam is for something so pure to lover her. This shows the changing social status in Pakistan and how women are becoming less and less important.

1. Explain these quotes: · "It seems worthwhile, if absurdly so, to have endured all they'd endured for this one crowning moment, for this act of defiance that would end the suffering of all indignities" (300). · "He'd not been a good father, it was true, but how ordinary his faults seemed now, how forgivable, when compared to Rasheed's malice, or to the brutality and violence that she had seen men inflict on one another" (309).

1. this was when Laila spoke up about her concern and slapped Rasheed. It shows how the women were done taking order from this mean man and that they should have a say in what goes on. She thought Rasheed had just left which made her feel that all her suffering was worth it, just so he'd finally leave. 2. This was when Mariam went looking for her father. She realized she had held a grudge to a man that, compared to what she had gone through, was a relatively good person. She regretted not taking him in and listening to what he had to say. Although he had not treated her the best, he was still her father, and he treated her better than the men she had seen now.

The beginning of Mariam's marriage to Rasheed seems to promise happiness. What are signs that this may be short lived?

Giving her time to adjustment, got to sleep in her own room -Yells at her for crying, shows no sympathy, tells her that she needs to start acting better, thinks men control women (not about consent, oppression)

Jalil, Mariam's father, is a complex character. Does he love his daughter? How does he show his love? How does he show that he does not fully recognize her as his daughter? Why does he treat her as he does?

He does love her, but he can't fully show the love because she was born out of wedlock. Shows his love by visiting her and bringing her gifts. He makes them live outside of the town because he is embarassed

How does Rasheed feel about the westernization of Afghanistan? What shows his ambivalence?

He is against it. He talks bad about how the woman walk around in skirts and even talks bad about Fariba

Why does Rasheed become abusive?

He is unhappy all the time and the fact that Mariam had many miscarriages triggered him -He is so mad at her that he takes his anger out on Mariam

Laila's friend, Tariq, lost one leg to a land mine explosion when he was five. How does Tariq deal with his disability? What does his behavior suggest about his character?

He learns how to do his everyday takes with it and since he is used to it he can fend for himself. When he takes off his leg to beat Khadim with it we can see that he is used to dealing with his disability.

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

He said she must be punished in order to carry out God's laws yet she was the one fulfilling God's laws because she saved so many people through Rasheed's death; also, any man who committed the act wouldn't have met the same fate.

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

He will probably be very angry at her and Mariam because she's lied to him and he loved his father, so he will grieve and be angry he didn't get closure or get to grow up with his real father.

What forces tug on Laila to return to Afghanistan?

Her new hope for a new life where she can make a difference. Also, Kabul, and Afghanistan overall, is being rebuilt, and she wants to be a part of that.

Will Laila's nightmares about her life in Kabul ever cease? What is the worst thing that happened to her there?

Her nightmares will probably never stop simply because what happened to her was so traumatizing and vivid and she saw it with her own eyes, so it will haunt her for life. The worst thing that happened to her there was her parents were blown up and she saw there mutilated limbs around her.

How does Laila's life in Murree contrast with her life in Kabul?

In Murree, life is much more free and beautiful and full of light and energy; in contrast, her life in Kabul was filled with darkness, death, and destruction.

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

Instead of Laila taking care of and saving Mariam, Mariam finally took charge and acted as a mother figure to Laila and she sacrificed her life for Laila's family.

What is the role of religion in the novel? Does it give consolation to the people?

It is clear that religion plays a role in the novel. The dead of the sons brings religion up when they are reading it for the sons. It gives consolation to most people since God's plan often helps justify people's deaths.

How does the letter of Mariam's father show his character? Does it redeem him in some way? In what ways is it ironic?

It shows that he is actually a genuine person and he has grown and changed a lot since he last saw Mariam. He realized that money and fame is only temporary and he should've spent time with the things that truly matter, like Mariam. It sort of redeems him because, for the first time, he is genuinely sorry. It's ironic because Mariam pushed him away like he did t her years ago.

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

It takes away a lot of rights towards women. Men are give more power

What is fitting about Laila's return to Kabul and her work at the orphanage?

It's fitting because she's the orphan's teacher, kind of like her father who was a teacher.

How does Mariam find peace before she dies?

She finally feels at peace and realizes that she is having a legitimate death to an illegitimate life; she finally thinks about all the things, good and bad, that have happened to her and she accepts her life.

What is wrong with Laila's mother?

She is distraught due to her sons leaving for war. She does not want to do as much and sleeps most of her day away.

What are Rasheed's reasons for making Mariam wear a burqa and what do they tell us about his ideas about his role as a husband and man and his expectations for Mariam?

She is oppressed -Loss of identity -No consent -She needs permission -Controlling relationships (Nana to Rasheed)

How is Aziza changing in the orphanage?

She is showing signs of neglect and abuse. She has a lot of anxiety, stammers her words, laughs awkwardly, and says fake things, unlike she did before

What does Nana mean when she says, "'I wish my father had had the stomach to sharpen one of his knives and do the honorable thing. It might have been better for me"? (6-7)

She means that she wishes her father would've used the knife to kill her baby because then she would still have been able to live a more honorable and enjoyable life.

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

She realizes that it's not the baby's fault and she can love it just as much as she loves Aziza, even if it's Rasheed's kid

Mariam learns some of her husband's history when she looks inside the drawers in his room. Why does she rationalize about what she sees?

She tries to rationalize the gun -The magazines--against modern women but has these -Looks into the photos to see the truth behind his past life

Why does Mariam ask her father to take her to the cinema for her fifteenth birthday present? What does she want?

She wants to experience the real world and going into town and be apart of his real family and to meet her siblings

Why does Laila want to visit the home where Mariam had lived as a girl?

She wants to learn more about Mariam's life and to pay her respect to her since she can't visit her grave. It's kind of a form of closure and connection to Mariam.

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

The American foreign policy has led to continuing chaos in Afghanistan by continuing the war. The war is also resulting in continual changes of government. Note: As for the war, the main thing you need to know is that the US helped Afghanistan defeat the USSR because of their obsession with stopping the spread of Communism. However, they wound up arming a much more destructive group, the Taliban, who ended up bombing us on 9/11.

How do the drawings by the children in the orphanage express their experiences? How do they show the contrast between the time when Aziza was there and now?

The drawings show that the kids have experienced a lot of traumatic things (like guns and bombings/ etc.). They show the contrast because when Aziza was there, there was no bombing

What does Mariam come to understand about motherhood?

The true sacrifices a mother has to make. She comes to understand her own mother and wishes she would've treated her better.

What does Mariam notice about the women of the city? How does this make her feel?

The women in the city are free -She views them in this modern light that is valuable

How is Laila's family affected by the death of their two sons? How do you understand Laila's reaction?

Their family starts to drift and go about life aimlessly. Laila and her father act the same way after receiving the news. Laila is in this state of confusion and misbelief. She hardly knew her brothers and now that they are dead she does not know how to go about coping.

What is the impact of the Soviet withdrawal on the citizens of Kabul?

There is more internal war within Kabul and it is dangerous from them to live there. People believed that the Soviets leaving would bring peace but it actually made life in Kabul more difficult and scary.

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?

There is not punishment for the men to be cruel to the women in society anymore. Rasheed would not be punished if he abused the women.

In this section we are introduced to nine-year-old Laila and her family. What were Laila's parents like when they were young? How have they changed? What is undermining their relationship? How does their relationship affect Laila?

They were in love with each other and had a good relationship. They changed in regards to the way they act after their sons left for war. The father is more timid and the mother is lazier these day. Laila feels a lack of love and support due to their relationship.

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?

This is unusual because usually Rasheed is looking out for himself and would not sacrifice the time and his safety to help another person, especially a woman. His motives for taking care of Laila is for her to marry him and become his second wife, also to give him a son.

The novel opens with a curse word, uttered in frustration by Mariam's mother, when Mariam breaks a treasured heirloom. What does Mariam's memory of this suggest about herself and her relationship with her mother? How does this opening set the tone for the novel?

This memory suggests that Mariam took a lot of what her mother said, to heart, and it shows that their relationship was very tense and difficult at times. This sets the tone by showing us how their relationship would be throughout the book.

Is Laila's expectation that Zalmai will learn to accept his father's absence realistic?

Yes, because he is so young and Tariq is already beginning to take over the role of his father-figure, he will eventually forget about Rasheed for the most part and accept Tariq.

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

Yes, it justified her because she finally took control of her own life and changed its course and Laila's. It's fulfilling because she is finally able to let go of the burden she's had her whole life and she's able to break free from herself and Rasheed and everything she's believed until now.

How is Laila's son being educated in the male-dominated culture of the Taliban? How does Zalmai show 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 getting a lot more attention than what Aziza got and Rasheed makes sure he learns well. He loves to copy what his father does and shows how he responds a lot better to him than Laila. Aziza is taught that Zalmai deserves more than her and that she must take care of him.

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

because he got money from them and he would have gotten yelled at by the guards if they were caught.

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

because he is spending the money for food on getting toys for Zalmai and making all of them suffer and threatening to give up Aziza.

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

because she realizes it was not the baby's fault. She believes she can change the baby not to be like Rasheed.

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

its like a civil war in their home and outside.

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

they are both able to share time together and chat about how their life is hard and take time off. They are able to bond and hear each other out.

What does Mariam come to understand about motherhood?

you will do crazy things to try and save the one's you love.

1. Explain these quotes: · "The more Tariq talked, the more Laila dreaded the moment when he would stop. The silence that would follow, the signal that it was her turn to give account, to provide the why and how and when to make official what he surely already knew" (337). · "Mariam saw now in those eyes what a fool she had been" (346).

· The first quote shows Laila's dreading to explain to Tariq the lies she was told about him, even though he probably already knew and he wouldn't be able to change it In the second quote, Mariam is looking into Rasheed's eyes and finally realizing that she never did anything to deserve the hardships he's put her through.