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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 had Mariam first heard about the Taliban, according to the narrator in Chapter 37?

2. How old is Zalmai in Chapter 51?

3. How old is Tariq when he reappears in Chapter 44?

4. Who is the leader that has been hung as the Taliban speaker declares victory of Kabul in Chapter 37?

5. How many years have Mariam and Rasheed been married in Chapter 29?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the conflicts between Laila and Mariam develop in Chapter 32?

2. How are the circumstances and lives of Laila, Tariq, and their children described in Chapter 51?

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

4. Why does Mariam attempt contacting Jalil in Chapter 41? What does she discover?

5. What decision has Laila reached in Chapter 49, and what has led her to this decision?

6. How does Laila attempt to repay Mariam for her sacrifice in Chapter 50?

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

8. What is the greatest conflict that Laila faces in Chapter 31?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Mir Akbar Khyber’s assassination and the politics in Afghanistan in 1978. What were the repercussions of the assassination? How did this change the political atmosphere in Kabul? How did this event contribute to the downfall of President Daoud Khan's government?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the political atmosphere of Kabul following Najibullah’s surrender in 1992. How many different factions in Afghanistan began warring against one another at this time? What were the objectives of each group? How were the everyday lives of Afghani citizens affected by these changes?

(see the answer keys)

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