A Thousand Splendid Suns, Part IV (Chs. 48-51)

Use these questions to guide your reading/review of Part IV of Suns:

1) How does Laila's life in Murree contrast with her life in Kabul?

2) Why is Laila afraid to hope for peace in Afghanistan, after the U.S. war on the Taliban is over?

3) What forces tug on Laila to return to Afghanistan?

4) How does the letter of Mariam's father show his character? Does it redeem him in some way? In what ways is it ironic?

5) What is fitting about Laila's return to Kabul and her work at the orphanage?

6) How has Mariam become a symbol of Kabul for Laila?

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Part III (Chs. 27-47)

Use these questions to guide your reading/review of Part III of Suns

1) What are Rasheed's motives for taking care of Laila?

2) How has U.S. foreign policy led to the continuing chaos in Afghanistan?

3) What are Laila's motives for the decision she makes regarding marrying Rasheed?

4) What is the effect on Laila of wearing a burqa?

5) What is the significance of Mariam and Laila having tea together?

6) How does the presence of the Taliban in Kabul affect Rasheed differently from Laila?

7) What does Mariam come to understand about motherhood?

8) How do both Zalmai and Aziza demonstrate that they are conforming to their gender roles in their culture?

9) Is Mariam justified in her act? How is this a kind of fulfillment for Mariam?

10) How does Mariam show that she has grown into a woman of strong character at the end of Part III? How does she find peace?

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Part II (Chs. 16-26)

Use these questions to guide your reading/review of Part II of Suns:

1) In this section we are introduced to young Laila and her family. What were Laila's parents like when they were young? How and why have they changed? How does their relationship affect Laila?

2) Why does Laila's father believe in the importance of education for women? (You may also want to research the history of educational opportunities for females in Afghanistan.)

3) What is wrong with Laila's mother?

4) What is Tariq's disability? How does he deal with his disability? What does this show about his character?

5) How is Laila's family affected by the deaths of their two sons?

6) What is the role of religion in the novel? Does it provide any consolation to the people?

7) Why does Laila's father take her to see the two Buddhas at Bamiyan?

8) How does the relationship of Laila and Tariq change?

9) What is the impact of the Soviet withdrawal on the citizens of Kabul?

10) What finally convinces Laila's mother to leave Kabul?

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Part I (Chs. 1-15)

Use these questions to guide your reading of Part I of Suns:

1) The novel opens with a curse word, uttered in frustration by Mariam's mother, when Mariam breaks a treasured heirloom. What does Mariam's memory of this suggest about her sense of herself and her relationship with her mother? How does this opening set the tone for the novel?

2) Jalil is a complex character. Does he love his daughter? How does he show his love? How does he show that he does not fully recognize her as his daughter? Why does he treat her as he does?

3) Why does Mariam ask her father to take her to the cinema for her 15th birthday present? What does she want?

4) Why does Mariam finally say "yes" in the marriage ceremony to Rasheed? What does Mariam realize about her father? How does that make her feel? Does this explain why she goes along with the marriage to Rasheed?

5) What are Rasheed's reasons for making Mariam wear a burqa and what do they tell us about his ideas about his role as a husband and man and his expectations for Mariam?

6) Mariam learns some of her husbands' history when she looks inside the drawers in his room. Why does she rationalize about what she sees?

7) Why does Rasheed want a boy? How might life have been different for the family if Mariam could have had a baby?

SUMMER BLOG ASSIGNMENT #2--DUE THURSDAY, JULY 14; RESPONSE IS REQUIRED

We will post a required response for both 1984 and SUNS so that everyone can start to really think about the significance of these novels before classes begin. If you have any questions or feel confused about parts of the novel, you should absolutely include that in your response. The purpose is to help guide you through this reading (and for some to save you from yourselves and encourage you to get that required reading finished on time). The TWO parts of this required response are listed below.

1) Please respond to one of the following using supporting details from the novel to support your answer.

2) Please respond to the comments of another student. What specifically about their comments interest you? Do you agree or disagree, and most importantly….why?

****YOU MUST COMPLETE BOTH 1) AND 2) ABOVE! A FEW SENTENCES ARE SUFFICIENT.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FOR RESPONSE
I. Besides Winston, whom do you think is the most significant/ interesting character? Why?

II. What do you think is the significance of the novel’s ending? What is Orwell’s message by ending this way?

III. Compare some aspect of the society in the novel to American society today (or in the last decade)? Are there any surprising similarities? (Differences are plentiful and obvious, so if you choose this question focus on similarities).

PLEASE AVOID REPETITION. IF OTHERS HAVE ALREADY SAID WHAT YOU ARE THINKING, CHOOSE A DIFFERENT QUESTION FOR RESPONSE, CHOOSE A DIFFERENT ANGLE ON THAT QUESTION, OR COME UP WITH A TOPIC OF YOUR OWN FOR RESPONSE. (THESE QUESTIONS ARE JUST A GUIDE…..IF YOU WISH TO RESPOND TO ANTOHER ASPECT OF THE NOVEL, FEEL FREE TO INTRODUCE A NEW TOPIC.)

The following quotes are from 1984. Can you identify the speaker? (Hint.....you'll have to on the test! THIS IS A SAMPLING FROM THE QUOTE IDENTIFICATION SECTION.)

“It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words. Of course the great wastage is in the verbs and adjectives, but there are hundreds of nouns that can be got rid of as well.”

“Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement’s. That was a rhyme we had when I was a little boy. How it goes on, I don’t remember, but I do know it ended up, Here comes a candle to light you to bed, Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.”

“The rhyme was ‘rod.’ Do you realize that there are only twelve rhymes to ‘rod’ in the entire language? For days I had racked my brains. There was no other rhyme.”

“You are the last man…You are the guardian of the human spirit. You shall see yourself as you are.”

1984 part III-- Look for a REQUIRED RESPONSE post coming soon!

You should now be finished with 1984. Here are some questions to consider. They are taken from the upcoming test you will see during the first week of classes.

1. Why is it impossible for Winston to tell what time of day it is in the Ministry of Love?
2. Of what does everyone in Winston's cell seem to be dying?
3. Describe O'Brien's actions in the Ministry of Love. What is his ultimate goal?
4. What does O'Brien say is the difference between the Party killing its members and the Catholic Inquisition of the Middle Ages?
5. Why does O'Brien say the Party seeks power?
6. What is the meaning of the term "crimestop"?
7. What happens in room 101?
8. Describe the events after Winston is released. What ultimately happens to him?
9. What do you think is Orwell's overall message(s) in this novel?

HAVE A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! WE WILL OFFER A MEETING TIME SOON FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE NOVEL.