Journal+Entry

Journal Entry #3 A Thousand Splended Suns pg.123-155

Summary: Ch. 19: pg.123-126 The Chapter begins when Laila, a fair-haired nine year-old girl living in war-time Afghanistan opens the door to an unfamiliar man. He asks to speak with her parents, and Babi, Laila's father suggests that she go upstairs. Laila watched from the top of the stairs as her parents recieve the news of the deaths of her two brothers, Ahmad and Noor, who had been at war. Mammy, Laila's mother begins to scream, but her father is silent. The following morning, the women from the neighbourhood come to Laila's house to prepare for the funeral, and the dinner that would take place afterward. Laila was shooed away from her weeping mother, and was left to wander the house until her good friends Giti and Hasina arrived with their mothers. Both girls were solemn, and Giti gives Laila a suprisingly strong embrase and offers her sympathies. Babi seemed to feel very much the same way Laila did, left to wanted around all morning, being told he was in the way. "Keep him away from me." Was the only thing Mammy said all morning. Babi had dissapeared into his study for the rest of the morning. That afternoon, the men attending the funeral went to a hall in Karteh-Seh rented by Babi, while the women came to Laila's home. Laila and her mother sat at the living room entrance, while visitors removed their shoes at the entrance and sat upon folding chairs lined up along the walls. Laila recognises the midwife Wamja, who had delivered her, and Laila's best friend Tariq's mother; wearing a black scarf over her faded purple wig. Even Rasheed's wife Miriam attended, wearing a black hijab. Mammy sat, unaware of her surroundings, rocking back and forth, unaware that Laila was holding her hand. Laila couldn't understand her mother's loss, she was free of greif and sorrow for the brothers she had never known. She thought of her friend Tariq, and knew that her spiritual brother was still alive.

Ch. 20 pg. 127-130 Mammy became very ill with mysterious chest pains, joint pains, headaches, and lumps that no-one else could feel. Babi took her to a doctor who could find no psyical illness. Mammy became very sulky, wore all black and rarely left her room. She prayed for God to bring victory to the Mujahideen, and left Laila to do all of the chores. Mammy neglected her responsabilities, and the reminants of her family. Sometimes after Laila was done her chores, she would crawl in Mammy's bed next to her. Mammy would tell her stories of her deceased brothers, how Ahmad was going to be a leader, and Noor an archeitect, and transform Kabul with his designs. "And now they're both //shaheed//, my boys, both martyrs." Laila 'wished her mother would realize that //she//, Laila, hadn't become shaheed, that she was alive...'. Mammy tells Laila that somedays she'll listen to the clock in the hallway, thinking of the minutes, hours, days, years waiting for her, all without her sons. Mammy tells Laila that she's a good daughter, and admits to not being much of a mother to her. Laila notices the weight Mammy has lost recently, the grey that showed in her hair. She asks Mammy if she'd been considering suicide, as she, Hasina and Babi had suspected. Mammy admitted that she had thought about it more than once, but wanted to live to see her sons' dream come true; victory against the Soviets. Laila is dissapointed that //she// wasn't the reason Mammy wanted to live. '//She// would never leave a mark on Mammy's heart the way her brother's had, because Mammy's heart was like a pallid beach where Laila's footprints would forever wash away beneath the waves of sorrow that swelled and crashed, swelled and crashed.'

Ch. 21 pg.131-138 Babi had decided to take Laila and Tariq on a day trip, although he wouldn't tell them where they were headed, he would only said that it was to contribute to their education. He had hired a driver, though he could ill-afford it. They passed mud houses and the carcasses of Soviet tanks and Laila thought, this is Ahmad and Noor's Afghanistan. This was were the war was being fought, not in Kabul, where war might was well be a rumor. They entered a Shahr-e-Zohak, also known as the Red City. Babi pointed out ancient red-looking walls in the distance. He tells them about the walls history, how it was built to defend the valley from invadors, and eventually conquered by Ghengis Khen. He tells them, "Macedonians. Sassanians. Arabs. Mongols. Now the Soviets. But we're like those walls up there. Battered, and nothing pretty to look at, but still standing." referring to country of Afghanistan after the wars that had plagued them for many years. Laila, Babi and Tariq got out of the Taxi to see two gigantic Buddhas. Laila thought, 'she could live to be a hundred and never see a thing so magnificent.' Babi leads them to the dimly-lit starcase that they'd climb to reach the top of the Buddhas. Tariq finds it difficult to climb the staircase with his prosthetic leg, and has help from Laila and Babi. Babi tells them not to look down, as the 2000 year old Buddhas were very high off the ground. As they climbed, Babi taught them about the Monks who once lived in the sandstone caves. Babi had once been a high-school teacher before Afghanistan had been a communist country, so he was very knowledgeable. All three of them were out of breath when they reached the top, but Babi's eyes shone with excitment. They stood atop the Buddha's head and gazed down at the Bamiyan valley below with wonder. "It's what I always remember about being up here, the silence. The peace of it. I wanted you to experience it. But I also wanted you to see your country's heritagem children, to learn of it's rich past." Babi explainted to Laila and Tariq that some things can be learned from books, but some things need to be experienced in order to be understood. Laila asked Babi if he ever brought her mother up here. He said yes, that Mammy used to be very lively and adventerous. He smiled as he remembered Mammy's laugh, and swore that's why he married her. Laila thought that she would always remember Babi this way; reminicing about his wife. Tariq wandered off to look at the caves, and Babi becomes emotional. He tells Laila how he misses his sons too, how their deaths almost broke him. He tells Laila that he's grateful to have her, and when Mammy is having her dark days he feels as if Laila is all he has. Babi also talks to Laila about leaving Afghanistan. He dreams of going first to Pakistan, then maybe America, 'somewhere near the sea.' He imagines opening an Afghani restaraunt, and giving Laila a good education. Although neither of them said it, they both knew they wouldn't leave the country. Mammy wouldn't leave the country where her sons had died because she felt it would be a betrayel to their sacrifice, and Babi would never leave his wife, although she wasn't much of a wife to him. Mammy had once told Babi that he had no convictions, But, Laila thought Mammy didn't understand, '...if she looked into a mirror, she would find the one unfailing conviction of his life looking right back at her.' Afterwards, they ate a small lunch. Tariq napped near a tree, Babi read and their driver had gone into town. Laila sat with her feet in the water of a stream, and thought about the dream Babi had told her of. She was somewhat glad they couldn't go, as she thought of her friends and how she would miss them. But mostly, she thought of how she'd miss Tariq, and wondered how she could ever live without him. Six months after their trip, Babi arrived home from work with news. "They signed a treaty!" He told his family excitedly, that within nine months, the soviets would be out of Afghanistan. Mammy refused to celebrate with Laila and Babi, insisting that the communist regime is staying and the president Najibullah is merely the Soviet's puppet.

Ch. 22 pg.139-142 One cold day in January, 1989, it was three months before Laila's eleventh bithday. She, her parents and her good friend Hasina had gone to watch the Soviets leave the city. Mammy brought a picture of her sons to hold over her head, as many other people had. Tariq showed up unexpectedly without his parents, wearing a Russian fur hat to mock the Soviets. Laila was glad to see him happy, because lately he had been sulking around due to his father's heart attack, which had left him frail. Laila, Tariq and Hasina went off while Laila's parents watched the Soviets, and Tariq bought them each a lunch from a street vendor. Hasina left to find her parents, and Laila left with Tariq and her parents on the bus home. On the bus, Babi listened to a man who told him that the Soviets would still send weapons to president Najibullah in Kabul, saying "He's their puppet. They'll keep the war going through him, you can bet on that."
 * Later that day, Tariq and Laila went to a cinema where they watched a Soviet film, dubbed humerously in Farsi. There was a wedding scene near the end of the film, during which Tariq told Laila that he was never getting married. Laila pretended to agree, trying to hide her dissapointment. When the bride and groom on screen kissed, Laila became aware of Tariq watching her, and wondered what it would be like to kiss him. When they exited the cinema, it was dark, and Laila was grateful that she wouldn't have to make eye contact with Tariq.

Ch. 23, pg 143-155

Threee years have passed since the last chapter, and it is now April 1992. Tariq's father had suffered three strokes and was in very poor health. Laila's close friend Hasina had been taken to Lahore, where she was made to marry her cousin who owns an auto-shop. She would then move to Germany with him, and Laila would never see her again. The Soviet Union quickly begins to crumble, as every few weeks Babi brings home news of another country declaring independence. The Soviet flag was lowered for the last time, and the Republic of Russia was born. In Kabul, Najibullah tried to reach a settlement with the Mujahideen, but they deniend. Mammy gladly watched these changes, but resolutely stayed in bed until the parade proclaiming victory over her fallen son's enimies.

In 1992, the same year Laila turns fourteen, Ahmad and Noor's brothers in war declared victory over their enimies. Najibullah surrenders, and the various communist regimes that had been in power since Laila's birth were defeated by the Mujahideen. Mammy knew all of their names, but held special regard for Ahmad Shah Massound, the commander that had overseen her sons' burial.

The day after Najibullah surrenders, Mammy awoke as a new woman. She wore a cobalt blue dress, did her chores, and declared a party was in order. Mammy begins to re-organize the kitchen that only Laila has used for many years. She begins to make lunch, and sends Laila to invite the neighbours.

While Mammy is cooking, she begins to notice things about her that Laila hasn't told her, how is has been plucking her eyebrows and wearing a bra, as well as being seen very often with Tariq. Since Laila is fourteen and Tariq sixteen, they have been the subject of the neighbour's gossip. Mammy warns her about the importance of a girl's reputation, "slaken your grip and away it flies". Laila insists that he is just a friend, //rafiq//, and likens him to a brother. She suddenly realises her mistake as a disturbed look passes her mother's face. Mammy was upset because Laila already has two brothers, and they died in war. Mammy dislikes Laila comparing a carpenter's son to the war heroes she believes her sons to be. Laila apologizes, and Mammy emphasizes to Laila that if she is not careful, people will talk. Laila realized with dissapointment that Mammy was right. 'That the days of innocent, unhindered froliking in the streets had passed'. Laila had noticed before, the new strangeness between the two of them when they were out in public. She had felt people's stares, but couldn't stay away from him. She faced the truth; that she had fallen desperately for him. Even Rasheed, the shoemaker, calls them Laili and Majnoon, the farsi version of Romeo and Juliet. Laila was upset with her mother for suddenly raising this issue, after years of aloofness and not caring what Laila did. Laila let it pass, so as not to spoil the party over such a petty thing.

It was a cloudless day, ideal for a party. The men sat ing the yard on folding chairs, and discussed the new 'Islamic' Stae of Afghanistan, as it was now called, due to the Mujahideen's plan. The women were in the living room, kitchen and hallway. Laila cooked in the kitchen with Giti, who was no longer the shy, serious girl she had been before. She had met an eighteen year-old boy, a soccer player who she planned to marry. Laila asked about school, but they both knew better. Hasina had said, "By the time we're twenty, Giti and I, we'll have pushed out four, five kids each. But you, Laila, you'll make us two dummes proud. You're going to be somebody. I know one day I'll pick up a newspaper and find your picture on the front page."

Mammy was nearby in the kitchen, telling all the ladies that she was going to present Commander Massoud with a picture of Ahmad and Noor, because she thought he would appreciate it. The other women faked intrest and continued peeling boiled eggs. Meanwhile, Tariq wanders in and out of the kitchen, being shooed away. He seems to enjoy the attention of his masculinity not being welcome among many females. Laila tried not to look at him, so as not to provide fodder of the woman's gossip. She thinks back to a dream she had, her face and Tariq's together in a mirror beneath a soft, green veil. Tariq stood almost a foot taller than Laila, he had a lean, angular face. His shoulders had broadened, and he wore story-sleeve shirts to show off his newly muscular arms. Laila stole a sidelong glance at Tariq, but was caught by his mother. Laila quickly looked down, but could see his mother show her approval with a small, knowing smile.

After the meals were served, Tariq motioned to Laila with his head and slipped out the door. Laila waits five minutes, then finds him three houses down, leaning agaist the wall of an entrance to a narrow alley, smoking a cigarette. He had picked up this habit, as well as many others from his new friends that Laila dispised. She tells him that it's bad for him, but he replies that he does it for the girls who find it 'sexy', He accuses her of being jealous, which she denies. Tariq suspects that they're being talked about back at the party. His mention of this thrills Laila, the way he said 'us', and she pushes her mother's warnings out of her head. She asks him what he thinks they're saying, and he replies, "That we're canoeing down the river of sin." Laila realizes that he has changed the subject from the girls who thinks he's sexy. "You know." He says breifly; "That I only have eyes for you."

After that, Tariq quickly changes the subject to the Mujahideen, asking her opinion. She begins to tell him something Babi had told her about 'guns and ego' when she was interrupted by screaming coming from her house. They rush back to the house to find a knife fight going on between and Pashtun and a Tajik. Laila picks up that the fight began with a disagreement over wether Massoud is a traitor. She watched in horror as Tariq joined the fight, but ended up trying to crawl out of the pile of men punching one another and pulling out knives.

The new government unraveled quickly, a Rabani president was swiftly elected and Massoud called for pease and patience. The Mujahideen lost their commen enemy and fell back into the tribes, finding an enemy in each other. Rockets began to rain down on Kabul, people ran for cover. Mammy did, literally. She changes into black and climbed back into bed.

Questions

Is the language in the novel difficult or easy? GIve examples and explain. The language used in //A Thousand Splendid Suns// is fairly easy. Although the novel is well worded, most of the words would be familiar to the majority of readers. Because the novel takes place in Afghanistan, some //farsi// words are used by the characters, but their meanings are explained, and most dialogue is in English. Example, Laila's brothers are //shaheed,// or deceased. Personally, I think the use of farsi words make the novel richer and more interesting to read.

To what age group is the novel aimed? Support your answer with evidence. The novel //A Thousand Splendid Suns// could be read and enjoyed by someone of any almost age group, from young adults to seniors, because the themes are not specific to any particular age. Because of the theme of war and higher reading level, this book would not be appropriate for children. The novel seems to be aimed more at women, because the two main characters from whose perspective the story is told, Miriam and Laila, are both female. Although the novel is set in Afghanistan, the novel is both interesting and informative to audiences all around the word, and gives a realistic look at life in war-time Afghanistan. Politics are mentioned often throughout the novel, so the book would be recieved better by someone who could understand government.

What plot twists or unexpected events happen as the novel goes on? After the long anticipated fall of communism, there is a short period of celebration after the dark days that had lasted for so long. Everyone was happy that communism fell and they could be happy from now on. Laila's family throws a party to celebrate, during which Tariq brings his love for Laila to be known. Also during the party, a brawl breaks out between two men of different tribal alleigences. The commen enemy of the communists used to bring them together, but now with the fall of communism in Afghanistan, they find an enemy in each other. The fight foreshadowed the rapid disintigration of the new Islamic government. Without a common enemy, the Mujahideen fell back to it's tribal alleigences and found an enemy in each other. Mammy once again recame reclusive, and Laila was left feeling as if she lost control of her life, just as Afghanistan had lost control of it's goverment.