Discuss your initial reaction to A Thousand Splendid Suns. What has stood out to you? What do you think of the writing so far? What do you think of the story so far? Make a prediction about an important aspect from Part One. Your response must be at least 100 words, and you need to read and respond (in a manner that promotes discussion) to at least 2 of your classmates.
29 Comments
Corben Davis
1/16/2015 03:26:35 am
After I read the first few chapters of A Thousand Splendid Suns I was interested. I've always read about the Afghanistan culture in history class, but it never went into so much detail from a women's perspective. I was shocked when Mariam was being forced to marry a forty-five year old man. I couldn't even think about marrying someone 15 right now and I'm only three years older than that. The writing along the the story is very fluent, making it an easier read so you can lost in the story instead of trying to understand every word. My prediction after reading part one is Mariam has kid, but with a different man. I predict she commits adultery.
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Hannah Marshall
1/18/2015 04:17:15 am
I agree that marrying someone almost 30 years older than you is weird and a little creepy. Why would a 45 year old man want to marry a 15 year old girl? It gives you a nasty impression of Rasheem's character. The writing does help the story keep moving and adding in the little words of farsi helps the reader learn a little bit about the language in Afghanistan. I was wondering why you thought that Mariam who commit adultery. Do you think that she would be punished if she ever did something to ruin her "family"?
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Corben davis
1/18/2015 01:04:14 pm
I think she would commit adultery because her own mother said she would die if she left her. Even after that the thought of finding her father superseded her mothers warning. Therefore if she finds someone else she really cares about she might not care about the repercussions.
Madison Hoffman
1/18/2015 08:05:36 am
I like your prediction. However, I don't think Mariam will commit adultery. If Rasheed dies or something happens to him, then I think she'll have another baby but I don't think she'll commit adultery.
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Laura Peck
1/18/2015 12:04:27 pm
I agree that it's super super strange that Mariam and Rasheed have such a large age difference, but I also wonder how abnormal that really is in that society. Some families may think that their child marrying someone with a life already established may be a good thing, but I also see how it's creepy. Plus, Jalil's family really just wanted to get rid of Mariam anyway.
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Elijah Brockway
1/18/2015 12:58:37 pm
I don't honestly think that the betrothal and marriage to Rasheed was all that odd, not just with the setting of the story, but also based on historical trends - stuff like that happened all over the world, including, to a small extent, over here in the good ol' USA. I also can't honestly see Mariam commiting adultery while with Rasheed. Having been somebody who was raised as a bastard child and having dealt with all the problems therein, why would she want to make that happen to her child? Let alone the fact that now she's actually married, and would likely have even worse punishments to suffer.
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Riley Burghart
1/19/2015 12:34:37 am
I felt the exact same way. I have read about Afganistan's culture, but never have I heard a woman's perspective. I looked up the background of women's roles in society as time has gone by. Women were hardly respected. I would be dead within a few weeks of marriage. The little respect that was shown makes me incredibly angry.
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Hannah Marshall
1/18/2015 04:11:38 am
After finishing part one of A Thousand Splendid Suns, I was kind of sad about Mariam and her new life and I was also mad at Jalil who didn't care what happened to her. The way Jalil's family treated her stood out to me because they knew Mariam was there but they never made her feel welcome. The little girl who went to play with Mariam was the only person she saw other than Jalil. I predict that Mariam will end up like her father and have to share her husband with someone else. I also think that Mariam will eventually have a baby.
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Madison Hoffman
1/18/2015 08:08:57 am
I agree that it was kind of surprising that Jalil's wives never really cared for Mariam. They have kids of their own so I figured they would be compassionate towards Mariam. I also think that she might have a baby eventually.
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Riley Burghart
1/19/2015 12:38:16 am
I thought Jalil's wives would be compassionate, too. Maybe they were jealous or guilty that they had treated a young girl this way for so long that getting rid of her would just be easier. Mother figures are absurd to me during this time period. I keep thinking Mariam will have a baby by the end of the book. I also think Rasheed won't be around to see the baby.
Laura Peck
1/18/2015 12:01:53 pm
I also thought it was interesting that Jalil's family was hospitable to Mariam, but certainly not welcoming. I want to know the significance of the little girl visiting! There has to be some kind of importance to that. I can see Mariam having children, but something in me begs that she may end up very alone.
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Dakota Cavanaugh
1/18/2015 01:18:45 pm
As to Madison and Laura, I don't think that Jalil's family wanted to take care of Mariam. I think that they felt obligated to take care of her. Their eagerness to get rid of Mariam by setting up a marriage for her shows how much they wanted her in their home- not much at all.
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Hannah Marshall
1/18/2015 01:53:09 pm
I guess Jalil and his wives felt like she was a burden and then she got dumped on his door step. They were ready to get rid of her from the first day she got there. His wives were ready to get rid of her too and by setting up the marriage it was an easy way to make her someone else's problem.
Mallory Harger
1/19/2015 01:15:46 pm
The way Jalil's wives treated Mariam was not pleasant. But it surprised me that they let the little girl up there. What surprised me even more, is the way the wives controlled the situation. I would think Jalil would have all the say, but when it came down to deciding whether or not to send Mariam off to get married, it wasn't Jalil who made the decision.
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Madison Hoffman
1/18/2015 07:45:24 am
It was very easy to get into the book. Usually it takes me several chapters before I become interested but that wasn't the case with A Thousand Splendid Suns. I think the biggest thing that has stood out to me is the way Mariam is treated and the fact that she just puts up with it and never really talks back. She is very naïve in the first part of the book. I really like the way this book is written and I'm glad the author incorporates specific words from their language and then explains them. My prediction would be that Mariam tries to leave Rasheed and reunites with her father at some point.
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Elijah Brockway
1/18/2015 12:55:01 pm
I don't know that I would honestly classify her patience as naïve, although I would certainly agree that her expectation that Jalil would treat her the way she thought were. Her putting up with everything, though, I think is moreso just her realizing that, with where she is currently, she's not got much other choice.
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Dakota Cavanaugh
1/18/2015 01:15:06 pm
I really like your prediction. I think that Mariam leaving Rasheed would be a huge turn in the book. It would show Mariam rebelling against the status quo, and general beliefs of her society. That would leave some room for her to grow as a person, so I think that is a very nice prediction. I would love to see how that would turn out!
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Stephanie Farney
1/18/2015 01:29:08 pm
Her leaving Rasheed honestly would not be incredibly surprising, seeing how he treats her. If it were me, I would too, haha. It would be cool if she reunited with her father too, and I think that is very probable.
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Ian Ediger
1/18/2015 11:40:48 am
One of the things that has stood out to me so far is the way Mariam is basically shunned by her family. I really enjoy the book, even though it makes me want to punch someone in the face. I think an important aspect would be where Mariam possibly hints at a divorce or other legal procedure where her signature is required.
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Laura Peck
1/18/2015 11:59:28 am
So far I have LOVED A Thousand Splendid Suns. The writing evokes so much emotion on every side of the story and still leaves room for interpretations. I really like how the author can change things so drastically so quickly. Every feeling I have ever felt has been poked and prodded at since beginning the book. I love how realistic the story is. I've also had many different and very off the wall kind of connections with other stories appear in my mind. In some strange way, I can see tons of Princess/fairy tales coming about in twisted fashions. Rapunzel (almost reversed) at the beginning. Sleeping Beauty in a very detached way, somewhat Snow White and I'm sure a million others if I sat down to think about it. I'm sure these are a super far stretch- but that's how I enjoy reading it! I almost wonder if Mariam is going to end up like her mother in some way. Living alone, almost completely away from civilization, raising children, or even just living alone.
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Corben davis
1/18/2015 01:06:02 pm
I agree that this book appeals to all feelings. This book does change your emotion when reading. I've been angry and happy while reading this book.
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Stephanie Farney
1/18/2015 01:24:56 pm
Initially, I did not get the fairy tale vibe, but I can see that it is there. However, it seems more like a fairy tale gone wrong. This book definitely does mess with your emotions though.
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Elijah Brockway
1/18/2015 12:52:55 pm
I was certainly annoyed with the initial treatment of Mariam, both by her mother, and by Jalil, and by Jalil's wives. None of them really treated her like they should have, as a proper human being; her mother (regardless of whether or not she did actually love Mariam) just treated her as somebody to vent at, somebody to control, and somebody to blame for her problems. Jalil, while he did seem to have feelings of actual love for her, put propriety above family. Everything with Jalil's wives, meanwhile, was just icing on the cake right there. What really made me angry, however, was Rasheed's treatment of her. It was just absolutely disgusting to me, same as it was for everybody in here, I imagine. As for what I think will happen, or rather that I hope will happen, is that I think/hope Mariam will get away from Rasheed in some way and end up actually finding the sort of happiness she has yet to get in her life.
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Dakota Cavanaugh
1/18/2015 01:08:34 pm
I absolutely hate this book so much that I love it. That phrase may seem a little bit contradictory, however it explains my feelings towards the book perfectly. The style that the book is written in is very emotionally provoking, and the writer has a habit of nagging at your heart-strings. I have so much anger towards the story and the events thereof, but it is written in such a manner that I enjoy it. As for a prediction, I think that Mariam will have a kid. All of these miscarriages must be some type of foreshadowing for something to happen later in the book, but I can't really decide what just yet. I'm sure it will become just as interesting later on in the book, and continue the great story line that has been started.
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Stephanie Farney
1/18/2015 01:21:23 pm
I have enjoyed the book so far. Learning about Afghan culture was definitely interesting, since it is different than American culture. I was shocked by the fact that they forced her to marry someone a solid thirty or so years older than her. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be forced to be essentially a slave to a man who I have never even met. For a while, I thought she was enjoying her new life, and everything was dandy. But soon enough, I was disgusted by the way that Rasheed treated her. I was even more disgusted by the fact that in their culture, that type of behavior was not unusual, and it was essentially an accepted part of society. In terms of writing, I was surprised that it actually made me feel something. I can be stone cold sometimes, so it was honestly nice to feel something for a character in a book. I honestly have no idea where the story will go from here, but I am very anxious to find out.
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Mallory Harger
1/19/2015 01:12:05 pm
Good point on how it makes you feel something! I love to read but this book pushes it to a new level. First, Nana was not my favorite person and I loved Jalil. Then he wouldn't stand up for his daughter and I wasn't happy about that either! Then Rasheed. Don't even get me started.
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Riley Burghart
1/19/2015 12:53:34 am
I was amazed at how lowly the women were. How they were treated as a possession instead of a human being made me sick. How Rasheed throws himself all over Mariam whenever he pleases. And the rocks. It was hard for me to read this and imagine that this was probably the case outside of the book during this time. From a book standpoint, I can see how Mariam felt. It would have to hard to live her life after all the things that have happened to her. The composure she holds amazes me.
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Riley Bahre
1/19/2015 08:51:38 am
It may seem a bit strange for me to be saying this, but for the most part I took the first act of this story in stride. That's not to say it wasn't able to catch me off guard or even disgust me a bit, but a culture so virtually alien as the middle east would probably be expected to differ quite substantially from ours (and that is NOT to be misinterpreted as my approval for the abusive actions of the characters involved with Mariam, though I will not pretend to be eternally scathed by the notions of marital abuse and the legal traffic of women). As far as a prediction for Mariam's fate, she'll most likely wind up in a similar situation as that of her late mother, though I'd assume her child will be that of her "Husband" rather than being a "harami" like herself.
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Mallory Harger
1/19/2015 01:08:34 pm
My initial reaction to A Thousand Splendid Suns is very positive. I haven’t ever read a book from Afghanistan so this is a good perspective. I find the whole culture to be very interesting. My prediction for the rest of the book branches off from when Mariam talked aboht the next time she signed a contract. That line got me thinking. I don't know why she would sign another contract except to marry again. I'm thinking, because of the awful way her husband treats her and the miscarriages, Mariam will get a divorce. Maybe a remarriage is in her future?
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