These images could depict some of the main plot points of Part II of A Thousand Splendid Suns. While these moments are important, they are by no means the only significant points in these chapters.
Rashanak
3/23/2018 11:27:25 am
"'Let me marry you, Laila. Today. We could get married today.' [/] He began to say more, about going to a mosque, finding a mullah, a pair of witnesses, a quick nikka... [...] Sometime... I fell like you're all I have, Laila" (Hosseini 184)
Darsameer
3/23/2018 11:39:18 pm
Shahmir
3/26/2018 02:22:38 pm
I’ve decided to respond to this blog post because I highly agree with what you’re saying. You mention that you believe Laila is Tariq’s shelter. I agree and I feel like she protects him from a broken heart and sadness in a way. Although Laila’s father is married to her mother, she still seems to be all he has. Laila’s mom is described to have been this loving and positive person, yet after Laila’s dad allowed the sons to go off to war, and especially after they passed, her mom turned into a very depressed person. Not only does she lack as a good mother, but she also abandons her husband. Therefore, I feel like Laila shelters him from loneliness. If Laila wasn’t his encouragement to live, I don’t know how strong of a person he would be.
Mahsheed
3/26/2018 10:30:39 pm
I also agree with you saying that Laila is Tariq's shelter. Usually most people leave the implied fact unsaid, but if they are as close as people say, then they both provide shelter for the other. The fact that you brought up Tariq willing to die for Laila is interesting. It is important to want to defend your home and your shelter. Most humans are territorial when it comes to very personal things. Laila is of the most value to Tariq, so he will go to any lengths to make sure she is safe. It shows how valuable Laila is to Tariq, if it wasn't obvious before.
Kiriana
3/28/2018 08:30:36 am
Zarafshan
4/5/2018 10:43:34 pm
I am truly appreciative of your inclusion of how the theme of shelter is identified in characters other than Laila; this was both extremely clever and extremely successful in opening my eyes to viewing the novel through different perspectives through various character lenses. Your statement "This seems to be almost a defense of his shelter, willing to do anything to protect his home" made me compare other character's questionable actions to the possible motivation of one's personal defense of their shelter- such as Jalil removing Mariam out of his house for the motivation of defending his "shelter" which was his reputation.
Parvana :)
3/23/2018 08:03:49 pm
“It was Tariq who was real, flesh and blood. Tariq, who taught her cusswords in Pashto, who likes salted clover leaves, who frowned and made a low, moaning sound when he chewed, who had a light pink birthmark just beneath his left collarbone shaped like an upside-down mandolin. So she sat beside Mammy and dutifully mourned Ahmad and Noor, but, in Laila’s heart, her true brother was alive and well. So she sat beside Mammy and dutifully mourned Ahmad and Noor, but, in Laila’s heart, her true brother was alive and well” (Hosseini 140). This quote is told from Mariam’s point of view shortly after she learns of the death of her two brothers, who died in the war against the Soviets. Mariam’s mother and father become noticeably distraught upon hearing the news—“Then Babi’s face was white...and Mammy was screaming,screaming, and tearing at her hair”— but the same can not be said for Mariam. Although she does not take the news lightly, she is able to console herself by thinking of Tariq, who she considers to be her “true” brother, despite the fact that they are not blood related. In my opinion,this quote is a great example of how the theme of shelter is prevalent throughout the novel. When a person typically thinks of the concept of shelter, the first thing that comes to mind tends to be a physical place, such as a home, or a building which protects individuals from harsh weather. However, a person does not always find shelter in a physical place. As shown in Mariam’s case,it is easily possible for individuals to find shelter in another person, the way she finds shelter in Tariq. The connection the two of them share is so strong that she was able to take comfort in knowing that even though her brothers had lost their lives, her “true” brother was still very much alive.
darsameer
3/23/2018 11:53:39 pm
I love how you said a shelter doesn’t literally need to be a place with four walls and a roof, since a person can also be considered a shelter. In this situation, Laila’s brothers have passed away but by simply thinking about Tariq being safe, she seems to be able to find comfort and tranquility. Losing any family member can be pretty devastating, but it’s clear that Tariq has that power of making Laila find a solid ground where she can feel secure and safe. However, Laila should also work on feeling confident and secure within herself, since Tariq won’t alway be there for her 24/7. For instance, when he was gone for quite a while, Laila was counting down the days to see him again, which shows that she relies on Tariq most of the time.
Rashanak
3/27/2018 08:06:17 am
I love that Laila’s shelter isn’t a place. She finds shelter in Tariq, her first love. It makes sense that she would find shelter in him because he is her home. He is the one who makes her feel safe and protected, cherished and loved, and he obviously will do anything to protect her; after all, he said he would kill anyone if it meant she would be safe. She spends a lot of time worrying about him and caring about him, and it shows in the shelter that they find.
Shahmir
3/23/2018 08:55:18 pm
“What’s the sense schooling a girl like you? It’s like shining a spittoon. And you’ll learn nothing of value in those schools. There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school. Look at me” (Hosseini 18).
Parvana
3/28/2018 03:35:46 pm
I decided to reply to your response because you made me think about the concept of shelter in a new way. I had mainly focused on shelter as something Mariam sought in a person (Tariq), but I hadnt thought about it in the sense that her mother could also be sheltering Mariam from society. It makes me wonder whether Nana is really sheltering Mariam from society for protection, or whether she did it to keep Mariam from having the same fate as she did. I agree with your statement about how this is probably what pushes Mariam to want to go to school and learn, despite her mother's wishes to keep her kept away from the other people in the town.
Parvana
3/28/2018 08:44:10 pm
I realized that what i typed was completely wrong, because in my response to your comment, I mixed up Laila with Mariam. What I meant to say that it I agree with your statement about how Nana tends to shelter Mariam from the other people in the town, and I think that this definitely impacted Mariam's desire to go out and learn, because Nana wasnt really sheltering her (She was just keeping her from the rest of the town, and i think this is what made her so determined to escape the sheltered world her mother had created for her.
Darsameer
3/23/2018 11:25:44 pm
The idea of shelter can be open to a variety of interpretations, but in A Thousand Splendid Suns Laila seems to be able to shelter herself in her friend Tariq. In the beginning of Part II, we are introduced to the great friendship Laila and Tariq have, and how they have a developed strong bond. One day, when Leila was walking home from school, she encountered a group of boys who intentionally sprayed urine all over her with a water gun. This caused Laila to get incredibly mad, and the boys said,” What are you going to do?” he said . “Sic you cripple on me ? ‘Oh, Tariq jan. Oh, won’t you come home and save me from the badmash” (Hosseini 117). Clearly, these boys are aware of the great friendship they have, and how Laila seems to rely on Tari for support. Sometimes, shelter can be found in a house, or just a friend you completely trust. Throughout the novel, Laila seems to grow closer to Tariq and their friendship may continues to strengthen. But in my opinion, Laila should also work on finding a shelter within herself since it would make her grow as a person.
Mahsheed
3/26/2018 10:23:56 pm
I disagree with you when you say Laila should work on finding a shelter within herself. People can find shelter within each other before they find shelter within themselves. Laila and Tariq are both good for each other in ways most people can't fathom. I don't think think it is necessary for them to find shelter and comfort within themselves before finding it within each other. They are extremely close as best friends, and I believe they can help each other grow just as you were saying with Laila growing as a better person. Laila and Tariq have been friends for a very long time, and they have become a part of each other.
Giti
3/28/2018 11:10:41 pm
I don't fully agree with this idea, but I understand where you are coming from. Laila does seem to find a lot of her comfort and shelter in Tariq and although that's a good thing for her, it causes her to be slightly dependent on him. Especially with her struggle as woman, she should be looking for that feeling within herself. However, because of the state of women's rights, it is very important that she have a man with her in life. And it's even better that she is backed by a man like Tariq who she can trust and who she obviously cares about genuinely.
Mahsheed
3/24/2018 12:25:02 am
“Laila had learned the fundamental truth about time: Like the accordion on which Tariq’s father sometimes played old Pashto songs, time stretched and contracted depending on Tariq’s absence or presence.” (pg 108).
Rashanak
3/27/2018 05:45:42 am
It is interesting how they, yet again, find shelter in one another. This seems to be happening all throughout part two of the novel. It is interesting though that time seems to move so differently without Tariq, probably because it feels like she has lost her home. Also, it is so sweet seeing this young love, especially because they both try so hard to help one another and gro together.
Kiriana
3/28/2018 08:24:10 am
Giti
3/28/2018 11:17:01 pm
This conversation is very sad to me because it shows how mature Laila is for her age. Because of her mother's depression, she has lost her. Her brother's leaving for war affected her mother so much that she barely has enough energy to pay attention to Laila. But even as a child, she seems to understand that her mother is like that for a reason. She doesn't hold it against her even though it is affecting her life. This also demonstrates how much impact the war has had on Laila's life, causing her to become more mature at a very young age.
Allysiah
4/13/2018 04:45:34 pm
I noticed the two extreme reactions that Laila received from two of the people she looks for acceptance from the most regarding the bullying incident. From Mammy, Laila received a complete insincere, almost sarcastic response. Then a few days later when she told Tariq, Laila received the complete opposite reaction. Tariq responded the way that one would respond if it had happened to them. It was like Tariq was offended personally that someone would do this. The ironic part about this whole thing is that generally, the responses would be swapped. Mothers normally take anything that happens to their children personally. This highlights the shelter that Laila is denied from Mammy but granted from Tariq.
Giti
3/28/2018 11:03:49 pm
"Nine-year-old Laila rose from bed, as she did most mornings, hungry for the sight of her friend Tariq. This morning, however, she knew there would be no Tariq sighting.
Zarafshan
4/5/2018 10:33:40 pm
I like your take on how Laila used people as shelter for most of her early life; I agree completely with your selections of Tariq and her parents being her most prominent shelters. However, I disagree with your statement "With both Tariq and her parents, she could shelter herself from the poor reality of worsening women's rights as well" as I feel these people were almost oblivious to the worsening of her rights; I feel instead that they were trapped in the same communist-created bubble Laila was, leaving them all unable to prepare for the removal of her rights upon the end of the soviet war during her early teenage years.
Zarafshan
4/5/2018 10:22:28 pm
Shelter is defined as a place giving one protection from danger. In part two of Khaled Hasseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns, the theme of shelter appears in both forms of people and places; for Laila, shelter meant somewhere she was safe, loved, and appreciated. Her forms of shelter are found when at school, with her two girl friends Giti and Hasina, with her best friend Tariq, and at home with her father; however, it is clear from the moment they are introduced that Tariq and Laila’s father are her two biggest shelters to protect her from life while loving her for everything she is. This is proven when Laila’s house is bombed, killing both of her parents; while barely conscious following the bombing, Laila’s thoughts are described in short, simple, revealing sentences as follows: “Her chest hurts. Her arm and legs hurt. All around, shapes moving. Where’s Tariq? Why isn’t he here? Darkness. A flock of stars. Bibi and she, perched somewhere high up. He is pointing to a field of barley” (Hasseini 195). By having her immediate thoughts after being severely hurt be of Tariq and her father- Babi,- she reveals to readers what her true and passionate shelters are.
Allysiah
4/13/2018 04:32:22 pm
I never thought about the point you brought up that Laila finds shelter in school; but, after reading your response I completely agree. School is the place where Laila feels that she belongs, because of Babi's constant wishes and prayers for Laila to be able to grow up and receive a proper education. School is the only place where Laila feels that everyone around her wants her to be.
Allysiah
4/6/2018 08:26:29 pm
“Then Tariq stopped a few feet from Khadim and his band. There was a moment of consideration, Laila thought, maybe a change of heart, and, when he bent down, she imagined he would pretend his shoelace had come undone and walk back to her. Then his hand went to work, and she understood. The others understood too when Tariq straightened up, standing on one leg. When he began hopping towards Khadim, then charging him, his unstrapped leg raised high over his shoulder like a sword. The boys stepped aside in a hurry. They gave him a clear path to Khadim. Then it was all dust and fists and kicks and yelps. Khadim never bothered Laila again.” (Hosseini 134) Comments are closed.
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