View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the word "sawab" translate to in Chapter 36?

2. What is the name of Tariq's goat in Chapter 44?

3. According to the laws enforced by the Taliban in Chapter 37, all boys in grades one through six are to wear what?

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

5. What is the name of Rasheed and Laila's son?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. How would you describe the sacrifice that Mariam makes in Chapter 46? What are the consequences of this sacrifice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss the characters of Laila and Hakim in the novel. How does Laila’s relationship with her father differ from Mariam’s? How do Laila’s overall circumstances differ? What is Hakim’s profession? How would you describe Hakim’s relationship with his wife?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 975 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample