A Thousand Splendid Suns

Question 1

Like a _____ ______ that points North, a mans accusing finger always ___ __ _______

Answer 1

Compass needle

Finds a woman

Question 2

There is ____ ____, only one skill a woman like oh and me need in life, and they don’t teach it in school… Only one skill. ____ ____ ____: ____. _____.

Answer 2

Only one

And it’s this: tahamul. Endure.

Question 3

Society has no chance of success if ___ _____ ___ ________, Laila, ___ ____

Answer 3

It’s women are uneducated

No chance

Question 4

There isn’t a court in this godforsaken country that will ____ ___ ____ ___ ____ __ ____ ____ To Mariam ___, then to her and you last.

Answer 4

Hold me accountable for what I still do

First

Question 5

Everybody wants ___ ___ ____ ___ ___ ____. But there is no Jack, Jack is not coming. Jack is dead.

Answer 5

Jack to rescue them from disaster

Question 6

For one last time, Mariam ___ ___ ___ ___ ____

Answer 6

Does as she is told

Question 7

God has made us differently, you women and us men. __ ___ ___ ____. You are not able to think like we can… this is why we require only ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ __

Answer 7

Our brains are different

One male witness but two female ones

Question 8

How ___ we endure ____ ___ ____ upon us

Answer 8

Quietly

All that falls

Question 9

What symbols are used in the novel?

Answer 9

Titanic, Pinocchio, dreams, burqa

Question 10

What language features can you talk about

Answer 10

Structure, motif, metaphor, foreshadowing etc

Question 11

who is the author of a thousand splendid suns

Answer 11

Khaled Hosseini

Question 12

Describe the structure of the novel, and how this relates to the theme of the oppression of women

Answer 12

Four Parts:
Part one - character driven, although mariam doesnt have much control over her life, during this part, covering her early childhood, she has reasonable agency as a woman, and this shows through the plot being lead by the characters decisions as they are allowed to make decisions

Part two - plot driven, as mariam enters her marriage with Rasheed, and the violence in afghanistan causes Laila to lose choice their agency as women decreases and she becomes more oppressed. She, and the story, become more driven by the plot, as what is happening around her determines what happens to her, rather than her making her own decisons.

Part three - plot driven, as Laila also enters the marriage they are even more oppressed

Part 4 - character driven, the women get their freedom from Rasheed when Mariam kills him. Although she is sentenced to death and killed she is still love and does it to protect her “family” which is Laila. Laila gains her freedom with Tariq, and can drive her own life with her own decisions

Question 13

Define patriarchy

Answer 13

A system of society where the male is in charge, highly evident in the families and marriages in this novel

Question 14

Describe the key mother-daughter relationship in the novel

Answer 14

Laila is like a daughter to Mariam despite not being biological. Mariam was never able to have a child of her own, but once she grew to like and love her, Mariam loved Laila as her own, and treated Aziza as her grandchild.

Question 15

What themes are in the novel

Answer 15

oppression of women, power of education, marriage vs true love, overcoming adversity and mans inhumanity to man

Question 16

How is Pinocchio a symbol in this novel

Answer 16

It characterises Mariam and Jalil’s relationship, as Mariam was never really a “real” daughter like Pinocchio struggled with not being a real boy due to being made of wood. It acts as a symbol to Mariam’s development throughout the novel as she finally becomes a real person and a mother. This relates to the theme of overcoming adversity if you wanted to make it a motif.

Question 17

How is Titanic used as a symbol in this novel

Answer 17

Because like country Afghanistan like the boat is destined to sink as it situation gets worse and worse. This is kinda an extended metaphor if you needed to make it one. Women want a man to come save them, but it is impossible in the world they live in.

Question 18

How is dreams a symbol in this novel

Answer 18

The dream is when Laila dreams she is burying Aziza alive. It symbolises Afghan society because women are hidden and oppressed. Relates to the theme of oppression of women

Question 19

How is the burqa a symbol

Answer 19

It is a symbol of oppression, when it is supposed to be a symbol of religious freedom. In this novel, it relates to the theme of oppression of women because they are forced to wear one, and under punishment if they don;t, making it a symbol of the oppression occuring in Afghanistan at the time.

Question 20

What metaphors are used in the novel

Answer 20

Old man in the sea i forgot how and some others theres a sheet in my folder lol forgot to bring it home love that for me

Question 21

What language features are used in ATSS that you could talk about

Answer 21

metaphor
symbols
foreshadowing
structure
irony
motif
dialogue

Question 22

Give an example of a metaphore in ATSS

Answer 22

One of:
“To Jalil and his wives I was a pokeroot. A mugwort”

“One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls” - (male head of each household is the moon on the roof while the suns are the women of Kabul, hidden from the outside world but nevertheless providing vital life-giving warmth to Afghan society.)

The Old Man and the Sea (the tale of an old fisherman who struggles for two days and nights to bring a giant marlin onto his boat but just as he attempts to bring the prize fish to shore it is torn apart by sharks. Kabul is the marlin, the beautiful prize torn apart by those who seek to win it)

The Titanic (the city like the ship is headed for certain disaster. People are attracted to the idea that someone will save them like Jack saves rose in the movie, but it never happens for the women of Kabul)

Tectonic Plates (Aziza is secretly taught about these under the Taliban rule in the orphanage and tells Laila all she has learnt. They are a metaphor for how around the world Afghanistan can look at relative peace under the Taliban, but deep down there are large cracks under the surface that could cause a massive earthquake at any second)

Rocket Flowers (When rebuilding Kabul rocket shells are used as pots for flowers, representing hope for a new Afghanistan, something beautiful growing out of the destruction and chaos of the war. These flowers are a symbol of hope, and flowers are mentioned as symbols of hope throughout the novel)

Question 23

Finish the quote:

One could not count the ____ ____ ___ __ ___ ____ or the ___ ____ ____ ____ ____ behind her walls

Answer 23

moons that shimmer on her roofs

thousand splendid suns that hide

Question 24

What four techniques can you use to be insightful

Answer 24

Pose a philosophical question

What does this teach us about humanity?

Discuss authors/directors intention and how do they challenge the audience?

Relate the novel or film to real life, other novels, or its genre.

Question 25

____ ____ ______ ______ the moons that ____ on her ____, or the thousand splendid suns ____ ______ ______ ______ _____

Answer 25

One could not count

Shimmer, roofs

That hide behind her walls