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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What name is used in Chapter 21 to describe the Afghan Pashtun wanderers that are primarily from the Ghilzai tribal confederacy?

2. Who is the boy that shoots Laila with the water gun in Chapter 17?

3. Who had supposedly overseen the burial of Fariba's sons, according to the messenger that relates their death?

4. What color is the burqa that Rasheed gives to Mariam in Chapter 10?

5. What does "Shahr-e-Zohak" translate to in English?

Short Essay Questions

1. What leads to the change in Fariba's behavior in Chapter 23? How does her behavior change?

2. When does Chapter 23 take place? What is the political atmosphere like in Afghanistan at this time?

3. How is the wedding ceremony described in Chapter 8? Who is present for the wedding?

4. How would you describe Mariam's introduction to married life in Chapter 9?

5. What political even does Laila's family witness in Chapter 22? What do they make of this affair?

6. What discrepancy is seen between Nana's and Jalil's descriptions of Mariam's birth in Chapter 2?

7. When does Chapter 21 take place? What is the political atmosphere like in Afghanistan at this time?

8. What news is delivered to Laila's family in Chapter 19? How does Laila's mother handle this information?

9. How is Laila's relationship with Tariq described in Chapter 18? How does Laila feel about Tariq's family?

10. How has Mariam adjusted to married life by the beginning of Chapter 11?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss marriage customs within Muslim society and girls’ education in Afghanistan in the 1960s and 1970s. Jalil has three wives in the novel. How common is it for Muslim men to have more than one wife? What customs surround marriage and courtship in Afghanistan, particularly in the 1960s?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the themes of hope, history, and love in A Thousand Splendid Suns. What symbolism supports these themes in the narrative? How does the novel’s title connect to these themes? How do these themes relate to one another?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the history, implementation, and tenets of Shari'a Law in Afghanistan. When in Afghanistan’s history was the wearing of burqas first enforced? What limitations do women face regarding travel under Shari’a Law? How does this enforcement play a role in the actions of Mariam and Laila in the story?

(see the answer keys)

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