Reference no: EM131322199
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS -
1. The phrase "a thousand splendid suns," from the poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi, is quoted twice in the novel - once as Laila's family prepares to leave Kabul, and again when she decides to return there from Pakistan. It is also echoed in one of the final lines: "Miriam is in Laila's own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns." Discuss the thematic significance of this phrase.
2. Mariam's mother tells her: "Women like us. We endure. It's all we have." Discuss how this sentiment informs Mariam's life and how it relates to the larger themes of the novel.
3. By the time Laila is rescued from the rubble of her home by Rasheed and Mariam, Mariam's marriage has become a miserable existence of neglect and abuse. Yet when she realizes that Rasheed intends to marry Laila, she reacts with outrage. Given that Laila's presence actually tempers Rasheed's abuse, why is Mariam so hostile toward her?
4. Laila's friendship with Mariam begins when she defends Mariam from a beating by Rasheed. Why does Laila take this action, despite the contempt Mariam has consistently shown her?
5. Growing up, Laila feels that her mother's love is reserved for her two brothers. "People," she decides, "shouldn't be allowed to have new children if they'd already given away all their love to their old ones." How does this sentiment inform Laila's reaction to becoming pregnant with Rasheed's child? What lessons from her childhood does Laila apply in raising her own children?
6. At several points in the story, Mariam and Laila pass themselves off as mother and daughter. What is he symbolic importance of this subterfuge? In what ways is Mariam's and Laila's relationship with each other informed by their relationships with their own mothers?
7. One of the Taliban judges at Mariam's trial tells her, "God has made us different, you women and us men. Our brains are different. You are not able to think like we can. Western doctors and their science have proven this." What is the irony in this statement? How is irony employed throughout the novel?
8. Laila's father tells her, "You're a very, very bright girl. Truly you are. You can be anything that you want." Discuss Laila's relationship with her father. What aspects of his character does she inherit? In what ways is she different?
9. Mariam refuses to see visitors while she is imprisoned, and she calls no witnesses at her trial. Why does she make these decisions?
10. The driver who takes Babi, Laila, and Tariq to the giant stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley describes the crumbling fortress of Shahr-e-Zohak as "the story of our country, one invader after another... we're like those walls up there. Battered, and nothing pretty to look at, but still standing." Discuss the metaphorical import of this passage as it relates to Miriam and Laila. In what ways does their story reflect the larger story of Afghanistan's troubled history?
11. Among other things, the Taliban forbid "writing books, watching films, and painting pictures." Yet despite this edict, the film Titanic becomes a sensation on the black market. Why would people risk the Taliban's violent reprisals for a taste of popcorn entertainment? What do the Taliban's restrictions on such material say about the power of artistic expression and the threat it poses to repressive political regimes?
12. While the first three parts of the novel are written in the past tense, the final part is written in present tense. What do you think was the author's intent in making this shift? How does it change the effect of this final section?
Critical Analysis Paper:
1. In the introductory paragraph, write the author's complete name-Khalid Hosseini-the first time you refer to him; after that, throughout the paper, only refer to him by his last name.
2. Novels, plays, movies, books, and tv programs are always underlined; they do not receive quotation marks around them. Therefore, underline the title of the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns. You can italicize the novel's title, if you prefer-A Thousand Splendid Suns-and that's acceptable, but don't underline it. The italicized title is the equivalent of the underline.
3. At the end of the introductory paragraph, establish clearly the thesis statement, that is, the statement that quickly reveals to the reader what your paper is going to be about and your opinion about that topic. Example:
"Through his use of strong characterization and evocative symbolism, Hosseini dramatizes the respective struggles of Mariam and Laila in a society ravaged by war and patriarchal assumptions about women and how despite those struggles they continue to endure."
Note, too, in the thesis the quick reference to the two literary elements that will be discussed throughout the paper.
4. Establish paragraph breaks. In other words, avoid long, page-length blocks of information that don't have paragraph breaks. A paragraph is usually between 4-6 sentences.
5. Provide transitional words and phrases between paragraphs and ideas, using such transitions as "One example", "Another example", "At the same time", "In contrast to", and "Finally," just to cite a few examples among the many transitional words and phrases you can use.
6. Supply a cover page and on the cover copy the specific question (among that list of 12 questions) you're answering; also, supply a title as well (on the same page). Coming up with a title is a good exercise for it challenges you to distill your entire argument down to a clear, precise phrase or sentence.
7. Do NOT use any outside sources. All your answers are to be found in the novel. What I'm interested in reading is your authorial voice, not what other critics say about the text. Therefore, you don't need to supply footnotes or endnotes or a Work Cited page or a bibliography page. You only need to cite the specific page number whenever you draw upon a quote from the novel to support your point. -Here is an example:
In this final scene between Mariam and Jalil, daughter and father, Mariam reveals both her anger and her sorrow at being abandoned by Jalil as she prepares to leave with Rasheed. So when she boards the bus to sit down beside Rasheed, she "did not turn to look when Jail's palnas pressed on the glass, when his knuckles rapped and rapped on it. When the bus jerked forward, she did not turn to see him trotting alongside it." (51) These moments reveal that Mariam's life with Jalil has ended and her new one with Rasheed now begins.
Note: Throughout your paper, use a mix of shorter and longer quotes; the shorter quotes can be as brief as one word-for example, a "harami"-and as long as a sentence (or two). Be selective in your use of quotes: Make each one count.
8. Use either 3rd person singular point-of-view or 1' person plural point-of-view when you are writing the paper. Do NOT use 1' person singular point-of-view, as in "I believe that Hosseini is showing the injustices in this society to illustrate the impact they have on women." Instead, work with the following:
An example of 3rd person singular point-of-view appears in the passage above, the one with the quote, followed by the page number.
Another example of 3' person singular point-of-view is to refer to Hosseini, the author, as in "With this scene, Hosseini demonstrates how man's accusing finger continually puts Mariam and Laila in compromising, if not dangerous, situations."
OR
Use 1st person plural point-of-view, as in "We can see how despite Mariam's best efforts, she is unable to stop Rasheed's growing anger and resentment toward her."
9. Write in the historical present tense rather than putting everything in the past tense. In other words, write your analysis as if the story is unfolding now, as if you're watching a movie, rather than referring to actions in the past tense. Look at the verbs in the passage in point 7 as well as the examples in point 8. Most of them are in the present tense. You only use the past tense when you need to refer to an event that has already taken place in the past.
10. Draw upon specific examples from the novel to answer the question you selected and analyze carefully those examples. Avoid generalizations.
Writing about book "A thousand Spelendid Suns".