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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. When did the United States declare war against Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center?

2. What was the name of Rasheed's first son that drowned?

3. Where is Laila forced to go in order to give birth in Chapter 39?

4. About how long after Laila has been recovering at Rasheed's home does Abdul Sharif come looking for her in Chapter 27?

5. In his letter to Mariam, whom does Jalil say was killed on the first day of the 1979 uprising?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are the themes of virtue and survivalism explored in Chapter 30?

2. How does Laila respond when she determines that she is pregnant in Chapter 38?

3. What is symbolic about the burial that takes place in Chapter 40?

4. What symbolism and metaphors are explored through the death of Rasheed in Chapter 45?

5. When does Chapter 41 take place? How is the atmosphere of Afghanistan described at this time?

6. How is Laila's and Tariq's journey described in Chapter 50? Where do they visit on their way to Kabul?

7. When does Chapter 42 take place? What are the circumstances like at this time for Laila and Mariam?

8. What are the consequences of Mariam's and Laila's capture in Chapter 36?

9. How are the themes of suffering and grief illustrated in Chapter 28?

10. What major political events are detailed in Chapter 49? What are Laila's thoughts on these events?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of grief and war in A Thousand Splendid Suns. How are these themes illustrated symbolically in the novel? How do the women and men in the narrative express their grief differently? How are war and grief intertwined for the characters in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of suffering in A Thousand Splendid Suns. How has Laila come to understand her mother’s suffering when she feels the loss of Tariq? How does Laila react differently to grief than her mother? What does Mariam think of when she considers Laila’s grief over her parents’ loss?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of survivalism in the novel. What are some examples of ways in which characters in the story commit actions in order to survive? In what ways has Mariam learned to survive? How have Laila’s experiences differed from Mariam’s?

(see the answer keys)

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