By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. She wishes to return and contribute. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. It's better. Finally, the book ends during the American occupation of Afghanistan following the events of September 11, 2001. [1] It continues some of the themes used in his previous work, such as familial dynamics, but instead focusing primarily on female characters and their roles in contemporary Afghan society. April 17, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Laila reveals to Aziza that Tariq is her father, and they bond instantly. At first Rasheed treats Mariam decently, but after she suffers miscarriage after miscarriage, he abuses her both physically and verbally. eNotes.com Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of Jalil, and her status as a bastard child is something she will struggle with overcoming. Free trial is available to new customers only. A Thousand Splendid Suns Analysis . Continue to start your free trial. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Women as Protagonists in A Thousand Splendid Suns. Rasheed does his best to pit the two women against each other. "[26] Similarly, Yvonne Zipp of The Christian Science Monitor concluded that A Thousand Splendid Suns was ultimately "a little shaky as a work of literature". This tragedy introduces the other major conflict in the novel: the political unrest and violence in Afghanistan. Like a compass facing north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. The story of Mariams childhood opens the novel. A few weeks later, Lailas own family is packing to move away from Kabul. "A Thousand Splendid Suns Summary". For instance, when Mariam expresses fear that the "jinn" has returned to her mother, the reader must rely on the context Mariam is being punished for breaking the sugar bowl to understand that jinn is something uncontrollable that comes over Nana. Tariq's family, however, moves to Pakistan, and Laila feels devastatedbefore Tariq left, he and Laila had sex. During a drought, Rasheed's workshop burns down, and he is forced to take other jobs. As a girl, Miriam loves Thursday visits from Jalil, who tells her stories of Herat, although she never visits the city and her mother takes pains to remind the growing girl that her father brings her only stories, none of the wealth Jalil describes to her. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. A Thousand Splendid Suns Theme Analysis Lesson Subject: English Language Arts Grades: 912 Timeframe: Four 45 minute sessions Student Outreach for Shelters (SOS) Program Overview This lesson is designed to deepen students' analysis of the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns. Laila, on the other hand, grows up in a nuclear family with liberal ideas about women and education. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. For example, the inciting incident in Lailas story also involves a death in her family. Ultimately, the novel does not paint Mariam as a victim but as someone who neither Rasheed nor the Taliban will be able to break. It is through the way she lives on in Laila and Aziza in particular that Mariams legacy becomes so much more than the pain she endured. publication online or last modification online. [17] A Riverhead Trades Weekly review states that the novel consistently shows the "patriarchal despotism where women are agonizingly dependent on fathers, husbands and especially sons, the bearing of male children being their sole path to social status. At Part Twos conclusion, when Lailas parents are killed in a rocket explosion and she is gravely wounded, the violence in Kabul seems insurmountable. Dont have an account? A Thousand Splendid Suns, a 2007 novel by Afghan-born Khaled Hosseini, is the story of Mariam and Laila, two women married to the same man, Rasheed. Soon after the Talibanwith its rigid, misogynist lawscomes to power, Laila finds that she is pregnant again, this time with Rasheeds child. Part 4 is from Laila's perspective. Rasheed searches for work elsewhere but has trouble. I realized that I had found not only the right line for the scene, but also an evocative title in the phrase 'a thousand splendid suns,' which appears in the next-to-last stanza."[1]. The sugar bowl, part of Nana's prized tea set, features a dragon on its side, "meant to ward off evil." Part II: Chapter 26 Quotes All day, this poem about Kabul has been bouncing around in my head. April 17, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 When Afghanistan enters civil war and Kabul is bombarded by rocket attacks, Tariq's family decide to leave the city, and Laila and Tariq have sex prior to his departure. Analysis "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. and any corresponding bookmarks? Then Rasheed plays on Mariam's sympathy by describing all the horrible fates that await Laila if she's sent away rape, kidnapping, and poverty among them. Rasheed attempted to squash the possibility of Laila missing her ex-lover by arranging for someone to tell her he was dead; he is furious when his plan is overturned. Laila, born a generation later, lives a relatively privileged life, but her life intersects with Mariam's when a similar tragedy forces her to accept a marriage proposal from Mariam's husband. for a group? Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It becomes clear that Rasheed's only use for Mariam is in her ability to replace the son he lost years ago. The characters converge in Part Three and alternate until the books climax, or the height of the tension. [12], Similar to The Kite Runner, the manuscript had to be extensively revised; with Hosseini ultimately rewriting the book five times before it was complete. The box also contains cash in American dollars and a copy of Pinocchio on video. You can do this by starting with something as simple as, "Nana says this when." 9/15. See a complete Character List for A Thousand Splendid Suns, as well as in-depth analysis of its most important characters. Rasheed wants another wife. After the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001 and the onset of President George Bush's War on Terror, which has toppled the Taliban, Laila hears that conditions in Kabul are improving. Sometimes it can end up there. Do tie this specifically to this text as well. Subscribe now. Other words, such as kolba and jinn are left for the reader to determine via contextual clues. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a dazzling masterpiece by Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan-American author. date the date you are citing the material. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Tariq appears at the family home and reunites with Laila, who learns Rasheed hired a man to falsely claim that Tariq had been killed so that she would agree to marry him. She slowly grows accustomed to Rasheed and begins to enjoy her status as a legitimate wife rather than an illegitimate child. for a customized plan. | Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. [1] However, he found the novel easier to write once he had begun, noting "as I began to write, as the story picked up the pace and I found myself immersed in the world of Mariam and Laila, these apprehensions vanished on their own. (including. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. She weeps and hugs Tariq. Contact us A Thousand Splendid Suns Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis Part 1: Chapter 1 Summary Mariam, an Afghani woman, remembers her mother calling her a harami when she was five years old although it is many years later before she learns the word means "bastard child." on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Hosseini does not end their story there, though. You remember that, Mariam." ~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Chapter 1, Page 7 "Look at me, Mariam.' Reluctantly, Mariam did. She mourns that there is no gravesite where she can visit Mariam but realizes that Mariam is never very far; Laila feels her presence everywhere and decides to name her next daughter after her. But that is the emotionsubterranean, powerful, beautiful, illicit, and infinitely patientthat suffuses the pages of Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns. Download the entire A Thousand Splendid Suns study guide as a printable PDF! The Taliban come to power, and strict laws are placed on women. In the beginning, she has a childish crush on her friend Tariq. Purchasing The tension between Mariam and Laila thus lifts; Mariam appreciates Laila for defending her. Mariam, a young girl in the 1960s, grows up outside Herat, a small city in Afghanistan. In addition, this lesson is designed to provide educators with a core . Tariq and Laila visit together over the next few days, and Tariq describes his past. However before they can get away, a bomb explodes, killing Lailas parents. She also could not look at Zalmai every day knowing she had killed his father. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Part 1 tells the story of Mariam, a young girl born in Afghanistan in the 1950s. Contact us As the last Soviets leave Kabul, the citizens of the city have mixed feelings. Over time, Rasheed becomes verbally and physically abusive. Also, include the speaker and context in your analysis. LitCharts Teacher Editions. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Refine any search. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. on 50-99 accounts. A few days later, Laila's parents decide to leave Afghanistan as well, but as they are packing a rocket hits their house, killing Laila's parents and wounding her. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. [1], Hosseini visited Afghanistan in 2003, and "heard so many stories about what happened to women, the tragedies that they had endured, the difficulties, the gender-based violence that they had suffered, the discrimination, the being barred from active life during the Taliban, having their movement restricted, being banned essentially from practicing their legal, social rights, political rights". 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