AccountingQueen
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BorceBlazevski
A Thousand Splendid Suns
1. Who are Mariam’s parents and what is their relationship to each other?
Jalil is Mariam’s father and Nana is her mother. Jalil is a rich movie theater owner who is an amazing father to Mairam and is a man of high morals in Mariam’s eyes. Nana isJalil’shousemaid until she became pregnant with Mariam. Nana’s life revolves around Mairam and has a strong bond with her because she raises and takes care of her. Her parents relationship to each other is the exact opposite. Jalil neglected his obligation to Mariam and Nana because she is not a legitimate wife. He kickes them out of the home and builds Mariam and Nana a shack to live in. Nana kiled herself when she finds that Mariam wants to grow closer to Jalil. Mariam’s parents relationship was chaotic because Nana was hurt that Jalil kicked them two out of the house to live in a shack and she was always dismissed because she was a single mother that was not married in which was viewed as an outclass in the eyes of the people.
2. What is Mariam’s daily life like while she is living with Nana?
During Mariam’s childhood and daily life she is forced to deal with a lot of pain and suffering from her mother. Nana was told of Mairam’s desire to get an education and go to school but refuses to allow this because she thinks Mariam needs to know how to see what it is like to deal with hardship throughout her life as she did. Nana shows a lot of hate and bitterness because of the way she was treated by Jalil. Mariam’s half brothers would push a wheelbarrow to Kolba and as it was the job for Nana and Mariam to unload the wheelbarrow Nana would throw stones at the boys and even had Mariam join in once but later regrets joining her mother in these actions. Nana is very clingy and seems to want Mariam to herself.
3. Describe Jalil and his relationship to his daughter Mariam while she is still living with Nana?
Every week when Jalil goes to visit Mariam, she can hardly wait to see him so she waits closely to the door. Jalil drinks tea with Mariam when he visit and goes fishing in the creek. Jalil also reads to Mariam and brings her gifts. Jalil and Mariam have a very good relationship, Mariam was brought back to live with him once again until he one day he marries her off to have her leave his house because his wife didn’t want her living with them anymore. Throughout her childhood Mariam was appreciative of her father and admired Jalil.
4. What does Mariam want for her birthday and why is Mariam’s birthday request impossible to fulfill? What causes Nana to kill herself?
Mariam asked Nana and Jalil to go to Jalil’s cinema house to see the cartoon film Pinocchio. Mariam is a harami and so doesn’t exist in society’s eye. Her father lied about meeting her at the creek because of this and since she had never crossed the creek before I don’t think it was expected that she would do so alone to get to Jalil’s home. Nana was mentally unstable and suffered from isolation. Nana felt lonely and didn’t have the emotional support from her daughter so she killed herself.
5. How does Mariam feel about being married off at fifteen years of age?
Mariam found Rasheed unattractive and a bit old because he was a middle aged man. Rasheed’s history of being an abusive person to his wives and children would be another example of why Mariam was not in favor of marrying him. She used to worship her father but now does not want anything to do with him because of his match up for Mariam.
6. Why does Rasheed want Mariam to wear a Burqa?
Rasheed wants her to wear a Burqa because he says he is a traditional man and he feels a wife’s face should only be seen by her husband.
7. How does Mariam react to her seven miscarriages and how does Rasheed react toward Mariam at this time?
Mariam is filled with anger from her losses and blames Rasheed and God but then later prayer for forgiveness. Rasheed reacts by isolating himself from her, ignoring her, and being abusive. After all the miscarriages, for dinner he was eating rice that Mariam had made and he was not pleased with the way it tasted so he grabbed a hanful of pebbles and forced Mariam to chew them.
8. Describe Laila’s parents.
Fariba and Hakim are Laila’s parents. Fariba is Laila’s mother who lives in Kabul. She has two other children Ahmad and Noor. When these two children left to fight in jihad she stayed in her bed sad. She wanted to continue living in Afghanistan because it was the land her two sons died for but is forced to move with Laila when Laila was almost killed in Kabul. Hakim is Laila’s father who was a smart man that liked to read and study. Hakim supported Laila’s potential with education even though a woman’s education was not to be valued. He always challenged Laila to think and work hard. He is a loyal and respectful man to his wife Fariba.
9. What is important about the two Buddahs?
The two Buddahs that are carved in the cliffs symbolize cultural richness. They also stood for security and contentment for Laila.
10. At age fourteen, Laila faces both love and war. What supposedly happens to Tariq, her lover, and to Laila’s parents?
Tariq lost a leg during war, he also was thought to be dead by Laila. Tariq and Laila fall in love and have a child. After being separated from Laila by moving to Pakistan to avoid violence in Kabul he found his way back to Laila and married her after Rasheed died. Both Laila and Tariq along with their kids moved to Pakistan and get married.
11. Why does Rasheed want to marry Laila? Why does Laila agree to marry Rasheed?
Rasheed wants to take on a second wife and goes about convincing Mariam that it would be good for their families reputation and that it is not proper for a young unmarried woman to stay with them. Rasheed takes advantage of Mariams emotions and goes about describing all of the horrible things that could happen to Laila. If Laila was sent away she could get kidnapped, raped, and live in poverty. This convinces Mariam and she tells Laila about Rasheeds plan and concern and Laila immediately accepts Rasheed’s proposal.
12. How does the relationship between Mariam, on one side, and both Laila and Aziza, on the other side, change from jealousy to love?
Mariam’s relationship with Laila and Aziza goes from jealousy to love because they started to care for each other and look out for each other. They both had a common enemy and that was Rasheed because he was aggressive towards both of them. When Rasheed was going to hit Mariam, Laila grabbed his arm and stopped him. Mariam was thankful for her doing this because no one has ever stood up for her like that and so she becomes to get close with Laila and they both raise Aziza and split household chores.
13. What happens when Mariam, Laila, and Aziza try to run away?
During their escape they needed to be with a male relative to go to Pakistan. They found a man with his family and told him their situation and plan. The men turned them over to some soldiers and then are taken into custody. They get returned to Rasheed and both Laila and Mariam are beaten and locked up in rooms. Rasheed threatens Laila that he would kill Mariam and Aziza first so she can watch before he kills her if they try to escape again.
14. As ordered by the Taliban, list three restrictive rules for the men and three restrictive rules for the women.
Three rules for women to follow are one being that they are no longer allowed to be in public without a male relative. Two they must always wear Burqas when traveling. The third rule is women are no longer allowed to go to school. As for men they are ordered to not shave or trim their beards. Two all boy students must wear turbans. Third rule for men was no kite flying.
15. What is the effect on the entire household of the return of Tariq, Aziza’s biological father, to Kabul? How does Rasheed die? In what way is Mariam a hero? List several reasons.
The household has a bunch of chaos and emotions going around. Laila confused about her emotions, Tariq made many connections in prison and has the continuous love for Laila. Mariam and Laila were getting into some serious trouble because of Zalmai’s tattling. Rasheed gets killed by Mariam with a shovel she got from the tool shed because she was protecting Laila from being beaten and choked to death by Rasheed. Mariam is a hero by helping Laila raise and protect Aziza, saving Laila from Rasheed by killing him, and staying behind after making a planned escape for Laila. She suggests that she stays behind to face trial because if she escape with Laila Taliban will go after the both of them. “She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last. No. It was not so bad. This was a legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginings”(Hosseini 370). For many years of her life, the future had no meaning but now in this moment it did.
16. Why does Laila visit the old home of Mariam and Nana and Jalil? What does Laila intend to give her new baby if it is a girl?
Laila visits the old homes to get closure and understanding of Mariam and her past. Laila intends on naming her baby Mariam if it is a girl.