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A thousand splendid suns (Final thoughts (Questions (Whats the message the…
A thousand splendid suns
Chapter 1 - 10
Page 63, chapter 10, "Her teeth rattled when she thought of the night,the time when Rasheed might at last decide to do to her what husbands did to their wives."
This quote shows Miriam's fear of the terrible things Rasheed might do to her. It also hints at the way men treated woman in India. Even husbands treated their wives like objects.
Page 18, chapter 3, "There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life... And its this: tahamul. Endure"
This quote shows Nana's views on woman. It shows the reader that she believes that woman are only used to endure the things men inflict upon them and they should not stand up for themselves. She believes school is useless for a women in their sorrowful lives
Page 35, chapter 5 "Mariam kept thinking of his face in the upstairs window. He let her sleep on the street."
This quote shows Mariam reliving the moment she realized even her own father was ashamed of her. I believe this moment was a coming of age moment for her, where she realizes her own father does not respect her like she thought he did. It also shows the moment she realized her Nana was right about her father all along.
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Chapters 11 - 20
Chapter 13, page 87 " Mariam wished he wouldn't do that, hitch his hopes to its being a boy."
In this quote, it proves Rasheed's desperate desire to have a boy. This makes me wonder if every other man in their country thinks the same way. Does every man prefer to have a boy over a girl? Do they feel that women are unnecessary or do they feel that boys serve more of an importance?
Chapter 20, page 144 " She would never leave her mark on Mammy's heart the way her brothers had..."
This quote clearly shows the importance to boys not only to men but also women. This woman neglects her daughter and praises her sons as if they are the most amazing things to ever walk the Earth. She goes to the extreme of almost committing suicide in hearing of her sons death. She doesn't feel the need to live for her daughter but yet she lives fully because of her sons. This quote shows the pain the daughter feels because of this.
Chapter 15, page 98 " And Mariam was afraid. She lived in fear of his shifting moods, his volatile temperament...
This quote from the book shows the constant fear Miriam has of her own husband. This differs greatly with our culture. In our lives, women feel safe and loved with their husbands however, Miriam feels unprotected and scared of the one person who should make her feel the safest. It must be a lonely and scary life for Miriam that I couldn't imagine going through.
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Chapters 21 - 30
Chapter 28: "But mostly he talked about you... I could tell he cared a great deal about you (Hosseini 208)
My heart leaped when I heard this, to imagine how happy Laila must have felt when she heard these words. Even though his death was so tragic, I hope she sees some hope in these words from a stranger.
Chapter 26:"... it was the sight of that single round hole in the gate, less than three fingers away from where Laila's head had been, that shook Mammy awake." (Hosseini 189)
In our society with any war, a family's first instinct is to move away to protect their child from any danger. This line shows just how stubborn Mammy really is. She was so caught up with her grief, that she didn't think about her own daughters safety until she was almost dead.
Chapter 30:"A part of Tariq still alive inside her, sprouting tiny arms, growing translucent hands" (Hosseini 219)
When I saw this line, I was so happy to know that Laila has someone left in her life after the death of everyone she loved. It gave her a sense of hope that her life isn't over yet and she has this child to remind her of Tariq.
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Chapters 31 - 40
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Chapter 40: "And, really, what could be said, what needed saying when you'd shove the barrel of your gun into your wife's mouth."(Hosseini 300)
This quote shows the horrors Rasheed goes to to keep his family in check. I am happy Laila stood up for herself though. He truly deserved it. I just don't understand why no authority system will prevent this from happening.
Chapter 35: "... she had found in this little creature the first true connection in her life of false failed connections." (Hosseini 252)
This quote shows the growing love Miriam has for Azazi. She feels for the first time that her life is purposeful, that someone loves her. This quote also shows the growing friendship that is beginning to form between Miriam and Laila
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Chapters 41 - 51
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Chapter 47: "Mariam had no visitors. That was the first and only thing she had asked the Talib officials here. No visitors." (Hosseini 362)
This made me extremely sad. She has been through so much in her life and yet her life still ends in misery. Laila doesn't visit her and her consequence for her actions is death. She had a very lonely life and it ends the same way, it made be very sad to see the misery of her life.
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Chapter 45: " And, with that, Mariam brought down the shovel. This time, she gave it everything she had." (Hosseini 349)
I feel that everyone was predicting that Mariam and Laila would kill Rasheed. And this quote gave me relief to know that the terrors of Rasheed would be over. Also, I'm glad Mariam finally found some control in her life, even if that means her life is over. She sacrificed so much in her life and I'm glad she found love with Laila and the children.
Chapter 42: "Laila stood perfectly still and looked at Tariq until her chest screamed for air and her eyes burned to blink." (Hosseini 327)
After reading this, I felt so happy for Laila. She had thought she lost everyone, even the love of her life, and he is back just like he promised. This put a great plot twist on the story and I'm so glad that it gave Laila a happy ending.
Final thoughts
Chapter 35: "... she had found in this little creature the first true connection in her life of false failed connections." (Hosseini 252)
Chapter 42: "Laila stood perfectly still and looked at Tariq until her chest screamed for air and her eyes burned to blink." (Hosseini 327)
Chapter 30:"A part of Tariq still alive inside her, sprouting tiny arms, growing translucent hands" (Hosseini 219)
Questions
Whats the message the author was trying to portray throughout the book? And did the author portray this message well?
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Overall, what is the most significant event in the book to you?
I absolutely loved this book. It was inspiring, moving, and unpredictable. It gave me a new sense of gratitude towards our country and the way we live in the United States compared to other countries. This could possibly be my favorite book. I loved everything about the author's writing style, and the imagery the author creates. I loved how I never knew what was going to happen next and I looked forward to reading this book every week.