Khaled Hosseini recaptures the beauty of Afghanistan, and in particular the city of Kabul, in this novel. He follows the journey of two young women who are forced into oppressed lives, while highlighting their resilience throughout their ordeals: a reminder of the spirit of the women of Afghanistan, in spite of those who try to strip them of their dignity.
A Thousand Splendid Suns Literary Conflict | Have students identify and illustrate the types of conflict in A Thousand Splendid Suns
Storyboard Text
MAN vs MAN
MAN vs SELF
MAN vs SOCIETY
After Tariq hears that neighborhood bully Khadim had sprayed Laila with urine from a water gun to mock her “yellow hair”, he attacks Khadim with his prosthetic leg. After the fight, Khadim never bothers Laila again.
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Laila wakes up after her parents are killed by a rocket that hit their house, finding that she has been saved and taken care of by Rasheed. She also knows that she is pregnant with Tariq’s child, and that as an unwed mother, she will be in danger. Despite Mariam’s objections and obvious, Laila agrees to marry Rasheed to protect herself and her baby.
Laila and Mariam try to escape on a bus to Peshawar with Aziza. However, they cannot board the bus without a male family member, so they enlist the help of someone they deem to be a friendly man. He turns them in to the authorities, who send them back to Rasheed. It is a crime for a woman to run away from her husband, according to the Taliban.