A Thousand Splendid Suns

Chapters 1-10

3 quotes, 3 reflections, 3 questions
Isabella Milliken

"The anxiety set in on Tuesday nights"

Chapters 11-21

Quote- "She no longer worried that people knew, with a single glance, all the shameful secrets of her past." Chap 11, page 73

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Reflection- When she put the burqa on, she felt as if she was masked. All of her emotions, her secrets, her memories were now covered. This relates to real life, because many people tend to hide what's on the inside, and when they are covered they feel secure and hidden.

Quote- "To see her, amid all of it. To see that contentment and beauty were not unattainable things. Even for the likes of them" Chap 12, pg 81

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Reflection- Mariam is really missing her Nana (her mom) in this part of the story. She wishes she could be there for this new chapter of her life, and she wishes she could be there to see the beauty in real life things like fireworks. She describes that beauty does not need to be achieved, but that there's beauty in everything.

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Reflection- Mariam finds out that she is going to be a mom, and this is very life changing for her. She now is responsible for a human life, and when a woman finds out that she is going to be a mom, she views the world in a whole different way.

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Quote- "When Mariam thought of this baby, her heart swelled inside of her. It swelled and swelled until all the loss, all the grief, all the loneliness and self-abasement of her life washed away." Chap 13, pg 89

Question- How will Mariam take on the challenge of raising a child at such a young age?

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Question- Will Miriam ever unveil the pain of her past?

Question- Who will Mariam go to for comfort now that her Nana is gone?

Chapters 21-30

Quote- "She didn't understand that if she looked into a mirror, she would find the one unfailing conviction of his life looking right back at her." (Hosseini 151)

Question- How will Laila overcome her self conscious of guilt?

Reflection- It's easy to blame yourself for something you can't control. However, we can not always blame ourselves.

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Quote- "She became intensely aware of her heart thumping, of the blood thudding in her ears, of the shape of Tariq beside her, tightening up, becoming still." (Hosseini 157)

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Question- Is it a coming of age moment for Laila when she says that she wants to experience a kiss with Tariq?

Quote- "She listened to the rattling of automatic gunfire and counted the rockets whining overhead as the house shook and flakes of plaster rained down on her from the ceiling" (Hosseini 176)

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Reflection- Laila is experiencing growing into a young woman. This is something everyone goes through in life.

Question- How does Laila adjust to hearing war going outside of her home every night?

Reflection- It isn't hard to being raised or especially brought up in war times.

Chapters 31-40

Quote- "Mariam was a thirty year old woman now, but the word harami, still had sting. Hearing it still made her feel like she was a pest, a cockroach."(Hosseini 222)

Reflection- When Mariam hears Rasheed call her a harami, it reminds her of her nana. She describes it as feeling like a pest, feeling lower in her worth, which would be hard for anyone to hear.

Question- How does Laila feel when she realizes that Rasheed describes her as more superior to Miriam?

Quote- "The baby had just kicked for the first time." (Hosseini 234)

Reflection- It's crazy how one minute Laila and Miriam were at each other's throats, but then the next there's something good that comes out of it. Laila feels her baby move for the first time, and that's pretty special for her.

Question- How will Rasheed react if the baby is a girl?

Question- Why does Mariam refer to Laila as "the girl"?

Quote- "All these years and still she shivered with fright when he was like this, sneering, tightening the belt around his fist, the creaking of the leather, the glint in his bloodshot eyes." (Hosseini 240)

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Reflection- Mariam had been dealing with Rasheed's bad side for a while, and she still not completely accustomed to it. She still scared of when he grabs his belt and threatens to beat her.

Chapters 41-51

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Question- How would the story be effected if Aziza had been a boy and Zalmai had been a girl?

Reflection- When Laila's kids become obsessed with Titanic, she says this to reference Rasheed's death.

Question- What do you think will happen to Laila and her family in the decade that follows?

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Question- How does Mariam and Laila's friendship effect the way Mariam views the world?

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Final Thoughts

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"Only when she heard him cross the hallway,heard his door open and close, only then would the metal fist gripping her belly would let go."

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I think this shows how truly frightened she was. Her emotions were described very thoroughly. The author goes into extreme detail showing how scared she was..

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"She did not turn to look when Jalil's palms pressed on the glass, when his knuckles rapped and rapped on it."

Why are women so disrespected in different countries?

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How strong is a mothers love for her unborn child?

Whys is it that we trust people we've known the longest?

Jalil can't show how much he cares for Miriam. However, this is proof of how much he does

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I think the Jalil had a serious impact on Miriam, and it shows how much they care for eachother.

Quote- "That's what it is. Everybody wants Jack to rescue them from disaster. But there is no Jack. Jack is not coming back. Jack is dead." (Hosseini 304)

Quote- "There were no tears, no wedding-day smiles, no whispered oaths of long-lasting love." (Hosseini 376)

Quote- "Mariam is never very far. She is here, in these walls they've repainted, in trees they've planted, in blankets that keep the children warm, in these pillows and books and pencils." (Hosseini 414)

Reflection- This shows how Laila's wedding day wasn't as impactful in a positive way.

Reflection- This shows how Mariamis close to Laila and her families heart.

question- How would the story be effected if Aziza had been a boy and Zalmai had been a girl?

Quote- "She listened to the rattling of automatic gunfire and counted the rockets whining overhead as the house shook and flakes of plaster rained down on her from the ceiling" (Hosseini 176)

Quote- "To see her, amid all of it. To see that contentment and beauty were not unattainable things. Even for the likes of them" Chap 12, pg 81

question- What do you think will happen to Laila and her family in the decade that follows?

Reflection- Before reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I didnt have a good view on culture. I was very unknowledgeable about it, I also didn't know the roles of gender equality are so much more effective in different cultures. When you look at different cultures of the world, you begin to realize what you are missing out on and how much you don't know, and this book helps you see things from a different perspective.

Question- How does Mariam and Laila's friendship effect the way Mariam views the world?

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