http://quizlet.com/set/148943/
Here they are
Monday, January 14, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
Outside Reading, Week 7, Post B
Well, overall, I'd have to say I was rather disappointed by the novel's ending. Hosseini seemed to realize about 60 pages from the end that he was up no-realistic-plot-ending-in-sight creek without a paddle and started to grasp at the only straws he had left, namely Tariq. WHY? Why would you do this to such a wonderful book? I believe I mentioned this is my previous post, but when an author kills a character, he should be dead. Gone. Deceased. 6 feet under. Whatever you want to call it, they should be removed from the story completely, except maybe if a character that is still alive wants to reference them. Hosseini had no need to bring Tariq in. The only thing that he really brought to the story was the safety that Laila had at the end of the story, but that's about it. Hosseini could have done something out of the ordinary and gone with a tragic ending to a tragic story, but instead he wimped out and went the cliché "everything's okey-dokey" route and allowed Laila to run away with her prince charming. What I would have done is had Mariam and Laila kill Rasheed, then, again, have Mariam take the fall for it while Laila takes the kids and starts a new life. My ending truly exemplifies that "women against society" that Hosseini keeps beating the reader over the head with throughout the novel and creates a unique ending that a reader will remember, not something that smells like a heaping serving of unicorn vomit lightly sauteéd in a stars-and-rainbows sauce.
So, in short, is A Thousand Splendid Suns a good book? Yeah, I would say so. It provided for an entertaining read. But the ending leaves the reader walking away with a rotten taste in their mouth. Probably from all the moonbeams.
So, in short, is A Thousand Splendid Suns a good book? Yeah, I would say so. It provided for an entertaining read. But the ending leaves the reader walking away with a rotten taste in their mouth. Probably from all the moonbeams.
Outside Reading, Week 7, Post A
Vocab
boisterous (317) - noisily jolly or rowdy; clamorous; unrestrained
cantankerous (335) - disagreeable to deal with; contentious; peevish
Figurative Language
"She thought, Volumes, and another shudder passed through her, a current of something sad and forlorn, but also something eager and recklessly hopeful." (306)
In this passage, Laila reflects on her conversation with Tariq and what her life could have been. When she thinks about how much Tariq wrote to her, she shudders and Hosseini compares this to "a current of something sad and forlorn, but also something eager and recklessly hopeful". By this, he means that Laila is sad that she missed her opportunity to be with Tariq, but she is also optimistic because there is still hope for them.
"He sat up straight, and, for a few brief moments, he appeared merely thoughtful, like a ship captain informed of imminent mutiny taking his time to ponder his next move." (307)
After Rasheed finds out that Laila has been talking to Tariq, he becomes so upset that he freezes. Hosseini uses a simile to compare this action to that of "a ship captain informed of imminent mutiny." Hosseini probably chose this image because it both helps the reader visualize Rasheed and helps portray him as wicked and oppressive husband that the reader has come to know him as.
"And, in the end, when the words dried up, the tears did not, and all Laila could do was surrender and sob like a child overwhelmed by an adult's unassailable logic." (319-320)
After Mariam decides that she will behind and take the punishment for killing Rasheed, she and Laila cry and reminisce about their times together. In the end, Laila feels like she can't do anything and Hosseini compares her to "a child overwhelmed by an adult's unassailable logic." This helps reinforce the mother-daughter relationship that Mariam and Laila form, seeing as they both grew up without one.
Quote
"The drought has ended. It snowed at last this past winter, knee-deep, and now it has been raining for days. The Kabul River is flowing once again. Its spring floods have washed away Titanic City." (361)
I felt that this quote embodies the general feeling of the ending of the book. Despite the loss of Mariam, all is well with the world. Afghanistan is returning back to the way it was, Laila and Tariq are together, and the overall quality of life has substantially improved for both Laila and all Afghanis.
Theme
Now that the book is over, I would have to say that the overall theme is that even through tough times, remain optimistic and never lose hope. Laila and Mariam suffered through some terrible events and abuse under the Taliban and Rasheed and lost many of their loved one. However, at the end of the book, justice has prevailed and all is right with the world.
boisterous (317) - noisily jolly or rowdy; clamorous; unrestrained
cantankerous (335) - disagreeable to deal with; contentious; peevish
Figurative Language
"She thought, Volumes, and another shudder passed through her, a current of something sad and forlorn, but also something eager and recklessly hopeful." (306)
In this passage, Laila reflects on her conversation with Tariq and what her life could have been. When she thinks about how much Tariq wrote to her, she shudders and Hosseini compares this to "a current of something sad and forlorn, but also something eager and recklessly hopeful". By this, he means that Laila is sad that she missed her opportunity to be with Tariq, but she is also optimistic because there is still hope for them.
"He sat up straight, and, for a few brief moments, he appeared merely thoughtful, like a ship captain informed of imminent mutiny taking his time to ponder his next move." (307)
After Rasheed finds out that Laila has been talking to Tariq, he becomes so upset that he freezes. Hosseini uses a simile to compare this action to that of "a ship captain informed of imminent mutiny." Hosseini probably chose this image because it both helps the reader visualize Rasheed and helps portray him as wicked and oppressive husband that the reader has come to know him as.
"And, in the end, when the words dried up, the tears did not, and all Laila could do was surrender and sob like a child overwhelmed by an adult's unassailable logic." (319-320)
After Mariam decides that she will behind and take the punishment for killing Rasheed, she and Laila cry and reminisce about their times together. In the end, Laila feels like she can't do anything and Hosseini compares her to "a child overwhelmed by an adult's unassailable logic." This helps reinforce the mother-daughter relationship that Mariam and Laila form, seeing as they both grew up without one.
Quote
"The drought has ended. It snowed at last this past winter, knee-deep, and now it has been raining for days. The Kabul River is flowing once again. Its spring floods have washed away Titanic City." (361)
I felt that this quote embodies the general feeling of the ending of the book. Despite the loss of Mariam, all is well with the world. Afghanistan is returning back to the way it was, Laila and Tariq are together, and the overall quality of life has substantially improved for both Laila and all Afghanis.
Theme
Now that the book is over, I would have to say that the overall theme is that even through tough times, remain optimistic and never lose hope. Laila and Mariam suffered through some terrible events and abuse under the Taliban and Rasheed and lost many of their loved one. However, at the end of the book, justice has prevailed and all is right with the world.
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