Characters
What is the name of Mariam's father, who only visits her in secret?
Jalil
What movie does Jalil describe to Mariam around her 15th birthday?
Pinocchio
Who says, "Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman?"
Nana
What is the significance of the Titanic movie for Tariq and Laila?
It represents their dreams of love and escaping Kabul.
What are the different cultural groups in Afghanistan?
Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara
Who is the neighbor boy that Laila has a close relationship with?
Tariq
What was leads to the rise of the Taliban?
The Soviet-Afghan War and then a civil war
Who says "That he is not…You will not liken that one-legged carpenter’s boy to your brothers. There is no one like your brothers.”
Farbiba
What does the burqa symbolize for Mariam and Laila?
For Mariam, it comes to represent protection and comfort. For Laila, it symbolizes oppression.
What cultural group is Laila apart of?
Tajik
How does Rasheed's treatment of Mariam change after she experiences multiple miscarriages?
He becomes emotionally and physically abusive.
How does Rasheed show initial kindness to Mariam?
Hey buys her a burqa and shows her around Kabul.
Who says "I wanted you to see your country’s heritage…to learn of its rich past…some things I can teach you. Some you learn from books. But there are things that, well, you just have to see and feel.”
What does Tariq's missing leg symbolize?
The devastating consequences of war and violence on individuals and the enduring scars they leave
Babi dreams of leaving Afghanistan. Where does he want to go and what does he want to do?
Leave Afghanistan for America open a restaurant
What major event leads to Laila becoming Rasheed's second wife?
The deaths of her parents in a rocket explosion.
Why is Laila's mother, Fariba, emotionally distant from Laila?
She is grieving the deaths of her sons who went to fight in the war.
“For you…I’d kill with it for you, Laila.”
Tariq
What are the Bamiyan Buddhas a symbol of in Babi's life?
His hopes and dreams
The theme of “love and devotion” can best be seen in which relationships in the book?
Laila and Baba, Laila and Tariq, Mariam and Faizullah
What are the names of Laila's brothers?
Noor and Ahmad
What does Rasheed keep locked in a drawer that shows his true nature?
A gun and pornographic magazines.
“They didn’t make a show of friendship…Boys treated friendship the way they treated the sun: its existence undisputed; its radiance best enjoyed, not beheld directly.”
Laila
What literary device is used in the novel’s title, A Thousand Splendid Suns?
Metaphor – it represents the resilience and beauty of Afghan women.
What is a major contrast between Mariam and Laila’s upbringings that shapes their perspectives?
Mariam was raised in isolation and shame, while Laila was encouraged to be educated and ambitious