A Thousand Splendid Suns
chapters 1-10
chapters 31-40
chapters 11-20
qoutes
qoutes
quotes
"...a look passed between laila and mariam. an unguarded , knowing look. and in this fleeting, wordless exchange with mariam, laila knew that they were nit enemies any longer." (hoesseini 250) chapter 34
"rasheed didnt say anything. and , really, what could be said, what needed saying when youd shaved the barrel of your gun into your wifes mouth" chapter 40
"she lay there, clutching handfuls of the bed sheet , until suddenly , her breath caught. She sat up, hands shooting down to her belly. the baby had just kicked for the first time (hossenini 234) chapter 33
questions
in what ways are women seen as lesser than in this culture that laila and mariam are in ?
predict how laila being pregnant with another mans baby will affect her and resheeds relationship in the future.
what do you think you would do if you were in lailas situation?
this might imply that resheed is beating his wife and not just in a "hes just trying to scare them" matter. he actually wants to hurt them when they make him mad. i think if i was the one in an abusive relationship i would leave so quick. but i know that its not their choice in their culture since women are seen as a mans property.
mariam and laila finally agreed to stop arguing and fighting with each other since they realize their in the same position. theyre going to have to support each other in order to live with rasheed. they notice that together they would be more powerful.
this is important in the novel when it brings notice to how laila and tariqs affair is going to keep playing out. this could lead to laila receiving hate since shes having a harami kid. but its good that shes able to keep a part of him with her after they were not able to be together
chapters 21-30
qoutes
questions
"Giti is dead. Dead blown to pieces." Hoesseini, page 179
"And here was Tariq now, sitting beside Laila on the couch , looking at the ground, hands between his knees. Saying that he was leaving. Not the neighborhood. Not Kabul. But Afghanistan altogether. Leaving." Hoesseini 180
"he spoke through the door and promised that he would come back... for her." Hossenini, page 184
do you think reasheed has any guilt for ditching mariam? how will mariam deal with what shes going through? will she go to her family she has left? Will Rasheed ever know the baby isnt his?
noticing that laila likes tariq , what do you think wouldve been their happy ending if he didnt leave?
what do you think youd do if you were in lailas shoes, losing the two most important people to her?
Laila was the one to make Tariq leave without her since her since she doesnt want to go without her mom or dad since theres so much violence in Kabul.
this shows how laila is feeling about the situation, trying to grow to the reality that her only friend was dead. she was hit by a rocket and then died
most of everyone that laila knew in the neighborhood was leaving due to how bad and violent it was getting. laila found out tarig was the boy she fell in love with is leaving, she lost herself. without thinking she slapped him.
questions
What could have mad Nana so angry towards Jalil? Do you think Nana killed herself because Marium left to Jalils, or because she just left in general?
Does Marium feel like a harami in general? Do you think her mothers feelings effects how she thinks of herself?
do you think Jalil did let her fall? What couldve happened if he did show up to the stream?
"she believed that she would always land safely into her fathers clean, well-manicured hands." pg 21
"for the first time Marium could hear him with Nanas ears. pg.38
"the truth is that around Jalil, Marium did not feel at all like a harami" pg.5
Nana stayed harsh towars Jalil and Marium. Nana claims she would die if Marium leaves her for Jalil. Once Jalil betrays Marium the way Marium did Nana, Marium sees what Nana has been talking about. Jalil seems so sweet and perfect on the inside but all of it is just a show, Marium feels he really doesnt care and that if she just wouldve stayed her mother wouldnt have killed herself. There was no point in leaving if she wouldve known how Jalil wouldve treated her, but she didnt.
Mairum sees her father as pretty much perfect. she describes how she views Jalil on page 21 and its pure joy when he sees him. She claims she feels safe around him, that he wouldnt let her fall , and not just physically
Nana has told Mairum more than once that she is unwanted and that she is nothing. But Marium feels actually valued by her father Jalil. Jalil doesnt syay these things to her , she feels love from her father, and feels she cant trusts what her Nana says
questions
do you think Nana was only giving tough love? Or was she just rude? Do you think the things she would say are significant?
what could benefit marium with staying with her crappy husband? why do you think she dealt with this controlling rules for so long?
in what ways can marium relate to being a snowflake? do you think she is finally understanding what her mom was saying? why?
"she has to think of the other man in her life." (pg.83"
"she remembered nana saying once that each snowflake was a sign heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world." (pg.91)
this shows how Marium thinks about the other perspectives. she has a mature mind set in the moment knowing she has to make a choice rather than make a rash decision.
i think how Mairum still thinks of things Nana would say still shows the grief she might feel from her death. Of course she still misses her mom and regrets the decisions she made in the past. because now the things that she would say are starting to call out to marium
"as a reminder of how women like us suffer , shed said. how quietly we endure all that falls upon us." (pg.91)
Nana was obviously hurt by Jalil. her harsh comments have always been taken out on MArium due to his actions. but reallt all the harsh comments were almost like a warning to how men can be. because marium now feels like one the the "snowflakes" her mom was talking about.
chapters 41-50
qoutes
questions
do you think if mariam had kids of her own would she still turn herself in?
why didnt Tariq search for laila if he wasnt married? how do you think Tariq handled everything?
do you think Zalmai understands how bad of a person her father was compared to
tariq ?
"had mariam been certain that we would be satisfied with shooting only her, that there was a chance he would spare laila, she might have dropped the shovel. but in resheeds eyes he saw a murderer for them both." hosseini 349
"she hears of school built in Kabul , roads repaved , women returning to work, and her life here , pleasant and grateful as she is... unfulfilled."
"laila had not found the stregnth to tell azia the truth. she had toold her that she was going to a very special school where the children ate and slept and didnt come home after class." Hosseini, 314
mariam felt she had no choice but to kill Rasheed to save Laila and the children. she expresses her true selflessness by explaining that she would give her life to save lailas. laila and the children is the only thing mariam truly has to live for.
i think all the good things that are going on would seem unrealistic to laila due to mariams death. instead of enjoying these new opportunities , she would feel guilt since mariams dead.
Rasheed made laila send aziza away to an orphanage since they couldnt feed her anymore , but why didnt he kick out mariam?
final branch
quotes
chapter 30: " laila took grim inventory of he people in her life. Ahmad and noor , dead. Babi, dead. Now tariq... But miraculously , something of her former life remained, her last link to the person that she had been before so uterly alone. a part of tariq still alive inside her, spruting tiny arms , growing translucent hands." (hosseini 219)
chapter 40: "Rasheed didnt say anything. And really , what could be said , what needed saying when youd shoved the barrel of your gun into your wifes mouth? (hosseini 300)
overall i really liked the book. its probably one of my favorites, when i was reading i never wanted to put the book down. i would definitely recommend to a friend.
chapter 51: "but the game involves only make names . because , if its a girl, Laila has already named her." (hosseini 415)
questions
do you like the way the author choseto switch back and forth between mariam and lailas point of view?
what do you think you would do if you were in lalias situation with the harami baby?
why do you think lailas mother values her brothers over her?