Prose: A Thousand Splendid Suns summary Flashcards
1- What does Nana call Mariam at the opening of the book?
Harami- Bastard
1- What does Nana say about ice cream?
“The children of strangers get ice cream. What do you get, Mariam? Stories of ice cream”
1- What does Nana say about men?
“Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter. Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam”
2- What does Nana say about Jalil learning of their house when she was preganant?
“he sounded like a warden bragging about the clean walls and shiny floors of his prison”
5-What does Mariam do with stones outside of the kolba?
create stacks of pebbles to represent her siblings and then adds “A solitary, 11th pebble”
5-What happened in the morning after Mariam sleeps on the street in Herat?
-She tried to run into the house via the garden, but caught a face in the upsitars window for a flash of a second: it was Jalil.
-She was angry at Jalil for making her “sleep [ing] on the street like a stray dog”
-On returning to the kolba, she has discovered Nana has killed herself by hanging herself off of a tree
6- Where did Mariam stay after Nana’s death? And why is ironic?
She stays in Jalil’s spare room, and it is ironic because it has always been there
6- What does Mullah Faizullah say to Mariam about Nana’s death?
“You stop that. These thoughts are no good, Mariam jo. You hear me, child? No good. They will destroy you. It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t your fault. No”
6/7- What happens almost immediately when Mariam arrives at Jalil’s?
-She has been found a suitor
-He is called Rasheed, from Kabul, and is a shoemaker
8-Is the wedding more traditional or not?
No, the Mullah has cut a few bits of the ceremony out as Rasheed and Mariam have to catch the bus to Kabul
8-How is their interests in their marriage shown through the description of the ring?
“Her own band was a little tight, but Rasheed had no trouble forcing over her knuckles”
9/10- what does Mariam say about her new life with Rasheed and how it affects her?
-adjectives such as “wooden”, “narrow”,”unpaved”, “crowded” are used to describe the setting negatively.
-She says the space “suffocate[s]” her
-It affects her deeply as she doesn’t leave bed, doesn’t unpack and cries
-She is scared of the other woman at the tandoor
-She also gets given a burqa by Rasheed
11- What does the kebab house represent?
Reflects Rasheed as a person.
11- How is Mariam eating the ice cream described and how is it important?
-she “never imagined such tricks could be played on a palate”
-she “marveled at the bewitching texture”
this represents the change in Mariam’s life, and this is the height of her embracing it and enjoying it
11- What happens at the end of the chapter that is a key moment?
Rasheed forces himself into Mariam that from a 21st Century Western perspective we would describe as marital rape. There’s a lot of description such as “fingernails catching” to describe the forcefulness and there’s also lots of descriptions of how Mariam feel about this such as “shivering”. Also, the whole event is described heavily, shy of graphically, which Hosseini uses to hightlight the traumatising effects of it.
12- Why does Mariam go into Rasheed’s room and what does he find?
she goes in because her cleaning took her there, is what she says. She discovers a gun to begin with, that after she memorised how it sat, picked it up, she also finds a pornographic magazine full of naked women. This angered Mariam as he talked about honour and his dissaproval of his female customers who weren’t covering. She later felt better about it as she explained it in her head. She then finds a picture of Rasheed’s late son, Yunus. Finally, she also finds a picutre of Rasheed’s late wife, who she has a “[feels a] flicker of jealousy” for as she says that she’s pretty.She also finds it weird the way Rasheed looms over her.
13- How does the description of Kabul change on the way back from Mariam’s first doctor appointment and her doctor’s appointment after the events in the bathouse (hamam)?
First appointment:
-There’s lots of bright colours
-snow begins to fall- pathetic fallacy to romantisise Mariam’s preganancy
Second appointment:
-Her and Rasheed then have another bus ride, which is described as much as the first, and defintely not in as much detail and with such positivity, which Hosseini does to highlight to change in atmoshpere and mood.
15- How had Mariam and Rasheed’s relationship changed since the miscarrage?
since the initial miscarrage, their had been six futher miscarriage episodes, which has caused the complete breakdown of their marriage, and their relationship.
15- What event happens between Rasheed and Mariam at the end of the chapter?
Rasheed makes Mariam eat stones, which he uses to represent how her food tastes.
16- who/what are we introduced to in this chapter, and how is this introduction important?
We are introduced to nine year-old Laila, who is a direct contrast to Mariam, and is introduced as an enigma code, as we have to wait to find out what happens to Mariam.
16- how is Babi described, and how is this a direct contrast to another character?
“Babi was a small man, with narrow shoulders and slim, delicate hands, almost like a woman’s”. This is a direct contrast to Rasheed
16- how is education presented differently in Laila’s version of Afghanistan?
-majority of girls go to school
-parents see importance of school
-female teachers
-equality rules for women and men to be equal
16- how is Babi’s statement used by Hosseini to highlight the advancements of Afghanistan?
“Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance.” This shows how views of women being matriarchs of the domestic home shift to educated women with successful jobs
18- How does the chapter end and how does it foreshadow the next chain of events?
Babi says that “the only enemy an Afghan cannont defeat is himself”, which foreshadows some itnernal conflict in Afghanistan
19- How does the chapter open?
By an official telling Mami and Babi that rheir two sons had been killed in conflict
19- How is Laila’s complicated relationship with her siblings represented in this chapter?
she envies her brothers as they steal her mothers heart and she hardly knew them, so she favours Tariq over them.
20-How does Mami’s and Laila’s connection begin shifting in this chapter?
Mami talks to Laila that she hasn’t been much of a mother to her, and they begin to have a connection
21- Where does Babi take them, and how does Hosseini use the setting to reflect their sense of freedom?
They go to the Bamiyan valley, which has 2 buddha’s, and at this height overlooking a large expanse of Afghanistan, they feel free, however, Hosseini uses a hawk “gliding in circles” to reference the fact that wghilst they feel free and the ojutlook from up there is positive, they aren’t exactly free yet.
22- What happens at the beginning of the chapter?
We fast forward to January 1989, where she goes to watch the last of the Soviet army leave Kabul with her parents.
23- What are Mami’s views on Laila and Tariq’s friendship now that they are older?
she says a girl’s reputation is more delicate than a boys, and questions whether he has asked for her hand in marriage yet
24- What does Tariq buy?
A gun
24- What happens to Giti at the end of the chapter?
When she was walking home from school, a stray rocket hit her and killed her, and her mother ran up and down the streets collecting bits of her.
25- What conversation begins the chapter?
Tariq telling Laila he is leaving
25- what emotional scene takes place?
Tariq confesses her wants to marry Laila, and whilst she loves him and wants to get married to him too, but she can’t leave her dad, so she watches him go.
26- How does thee end of this chapter set up expectations for the rest of the novel?
Laila’s family home is hit with a missle, raising questions about the character’s safety and the next steps for them
27- What is significant about Rasheed’s behaviour in this chapter that makes readers question his intentions?
He begins acting kindly and sympatheitc towards Laila, which are two characteristics we woudln’t have previously associated with Rasheed due to his lack of caring towards Mariam.
30- Why does Laila initally decline Rasheeds engagement ring?
because he sold Mariam’s ring to fund hers
30- Why is Laila quick to rush the wedding through?
becuase she doesn’t want Rasheed to find out she’s pregnant with Tariq’s child
31- How does the family dynamic change during this chapter?
Mariam and Laila intially settle into a routine, however, Rasheed flips this by effectively saying Mariam is Laila’s servant, as she must wear a burqa out and cannot be out at all, so Mariam must go and get her anything she needs
33- What pivotal moment of the text happens in this chapter?
Laila refuses to have sex with Rasheed, he runs into Mariam’s room blaming her for Laila’s objection, and goes to whip her, when Laila defends her and rhrows herself onto Rasheed, and then agrees to have sex with Rasheed to protect Mariam
34- What confrontation scares Laila?
Rasheed questions her over her’s and Tariq’s relationship, in which Laila stands firm with her repsonse that they were friends. This scares her about her plan to run away in the spring
34- How do Laila and Mariam connect in this chapter?
Mariam drops off some old baby clothes from when she was pregenant for Laila and Aziza, in which Laila thanks her, and in turn, Marima thanks her for defedning her against Rasheed the other night. They both agree to have some chai on the orch and have a long conversation. This starts a series of many nights of them enjoying each other’s comapny whilst chatting.
35- How does Mariam feel at being asked to join Laila and Aziza in escaping?
Thrilled, and she begins to think positively abour her future for the frist time in years.
36- What happens at the police station?
Both of them stuggle to make their story sound legitmate, causing them to be returned to Rasheed, who is beyond furious. He beats Laila and locks her and Aziza into Mariam’s bedroom, before beating Mariam and dragging her to the shed. When he agrees to let them out, he warns Laila that he will make her watch him kill Mariam and Aziza if they try to escape again. This is significant as it predates when the Taliban take over Afghanistan in the novel.
38- What does Laila feel about the Taliban rule?
relief that her father isn’t alive to see it
39- How does Hossieni demonstrate the effects of the Taliban’s rule on women in this chapter?
By showing when women go to the nearest hospital (i.e.- Laila is in labour), they cannot go to the nearest hospital, as it is guarded by soldiers claiming that the hospital is for men only, and there is only one hospital for women, which has run out of resources, which the soldiers don’t care about and threaten to shoot if anyone causes a fuss. At the only women-only hospital, it’s dirty and unsanitary, and with haivng no resources, Laila will have to undergo a caesarian with no anesthesia. Hosseini also highlights the underground rapidly growing movement of women turning against the Taliban as the surgeon removes her burqa to perform the operation, having a nurse on lookout at the door.
40- What idea does Rasheed present to Laila that she strongly oppose?
That Aziza becomes a street beggar
41- What events happens, causing a big shift for the family?
Rasheed’s shoe store burns down
41- What does Mariam try to do to help the situation, which ends up backfiring?
She goes to a hotel with Rasheed to ring Jalil for financial support, only to find out he is dead, and then relfects on when he came to see her all those years ago and she ignored him and she feels regretful
45- What does Rasheed do after te discovery that Tariq has been round to their house to see Laila?
He sends Zalami upstairs and begin beating Laila, and Mariam has this rush of anger and frustration at Rasheed, and her life in general, questioning what had her or Laila done to deserve this? Mariam sees a glint in Rasheed’s eyes, showing her he has murder on his mind, and she rushes out to the shed to grab the shovel, and hits him over the head with it, realising it’s now or never, she does it again and kills Rasheed.
46- What do Mariam and Laila do after realising the gravity of the situation?
Move Rasheed’s body to the tool shed so Zalami and Aziza wont see.
46- What does Mariam plan that Laila initially agrees to, before finding out her true meaning?
Mariam plans for Laila, Aziza and Zalamai to all run away with Tariq to start a new life, however, in turn Mariam plans to turn herself in and held herself responsible for Rasheed’s death.
47- What happens at Mariam’s trial?
she declines her right to witnesses and the middle judge says he feels compassionate for Mariam, however, but that only Allah can forgive sins.
47- The final moments of Mariam’s life
she begins to cry in the wagon transporting to the stadium for her death sentence, and the solider accompanying her comforts her., She wishes for more of live and for a chance to watch Aziza grow up, however, she dies with no regrets. She says a short prayer before she is shot.
48- How does Laila’s life change when she leaves the kolba?
We skip to present day, showing how their whirlwind travels are so positive, they al roll into one, unlike the tortured abuse she suffered at the hands of Rasheed. We see Tariq, Laila, Aziza and Zalamai all living happy in Pakistan, and learn that Laila and Tariq got married on their first day there together. Laila informs Aziza that Tariq is her biological father, in which Aziza adjusts quite quickly, however, Zalamai is a lot more resentful of this change, takes longer to warm to Tariq and at the beginning, constantly asks when Rasheed is coming to see him.
49- As the four of them begin to adjust to each other and learn to embrace this change, what international event occurs?
Whilst working at the hotel, hey see a large crowd gather round the TV in the Lobby, tuned to the BBC, so they decide to join the crowd, and see the Breaking News of a plan crashing into the 2 World Trade Center Tower in New York. A few days later President Bush declares war on Afghanistan.
49- What statement does Tariq make that makes Laila initially mad, however in her heart she knows he is speaking the truth?
That Afghanistan could benefit from the removal of the Taliban.
50- What does Laila discover on her detour to Mariam’s birthplace, Herat?
She finds out Mullah Faizullah died many years ago, and always hoped Mariam would come back, she then has a tour round Mariam’s kobla, and we see her perspective, which is more alike the reality than Mariam’s infantilised dream version of it. She feels connected to Mariam there. On her way back, Mullah Faizullah’s son, Hamza, gives her a box that Jalil left her there many years ago, and Mariam takes it back to the hotel room with her, and iside discovers a VCR tape of Pinochio, the Western film Mariam wantwd to watch at Jalil’s cinema all those years ago, a letter in which Jalil apologises and discusses how in the sack attached there is Mariam’s portion of inheritance from him, although it’s too little, too late. When Tariq and the kids return, she shares the letter with Tariq and weeps.
51- What sign is there that there is still some injustice in Kabul?
On there way to school, Lail and the kids almost get run over by a former warlord’s truck, showing how people who have caused destruction still get to live their life freely.
51- What is a symbol of hope in the final chapter?
Laila is pregnant as she teaches at a school, showing rebirth and renewal, but her with the people she loves doing something she loves, also in her father’s legacy. She feels connected to Mariam and knows if she has a girl, they will be called Mariam.
