A Thousand Splendid Suns

1.  Mariam was born a bastard child and soon grew to know her place in society.  When her mother who raised her died, she was sent to live with her estranged father, a very wealthy man who had never played a role in her life.  Her father's other wives would not let Mariam live with them, so it was arranged for her to marry a man by the name of Rasheed.  Rasheed had hopes of having a son to carry on his legacy, and upon finding out that Mariam was infertile, he was extremely unhappy and became abusive.  He then married a second wife by the name of Laila.  Her parents has recently been killed in a bombing by the Taliban, so Rasheed took her in as a sense of duty.  As her childhood love is found and comes to secretly visit Laila, she becomes impregnated with his child.  Rasheed believes it to be his child, and becomes happy and loving in hopes of having a boy.  However, when the child is born and he sees that it is a girl, he becomes the abusive spouse to both of his wives once again.  Shortly after Laila becomes pregnant once again, this time with Rasheed's child.  To his approval, this child is a boy.  As the novel goes on, the two women go from being enemies to the best of friends, realizing they have one common goal: to get away from Rasheed.

2.  There are many possible themes seen in this novel, including shame, oppression and hope, education of women, pregnancy and children, the strength of female bonds, and marriage vs love.  The one I am going to elaborate on is the strength of female bonds.  Mariam and Laila both marry into a loveless marriage, and to the same man.  In the beginning they act as if they are enemies, both competing to be the best wife.  However, as time goes on they grow closer as they realize they are both fighting against their abusive husband.  As their relationship grows, it shows that women can truly accomplish anything, despite cultural or religious beliefs.

3.  The novel is told through both Laila and Mariam's points of view, so the tone is constantly changing.

-In the beginning of the novel when Mariam is a child, the tone is sincere excitement when talking about her father.  She saw him very little in those days, so it was a treat whenever she got the chance.

• "Suspended in the air, Mariam would see Jalil's upturned face below her, his wide, crooked smile, his widow's peak, his cleft chin…..Mariam did not believe that Jalil would drop her.  She believed that she would always land safely into her father's clean, well-manicured hands."

-A little later in the novel as Mariam finds out she is infertile, the tone turns despairing.

• "The grief kept surprising Mariam.  All it took to unleash it was her thinking of the unfinished crib in the toolshed or the suede coat in Rasheed's closet…"

-One of the only pleasures in staying at home was the fact that the women had children to take care of, so at one point the tone turned hopeful, as the women hoped for a brighter future both for themselves, as well as for their children.

• "Of all the earthly pleasures, Laila's favorite was lying next to Aziza, her baby's face so close that she could watch her big pupils dilate and shrink.  Laila loved running her finger over Aziza's pleasing, soft skin…."

-During tough times, Rasheed declared that their daughter Aziza would be sent to an orphanage.  As this was Laila's pride and joy, the tone here switched to regret, as she regret ever having entered into this loveless marriage.  Women were not allowed outside without a male escort, so on Laila's trips to visiting her daughter, she was often beaten in the street.

• "She lay on her stomach, feeling like a stupid, pitiable animal, and hissed as Mariam arranged damp cloths across her bloodied back…."

4.  Literary elements found in the novel:

-Diction:  Arabic words such as "qurma," "mastawa,", "sofrah," etc. are used to get a better feel for the characters.

-Direct characterization was used when talking about characters.

• "They all wore too much cologne, and they all smoked.  They strutted around the neighborhood in groups, joking, laughing loudly, sometimes even calling after girls, with identical stupid, self-satisfied grins on their faces."

-Metaphors

• "She swallowed dry spit.  Shifted on her chair.  She had to steel herself.  If she didn't, she feared she would come unhinged."

-Flashback

• "Laila remembered Tariq's hands, soft but strong, the tortious, full veins on the backs of them, which she had always found so appealingly masculine."

-Imagery

• "Ouside, mockingbirds were singing blithely, and, once in a while, when the songsters took flight, Mariam could see their wings catching the phosphorescent blue of moonlight beaming through the clouds."

1976 Open Essay Prompt

     Growing up during the rise of the Taliban, Laila was not like most girls her age.  The role of women during this time was mere obsolete, but Laila was determined to secretly pursue her education.  This was considered to be breaking the law at the time, as it was held that the role of women was in the home, caring for their husband and children.  Although Laila's defiance of governmental authorities in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns can be thought of as rebellious, morally she did no wrong.

Analysis of "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

1. Define the dramatic situation.

• The speaker seems to be male.  As the poem is about a better world, this leads me to believe that the speaker is old and wise, thinking back on the improvements the world should undergo.

2. Structure

• The title of the poem is repeated in the first and last lines.  Punctuation marks separate each complete thought.  The author gets from one idea to another through the use of imagery, changing scenes with each stanza.

3. Theme/Central Message

• The theme is that there is something better to this world.  It implies that we should free ourselves from our polluted world and move on to something more pure.

4. Grammar & Meaning

• Grammar usage such as in the line, "Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow" hint to a deeper meaning that the place described in the poem is a place that you will never want to leave. You will want to "walk slow" so that you can enjoy the experience for as long as possible.

5. Important Images/ Figures of Speech

• "And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun grows crimson bright."  These two lines perfectly sum up the poem for me.  They are both intriguing images, events where anyone would want to be.

6. Important Single Words (diction)

• The poem employs imagery as best it can to give the reader a picture of how society should run.  Words and phrases such as "crimson bright" and "cool in the peppermint wind" contribute to this sense of imagery.

7. Tone

• The tone is encouraging and optimistic.  The author truly seems to believe that society can be better than they currently are.

8. Literary/Rhetorical Devices

• The most important literary device used is imagery.  It is seen throughout the poem as the author describes this new world.  Metaphors are also used, as seen in the line that states, "And there the moon-bird rests from his flight."  This line compares the moon to a bird, meaning that each day seems to last forever, but in a good way.

9. Prosody/Flow

• The poem flows very smoothly, with rhyming words and simple phrases.  I believe that this hints that the better world depicted in this poem will make life easier.

What is is that made Charles Dickens write A Tale of Two Cities?

Charles Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities to portray a time period that he knew best.  He was one of the most well-known English novelists of the 19th century, and "dedicated this novel to his friend, Lord John Russell, champion of political reform and religious emancipation."  During the French Revolution, the people in England fretted that a similar revolution would erupt there.  What led me to these conclusions?


1. The exposition at the beginning of the novel.  The first chapter describes the religious tensions occurring in England at the time, as well as the political turmoils occurring in France.  This validates why Dickens would dedicate this novel to Lord John Russell.


2.  "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief….."  The literary technique seen here is anaphora, as the statement "it was the" is repeated at the beginning of each new thought.  This is repeated to create emphasis, and contrast the different atmospheres seen between England and France at this time.


3.  In chapter five, a casket of wine is spilt in front of a wine shop, and all of the people in the streets dive toward the spilt wine to start drinking it.  This characterized the poverty in France during the revolution, an example of indirect characterization.

A Recap of Chapters 3-6 of A Tale of Two Cities

Chapter 3:  As Mr. Lorry rides in a mail coach with two strangers, he drifts in and out of dreams.  Most revolve around Tellson's bank.  In one of the dreams, he imagines visiting a ghost's grave, whose body has lain buried for eighteen years.  Informing the ghost that he has been recalled to life, Mr. Lorry repeatedly asks him if he cares to live.

Chapter 4:  Mr. Lorry reaches the Royal George Hotel in Dover as a well-dressed businessman of 60 years old.  He is scheduled to meet Lucie Manette from London there.  Believing her father to dead, Mr. Lorry reveals the news that he has been found alive, upon her arrival.  In shock by the news, Lucie requires attendance.

Chapter 5: Mr.  Lorry and Lucie travel from Dover, England to Saint Antoine, Paris.  They enter a wine shop owned by Monsieur Defarge, who is busy with three regular customers.  After Defarge deals with the men, Mr. Lorry approaches Defarge, who leads him and Lucy to a steep staircase.  Up the stairs and down the hall sits a white-haired man busily making shoes.

Chapter 6:  The shoemaker, Manette, is revealed to be Lucie's father, but he has gone mad after being a prisoner of war for so long.  Lucie approaches him, and Manette first mistakes her for his wife.  Telling him she is and of the home that awaits him, he begins to remember his daughter.  Mr. Lorry at first protests Lucie's desire to take her father back home immediately to England, but she is able to eventually persuade him.

A Tale of Two Cities Study Q's

1.  Where does the novel take place, and in what time period?

-England & France in 1775

2.  Describe the journey of the three travelers.

-Making their way to Dover in late November of 1775, the dangerous journey forces the travelers to hike alongside their carriage.

3.  Who does Mr. Lorry meet in his dreams while riding in the mail coach?

-He imagines visiting a ghost's grave, whose body has lain buried for over eighteen years.  Informing the ghost that he had been recalled to life, Mr. Lorry repeatedly asks him if he cares to live.

4.  Why does Mr. Lorry travel to the Royal George Hotel in Dover?

-Arriving as a well-dressed businessman of 60, he is scheduled to meet Lucie Manette from London there.

5.  What news does Mr. Lorry deliver to Lucie?

-Lucie had believed her father to be dead, but the Lorry reveals to her the news that he has been found alive.

6.  Where do Mr. Lorry and Lucie travel together to meet Lucie's father?

-Saint Antoine, Paris

7.  Once in Paris, where does the couple go?

-They enter a wine shop owned by Monsieur Defarge.  Defarge leads Mr. Lorry and Lucie to a steep staircase, which they climb and go to the back of the hall.

8.  What do Lucie and Mr. Lorry find upstairs?

-A white-haired man sits busily making shoes.

9.  How does the shoe-maker turn out to be?

-The shoe maker is Lucie's father, however, he no longer remembers his identity.

10.  What makes the shoe-maker remember who he is?

-As Lucie leans down to talk to her father, the sight of her golden curls allows him to remember his identity.  He keeps a knot of rag around his neck that holds a similar golden curl, which is likely to be Lucie's.

Research Paper: My Big Question

Big Question Research -