eNotes.com, Inc. But that is the emotionsubterranean, powerful, beautiful, illicit, and infinitely patientthat suffuses the pages of Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns. He doesn't gloss over the horrors his characters live through, but something about his direct, explanatory style and the sense that you are moving towards a redemptive ending makes the whole narrative, for all its tragedies, slip down rather easily."[24]. Complete your free account to request a guide. Laila, though, was reared to be ambitious and to think highly of her own potential. The last date is today's Thus, he wants to arrange her marriage A Thousand Splendid Suns is Khaled Hosseini's second novel. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Social pressures to conform to cultural and religious expectations force the women to find a socially acceptable way to rid themselves of Mariam, who, having no social status of her own and without the help of her father, is forced to accept their terms. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. While they pack, a bomb hits Laila's home, and she is the sole survivor of the blast, knocked unconscious. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. [11], Hosseini disclosed that in some ways, A Thousand Splendid Suns was more difficult to write than his first novel, The Kite Runner. Before Mariam's birth, her mother, Nana, was a housekeeper for a wealthy businessman in Herat named Jalil. Part One is entirely told through Mariams point of view, and Part Two is told through Lailas. Discount, Discount Code United by their love for Aziza and their distaste Rasheed, Laila and Mariam form a powerful bond. This event wakes Fariba to the ongoing risks of living in Kabul, so she agrees to move. [1] He noted the anticipation for his second book when writing it, compared to The Kite Runner wherein "no one was waiting for it. Always. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Laila goes to school and lives in Kabul with Babi and Mammy. [13] The novel's anticipated release was first announced in October 2006, when it was described as a story about "family, friendship, faith and the salvation to be found in love".[14]. After this tragedy, Mariam is for a while installed in Jalils guestroom. The consequence, however, is that Mariam will surely be executed. Part 2 describes the early life of Laila, who was born in Kabul in the late 1970's. The lives of the two women intersect in Part 3. Study Guides. The Taliban come to power, and strict laws are placed on women. In 1978, there is a Communist counter-coup, and the Soviet Union invades in 1979. Her parents certainly never imagined her as a second wife and victim of domestic abuse, whereas Mariams mother would have expected nothing else for her daughter. Subscribe now. Rasheed wants another wife. Historical Context of A Thousand Splendid Suns The novel takes place over approximately forty years, from the early 1970s, when Mariam is a teenager, to 2003, when Laila is settled once again in Kabul with her family. Laila blocks his blow, the first time anyone has ever stood up for Mariam. Want 100 or more? [7] During its first week on sale, it sold over one million copies. For the first time in the story, Mariam takes agency over her own life and kills Rasheed. for a group? date the date you are citing the material. A Thousand Splendid Suns Characters Next Mariam Mariam One of the novel's protagonists, Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of one of the most successful businessmen in the city of Herat, Jalil. Laila and Mariam realize that Rasheed hired Abdul Sharif to tell Laila about Tariq's untrue demise so she wouldn't run away. She adores him. When he was fifteen, his family came to the US as asylum seekers and settled in California. He went through a refugee camp, both of his parents died, and he spent time in prison. The Question and Answer section for A Thousand Splendid Suns is a great Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! He cares little for Mariam or Laila. When he attempts to take Lailas life by strangling her, Mariam knows that to protect the family she has grown to love, she must kill her husband. Laila feels devastated again. For example, Mariam is an illegitimate child with no access to formal education. Though the novel depicts intense violence and injustice, Hosseini ultimately highlights how the womens relationship with each other lends each a sense of hope and accomplishment. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Wed love to have you back! Women no longer may travel without men, and in general just about all their freedom has been taken away. Mariam resents her limited place in Jalil's life; she wants to live with him, his three wives, and her half-siblings in Herat. The novel spans several years and shows the character arcs of the two protagonists as they age from girls to women. Motivated by both lust and a sense of propriety, Rasheed asks Laila to become his second wife. The lessening violence in Afghanistan at the turn of the century offers her a rare chance to realize the other part of her dream, which is to live in her homeland. bookmarked pages associated with this title. Does his behavior seem unusual? PDF downloads of all 1715 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Jalil's chauffeur drives Mariam back home, where she finds that her mother has hanged herself. Born in 1959 near Herat, Afghanistan, Mariam is the illegitimate child of a wealthy man, Jalil, and his one-time housekeeper, Nana. Tariq and Laila spend the afternoon together while Rasheed is at work. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Mariam protests to no avail; Mariam and Rasheed marry and go to Kabul. Mariam and Lailas stories converge in Part Three. Tariq and Laila have sex before he leaves, a choice that creates lasting consequences. Refine any search. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Hosseini best develops the themes and characterization in his novel through the books organization. Sometimes it can end up there. Purchasing In Pakistan, Tariq and Laila marry and finally begin the life they dreamed of so many years ago. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. While Mariam grows up in rural Herat and lives in a small hut, Laila lives in Kabul, a more progressive city center. Renews April 24, 2023 At Part Twos conclusion, when Lailas parents are killed in a rocket explosion and she is gravely wounded, the violence in Kabul seems insurmountable. Born in 1959near Herat, Afghanistan, Mariam is the illegitimate child of a wealthy man, Jalil, and his one-time housekeeper, Nana. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Mariam is initially hurt and threatened by Laila's presence and refuses to have anything to do with her. Mariam, a young girl in the 1960s, grows up outside Herat, a small city in Afghanistan. Struggling with distance learning? The novel was a strong critical success as well, with its portrayal of the lead female charactersMariam and Lailadrawing particular praise. She is a harami, a bastard, born to a rich father, Jalil, and a poor mother, Nana. "[25], Jennifer Reese from Entertainment Weekly dubbed Rasheed "one of the most repulsive males in recent literature". Mariam lives with her mother, Nana on the outskirts of Herat, in a small village named Gul Daman. . Not affiliated with Harvard College. 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. Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of Jalil, and her status as a bastard child is something she will struggle with overcoming. She asks Mariam to come with her and Tariq to Pakistan, but Mariam refuses. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Although Kabul is a modernizing city, where women have greater liberties of expression, Rasheed proclaims himself of a traditional mindset and asks that Mariam wears a burqa. Tariq's family, however, moves to Pakistan, and Laila feels devastatedbefore Tariq left, he and Laila had sex. Upon discovering she is pregnant with Tariq's child, Laila agrees to marry Rasheed to protect herself and her baby, whom Rasheed believes to be his. Part 1 tells the story of Mariam, a young girl born in Afghanistan in the 1950s. The box also contains cash in American dollars and a copy of Pinocchio on video. Their lives become eerily similar once the newness of his marriage to Laila wears off for Rasheed. He later becomes increasingly abusive. After Rasheed's death, Laila is determined to leave Kabul. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Start Free Trial Analysis PDF Cite Share Last Updated on August 18, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. 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. 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. Throughout this time, Afghanistan was subjected to a series of violent, brutal wars and numerous political coups. They are taken to a police station and are returned home. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." "[1], He considers both novels to be "love stories" in the sense love "draws characters out of their isolation, that gives them the strength to transcend their own limitations, to expose their vulnerabilities, and to perform devastating acts of self-sacrifice". Tariq tells her that he must leave Kabul with his ailing parents, and he and Laila become physically intimate just before his departure. Laila becomes pregnant again and gives birth to a boy, Zalmai. After Rasheed leaves for work, the women do their best to avoid each other throughout the day. Marrying Rasheed in haste, Laila attempts to pass off the child as his own. 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. For a woman who has been treated unfairly her entire life and who has come to accept it as just her lot in life, Mariams actions serve as a poignant example of character evolution. View all She protests, but he does not care. When asked what led him to write a novel centered on two Afghan women, Hosseini responded: "I had been entertaining the idea of writing a story of Afghan women for some time after I'd finished writing The Kite Runner. Part 4 is from Laila's perspective. from your Reading List will also remove any Ahmad and Noor, Laila's two older brothers, leave to fight for the Mujahideen in the jihad. eNotes.com Grossman, Lev; "The 10 Best Fiction Books"; "For 'A Thousand Splendid Suns,' a well-timed journey from the page to the stage", "Arts, Briefly; 'Kite Runner' Author To Release a New Novel", "A Thousand Splendid Suns: The plight of Afghan women only partially depicted", "Jonathan Yardley: A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS", Grossman, Lev; Top 10 Fiction Books; time.com, "A Woman's Lot in Kabul, Lower Than a House Cat's", "A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini", "100 'most inspiring' novels revealed by BBC Arts", "Khaled Hosseini, Kabul's Splendid Son (Extended Interview)", "Khaled Hosseini: 'If I could go back now, I'd take The Kite Runner apart', "One Community Acquires 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' By 'The Kite Runner' Author Khaled Hosseini For Limited Series", "Seattle Opera's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' is a poignant, timely tale", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Thousand_Splendid_Suns&oldid=1143972196, Print (hardback & paperback) and audio CD, This page was last edited on 11 March 2023, at 01:40. Laila, Tariq, Aziza, and Zalmai move into a townhouse in Kabul. Jalil then arranges for Mariam to marry Rasheed, the antagonist who will provide much of the conflict of the novel. In the moment, Mariam realizes that Rasheed will not relent, that in [his] eyes she saw murder for them both. Knowing that their husband will likely kill them both, Mariam decides to act against Rasheed for the first time. She recognizes the sacrifice Mariam made and honors her memory by stating that she will name her unborn child after her if she is a girl. A Thousand Splendid Suns as well as Titanic illustrate the life and death the couple faces as their adversities draw them apart. [22] Lisa See of The New York Times attributed the book's success to Hosseini "[understanding] the power of emotion as few other popular writers do". This tragedy introduces the other major conflict in the novel: the political unrest and violence in Afghanistan. Jalil agrees to do so, but he does not come at the expected time. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. [7] Time magazine's Lev Grossman placed it at number three in the Top 10 Fiction Books of 2007, and praised it as a "dense, rich, pressure-packed guide to enduring the unendurable. Mariam, a young girl, lives in a small shack with her mother, Nana, outside of the city of Herat in Afghanistan. Available Nana had worked as a housemaid for the wealthy cinema owner Jalil, Mariam's father, but after she became pregnant, Jalil cast her out to the shack. Laila is close to Tariq, a local Pashtun boy with one leg, and as they grow older a romance develops between them. Instant PDF downloads. The next day, Mariam turns herself over to the Taliban in an effort to clear the way for Laila to find sanctuary for herself and her children in Pakistan with Tariq. As penance for his adultery, Jalil comes to visit Mariam weekly, bringing her small gifts and news of the world. 20% Retrieved from https . The story of A Thousand Splendid Suns revolves around the lives of two Afghan women, Mariam and Laila. She slowly grows accustomed to Rasheed and begins to enjoy her status as a legitimate wife rather than an illegitimate child. From her parents Mariam inherits conflicting views: Nanas, that a harami like her must endure a lifetime of pain; and Jalils, that there is a whole world to discover beyond the kolba. He succeeds in making the emotional reality of Mariam and Laila's lives tangible to us, and by conjuring their day-to-day routines, he is able to give us a sense of what daily life was like in Kabul both before and during the harsh reign of the Taliban. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Get free homework help on Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns: book contents, chapter summary and analysis, and character analysis courtesy of CliffsNotes. Laila, on the other hand, grows up in a nuclear family with liberal ideas about women and education. Renews April 24, 2023 Zalmai is at first adverse to Tariq, but he warms up. Culture Shock When Hosseini arrived in California as a fifteen-year-old, he only spoke a few words of English. She meets with the son of a kindly mullah who taught Mariam, who gives her a box Jalil had entrusted to the family to care for and give to Mariam should she return to Herat. Growing up down the street from Rasheed and Mariam is Laila, a young, intelligent girl from a loving family. In one way, the two novels are corollaries: The Kite Runner was a father-son story, and A Thousand Splendid Suns can be seen as a mother-daughter story. Rasheed escorts Mariam, Laila, and Zalmai to visit Aziza, but their visits become less and less frequent. He comes to succeeding, but Mariam hits him twice with a shovel, killing him. A Thousand Splendid Suns is told through two different perspectives. The violence continues to escalate as Lailas life becomes more complicated. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. 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