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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. Chapter 36 begins in the spring of what year?

2. How much money does Laila hope to steal from Rasheed before she runs away in Chapter 34?

3. Who brings Mariam, Laila, and Aziza home after their failed attempt to run away in Chapter 36?

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

5. Where does Laila plan to take a bus to from Kabul when she runs away in Chapter 34?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How would you describe Laila's greatest struggle in Chapter 42? How does Laila's suffering influence your opinion of her character?

3. How have the politics of Afghanistan changed in Chapter 37? What new regulations are announced?

4. How are the conditions described when Laila gives birth in Chapter 39? Where does Laila give birth?

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

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

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

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

9. How would you describe the ending of the novel? Do you think the novel ends on a hopeful note? Why or why not?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of friendship, education, and family in the novel. What does “family” mean to Laila? What does it mean to Mariam? What is the meaning of Laila’s friendship to Tariq? How important is it to her? Why does Laila’s father believe in women’s education?

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 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?

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