Character
Name 3 main characters and their main attributes/character traits
Fadi - Shy, Selfless, and Caring
Zaffoona - Caring, Smart, and Reliable
Habib - Stubborn, Honest, and Respectful
What events in Afghanistan forced the family to move to America?
The Taliban started to attack people and started to take over the country with a lot of war, so they thought it would be best to leave Afghanistan.
What is the main conflict in the book, and how do the characters in the book 'react' to this conflict? Give a quote from the book.
The main conflict in the novel is that the Taliban are trying to take over Afghanistan and the citizens, including the main characters, and trying to escape and flee the country.
**Quote may vary**
“The Taliban is oppressing everyone, with a version of Islam that they’ve cooked up” (Senzai 12).
Why did Habib leave America in the first place? What theme does this relate to, and how does it relate to that theme?
He left with his family because he didn’t believe in violence and wanted to rebuild Afghanistan to bring peace. This relates to the theme of "Hope". Habib had a lot of hope for the future of Afghanistan.
Who is the antagonist and the Protagonist?
The protagonist is Fadi since he left his sister the book is mainly based on him and on ways he tries to get her back. The antagonist is the Taliban they were attacking the people back in Afghanistan as a terrorist in their own land killing anyone who opposed them.
What does the setting at the beginning of the book have to do with the rest of the novel? (In other words, how does the setting relate to the book?)
At the beginning of the book, the family was in Afghanistan. That specific setting sets the story in motion because of the war in Afghanistan. Most readers would consider Afghanistan as a place with a lot of war. If the setting was another country, it wouldn't make sense as much.
What caused the characters to go into a major crisis?
Ever since Miriam let go of Habib and Fadi while trying to get onto the truck, the family has felt guilty ever since she was left behind.
Why did Fadi let go of Miriam when she was fighting to get the doll back? What theme did this event create later on in the novel?
He didn't let go of her he lost grip and she slipped out of his hands and the truck started to move and left her. Later on in the novel, this event created the theme of "Guiltiness".
What is each family member’s point of view of the night Miriam is left behind?
They all feel that Miriam going missing was their fault but Fadi feels this the most because he was supposed to watch her.
What is the setting when the family is in the truck fleeing Afghanistan? Include the place, time, and atmosphere.
They were in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The time was past midnight, at around 12:42 AM, and they were probably in winter because it was freezing. The atmosphere was really cold, extremely tense, agitated, and suspenseful. It was also hostile, loud, stressful, and very unpeaceful.
What happened to Fadi when he ran to the back of the school after hearing something move in the bushes? And who was there?
Fadi ran to the back of the school since it was the fastest way to Lake Elisabeth and was then surprise attacked by two boys, Felix and Ike. They called him a terrorist and broke his camera.
What are some major themes in the novel? Then give an example from the book for 3 of them (Quote if needed).
**Answers may vary**
The major themes in the novel are Guiltiness, Hope, Discrimination, Friendship, and Ostracism. An example of the theme “hope”, would be, “She will be found” (Steinbeck 123). Habib said that ‘with his voice very confident’. Then Fadi asked him a question, and Habib repeated, “She will be found” (Steinbeck 123). An example of the theme, “discrimination”, would be when Ike and Felix were bullying and discriminating against Fadi because he was from Afghanistan. They said things like, “Look! It’s Osama” (Steinbeck 144), “Why aren’t you with your towel-headed friends?” (Steinbeck 144), “Yeah, we don’t want you camel jockeys around here” (Steinbeck 145), and, “You asked for trouble when your terrorists attacked us” (Steinbeck 145). Finally, an example of the theme, “friendship”, would be when Fadi was in the photography club that Anh – a girl Fadi met at school – asked Fadi to join, and she kindly asked Fadi, “So, do you want to be in my group?” (Steinbeck 98). She slowly became friends with Fadi.
Who was introduced later in the book and gave them the apartment?
It was Uncle Amin, but he didn’t give them the apartment he let them stay in his house then they got their own apartment.
Explain and describe Fadi’s first encounter with Anh, his new best friend. Then explain how she impacted Fadi’s possibility of being with his little sister, Mariam, again.
Fadi was walking through the cafeteria of his new school, and a girl named Anh suddenly drops her purse. Instantly, Fadi picks up the purse and gives it to her. She says, “thank you,” and introduces herself. Fadi then introduces himself, and they become really good friends. She impacted Fadi’s possibility of finding Mariam very positively. She asked Fadi if he wanted to join the photography club – which Fadi didn’t know existed. Later on, Anh told Fadi that there is a competition and that the winner of that competition could win a trip to India. That caused Fadi to try his hardest to get his little sister back. Even though he did not win the competition, it still moved the story forward, and Fadi learned a lot of lessons throughout the way.
What did Habib find out after getting a call on the phone at four in the morning?
Habib learned that Miriam was found. Miriam was taken in by a family that took care of her, and then she ran away to go and look for her family. She was alive and in Peshawar.
Quote an example from the novel of the theme “Guiltiness”. Then explain/elaborate on the quote.
**Answers may vary**
“Everyone thinks it’s their fault she’s gone. But it’s my fault, not anyone else’s. I’m the one who doesn’t deserve to belong to this family. I’m the one who’s torn it apart” (Steinbeck 72). The whole family is fighting about who is guilty of what happened to Mariam. Everyone is blaming themselves, but Fadi knows for sure that it’s all his fault. That is why he says to himself that he should not belong with his family anymore because he ‘tore it apart.’
Explain three character traits from Fadi. State a quote about one of the traits.
**Answers may vary**
Fadi is shy, selfless, curious, nosy, caring, creative, a risk-taker, etc.
Curious: "He wanted to hear what was going on" (Senzai 86).
What event impacted all the main characters and moved the plot forward? Explain. State the page number(s) from the novel when this event occurred.
The event that impacted all the main characters and moved the plot forward is that Mariam got lost while she and her family were fleeing Afghanistan. This event occurred on pages 24 to 25. It moved the story forward because all the characters were trying to find a way to get Mariam back. It impacted all the main characters because they couldn’t enjoy their new life in the U.S.A. since all they were thinking was how to get Mariam back, and everyone felt guilty of what happened to her. That incident caused a lot of conflicts that moved the story in a new direction.
How do the events of September 11, 2001, affect Fadi's school and home life?
At school, bullies call him terrorist, towel-head and many other things. Also, some people attack him and beat him up. In his community Mr. Singh, the ice-cream man got beat up, and a carpet store owned by a Muslim across the street was vandalized and all the windows were broken with some bad things written with Graffiti.
Looking at all the examples for the theme of “Discrimination”, what is the main reason why Fadi is always being bullied and discriminated against? Quote and give an example from the book that shows Fadi being discriminated against for that reason.
Fadi is always being bullied and discriminated against mostly because he comes from Afghanistan, and he is Muslim. That is because, in the 9/11 event that occurred, the terrorists were from Afghanistan and Muslim too.
**Quote and Example may vary**
Felix and Ike called Fadi a terrorist. “Look! It’s Osama… Why aren’t you with your towel-headed friends?” (Senzai 144). “Yeah, we don’t want you camel jockeys around here… You asked for trouble when your terrorists attacked us” (Senzai 145).