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A Thousand Splendid Suns (ch 1-10 (3 r.o.q (The total time of down talking…
A Thousand Splendid Suns
ch 1-10
3 r.o.q
The total time of down talking her mom commits on her dad is a shocking amount, but its not only this and it almost like shes mentally abusing maria m. This might become a sub-conflict in the story throughout, and I think that if does become a problem she should prove herself to her mom and make her realize that she is a actual human and not just a mistake. This also might be the first character conflict that includes a protagonist and Antofagasta in the small plot within the story.
We can see how much her mom disregards her as nothing just because shes a Hamilcar, and the worst part is she couldn't control when she was born. I just don't get how you could treat your own daughter like this whether or not shes a bastard, and I say that because it shows the cultural difference between us and them. If people weren't married or a baby wasn't planned, and the baby came the natural mother instinct would kick in and usually mothers would still love their child- didn't mean to go on a rant and I'm not a bastard child I have just been talked down on before because of divorce.
Even when Maria doesn't do anything wrong and is just standing there she is still just another thing in the room. The thing is What if the situation gets better , but what if it doesn't and we see it effect Miriam .
3 questions
Miriam's relationship with her mom isn't the best , but what if gets better ? how would it help and if so how much?
Could Miriam s harami name tag get her into certain bad outstations and could she be blamed for potential upcoming problems?
We know that her mom and dad fight because of Miriam , but what if the fighting gets worse and it hurts Miriam? If it did how would it hurt her?
3 quotes
She waited until he had left the kola, before snickering and saying, "The children of strangers get ice cream. What do you get, Miriam? Stories of ice cream." ch 1
"You are a clumsy little harami This is my reward for
everything I've endured An heirloom-breaking, clumsy little harami."-ch 1
"Well. You must be happy," Nana said. "How many is that for you, now? Ten, is it,
mashallah? Ten?"
Jalil said yes, ten.
"Eleven, if you count Mariam, of course."- ch 4
ch 11-20
R.O.Q
This little sentence could lead to way more tiny little conflicts between her and Her husband , and if it comes to it maybe even arguments with her son.
we finally see happiness from Miriam and although it may not be long lived its a good moral up-lifter, and maybe could lead to new character development , and relationship changes.
The culture shock for me is crazy , because they dont even ask Miriam what she wants and their reasons for having a boy or girl are only to befit them in a long run. It might not be that impact , but to me its really insensitive.
questions
With the miscarriages what emotions could he bring Miriam? (as in depression or maybe even cause major problems)
Miriam being a harami herself do you think she would treat her son unfairly in a good way, or even in a bad way?
How will the new social change Miriam, and if so how bad?
quotes
" Miriam wish he wouldn't do that. hitch his hopes up to its being a boy" ch-13
her. It swelled and swelled until all the loss, all the grief, all the loneliness and self abasement of her life washed away.This was why God had brought her here... ch-13
"Do you want a boy or a girl first?"
"The minarets! Oh, what beauty! What a gorgeous city!"
"Boy is better, Miriam jan, they carry the family name "
"Bah! Boys get married and run off. Girls stay behind and take care of you when you're old " -ch 11
ch 21-30
reflctions
This is more of a effect on laila than a turning point in the story. What I mean by that is we may see her act different, an more importantly how it would affect her relationships with everyone.
Again, another culture shock for me , but I know some of the horrors of Afghanistan since my dads side of the family is all military. I still don't understand how you could live like that.
There are many sentences in chapter 24 that describe Laila and her personality. This one sentence pops out the most to me because it shows her amount of care fore people she don't even know, and maybe it'll even lead to her making her life better with rasheed.
quotes
"saying that he was leaving. Not the neighborhood. Not Kabul. but Afghanistan altogether. leaving"pg.180 ch-25
"the Kabul dogs who had developed a taste for human meat."
"but the flip side of being spared was the agony of wondering who hadn't"-pg.174 ch-24
questions
After rasheed impregnates laila he finally has a chance at having a boy, but if it's not a boy could he turn abusive to her as well as Miriam?
How would it make Miriam feel if laila had a baby on the first try , and could it cause problems?
Now that Tariq is dead, and shes married to rahseed could laila ever forget him and move on?
ch 31-40
reflections
The rumors that rasheed heard intrigued him so much , and it's almost like he has no social life. Also Laila might be telling the truth and since shes so afraid of him if it happens again he could think shes lying.
The unity we have all been waiting for is finally here. After Miriam tried to not create a relationship with Laila she eventually does, and it could cause problems such as relationship issues
This is when Rasheed blames Miriam for Laila resisting, and the piece that popped out to me is after the quote when Miriam knew to cover her chest because she was beaten so often that she knew where to protect. Another significant part of this one piece of dialogue is that even though Laila is nowhere to be seen in the moment we now know that she has grown a sort of backbone
quotes
"So he was a friend or a brother?"
"Both. He--"
"Which was it?"
"He was like both." (Houssani 148)
Laila rose to her feet. "I know it's chilly outside, but what do you say we sinners have us a cup of chai in the yard?" Mariam looked surprised "I can't. I still have to cut and wash the beans." "I'll help you do it in the morning." "And I have to clean up here." "We'll do it together. If I'm not mistaken, there's some halwa left over. Awfully good with chat."
""Her denying me. You're teaching her to."" (Houssani 145)
questions
With rasheed spoiling his son and treating him better than anyone else , do you think he could become like his father in his early years ?
Finally we see Miriam and laila get along before after the attempt to escape, Lailas second baby, and the drought, but now that these events have hardened the relationship could we finally see retaliation?
Now that the Taliban control the surrounding areas and imply new laws , How will it affect Laila and Miriam and to what extent?
41-50
reflections
For the longest time I wondered what would happen if tariq every encountered Laila again and well I got what I asked for. The fact that rasheed went through all of that just to hide him from Laila all this time must have been because he knew he'd come back
If i were Laila I would have assumed the same thing. It's funny because the cultural difference between the west and east may not seem that big, but it really is because it is an everyday change.
After all the time we spent waiting on this return it finally happened. I wondered what would have happen if he never came back to find her and she just forgot about him.
Questions
After Miriam kills rasheed why do you think she feels guilty and needs to turn herself in?
When Tariq showed up to Rasher house how do you think rasheed would have acted ?
Even though the story is over how do you think the family's life will go on
quotes
.
Which one of them
had plotted the lie, provided the convincing details? And how much had Rasheed paid
Abdul Sharif if that was even his name to come and crush Laila with the story of Tariq's
death?
.
"Alyona. It's a pretty name." Laila tried to say this next without wavering. "Your wife?"
"My goat." He was smiling at her expectantly, as though waiting for her to retrieve a
memory.
"A choking noise came up her throat. Her knees weakened. Laila suddenly wanted,needed,
to grope for Miriam's arm, her shoulder, her wrist, something, anything, to lean on". (Houssani 196)
Final Branch, finally
The beginning of the book was more of a cultural shock to me than me understanding the exposition , but as the story went on I started getting use the the middle east's culture. The middle was where I began to start assuming how things would go , and it's also where I began to start getting into the plot. Finally, the end is my least favorite part of the book because it's where it ended and I wanted to know what happens to Lilia and her family.
Important quotes
""Her denying me. You're teaching her to."" (Houssani 145)
"A choking noise came up her throat. Her knees weakened. Laila suddenly wanted,needed,
to grope for Miriam's arm, her shoulder, her wrist, something, anything, to lean on". (Houssani 196)
" Miriam wish he wouldn't do that. hitch his hopes up to its being a boy" ch-13
questions
Now Laila has her happy ending do you think any real life problem that come later like 9/11 could hurt her and her family and which ones ?
What if Miriam didn't have the courage to kill rasheed?
What do you would happen to Laila if Miriam didn't turn herself in ?