A Thousand Splendid Suns
Khaled Hosseini
Overview
Major and Minor Characters
Mariam: From a small weed to strong limestone
“She was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last.”
Laila: Laila was born the generation after Mariam and she grew up privileged.
"Mammy didn't understand. She didn't understand that if she looked into a mirror, she would find the one unfailing conviction of Babi's life looking right back at her."
Rasheed: Rasheed lost his wife in childbirth and his son when he was being inattentive and his son drowned. It can be inferred that he was never really kind in the first place when Mariam finds a picture of him and his first wife. The wife looks uncomfortable under the smiling Rasheed.
"Well, one does not drive a Volga and a Benz in the same manner. That would be foolish, wouldn't it?"
Jalil: Jalil is a businessman with a fairly selfish attitude that leads to him pushing his daughter Mariam away for the safety of his reputation and household.
“Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman.”
Historical Information
Published on May 22, 2007
Media was very focused on the war in Afghanistan--the US against the Taliban regime after the terrorist attack in 2001. The author had taken a visit back to his home town of Kabul only to see women with 5-6 children in the streets begging for food and other sustenance.Khaled Hosseini
Born in Kabul March 4, 1965.
Hosseini’s family had seeked political asylum in the United States. His family started living in San Jose, California.
Started taking up practice in internal medicine in 1996.
In his first novel The Kite Runner the main character Amir moves with his family to the United States.
Significance? Is This Book a Classic?
Authors Use of Literary Devices
“Kabul,” written by the Persian poet Saib-e-Tabrizi
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.
- Foreshadowing
"I'll die if you go, I'll just die." - Nana
- Foil
Laila, Aziza
- Irony
"She felt prized by his protectiveness. Treasured and significant."