Pre IB Inquiry Skills

Mrs. Damalos
At Thousand Splendid Suns Study Guide Section 4 Q&A
Chapters 48-51
1. HowdoesLailaslifeinMurreecontrastwithherlifeinKabul?
WhileLailalivesinKabul,shestartseachdaywithapprehension.Shepersistentlylivesin
fearfromnotonlythewargoingonoutside,butalsoofthebrutalviolenceRasheedexhibitsbehind
thecloseddoorsoftheirhome.Lailaenduresaninnumerableamountofhardshipsandeventually,
evenoneofheronlysourcesofhappiness,joy,andhopeisrippedawayfromherwhenAzizaissent
totheorphanage.Lailaseverydaylifeisanightmarefilledwithunimaginablehorrors.Justwhenit
seemsthatLailaslifewillremaindreadfuluntiltheendoftime,Tariqshowsupandultimatelyends
uptakingherintothesafearmsofMurree.
InMurree,Lailaslifeisturnedupsidedown.Forthefirsttimeinalongtime,shefeels
protectedandevenbeginstoenjoylifeagain.SheisreunitedwithAzizaandLailaisimmensely
gratefulforherlittlefamily.Eventhoughlifeisntperfect,sheisgratefulforallthethingsshedoes
have.(Laila)likeswakinguptothesoundofAlyonableatinginthemorning,andtheharmlessly
cantankerouscook,Abida,whoworksmarvelsinthekitchen.Sometimes,asLailawatchesTariq
sleep,asherchildrenmutterandstirintheirownsleep,agreatbiglumpofgratitudecatchesinher
throat,makeshereyeswater.(Page335)
2. IsLailasexpectationthatZalmaiwilllearntoaccepthisfathersabsencerealistic?
Yes,theexpectationofZalmaiacceptinghisfathersabsenceiscompletelyrealistic.Atfirst,the
absenceofRasheedishardonZalmai.Hecriesoutforhisfatherandbelievesthathewillcomeback
forhim.Becauseofthis,ZalmairesistsallofTariqsattemptstowinZalmaiover.However,by
chapter50,Zalmaihasalreadystartedonthelongroadtohealing.Zalmaibeginstocrywhenthetaxi
pullsaway,and,whenLailalooksback,sheseesthatheisreachingforTariq.Thatheisbeginningto
acceptTariqbotheasesandbreaksLailasheart.(Page349)

3. WillLailasnightmaresaboutherlifeinKabulevercease?Whatistheworstthingthat
happenedtoherthere?
TheworstthingthateverhappenedtoLailainKabulwaswhensheleftMariam.Weknowthisby
thewayshedescribeshernightmaresonpage338.Lailahasherowndreams.Inthem,shesalways

backatthehouseinKabul,walkingthehall,climbingthestairs.Sheisalone,butbehindthedoorsshe
hearstherhythmichissofaniron,bedsheetssnapped,thenfolded.Sometimesshehearsawomens
lowpitchedhummingofanoldHaratisong.Butwhenshewalksin,theroomisempty.Thereisno
onethere.ThedreamsleaveLailashaken.Shewakesfromthemcoatedinsweat,hereyesprickling
withtears.Itisdevastating.Everytime,itisdevastating.Idontthinkthesedevastatingnightmares
ceaseuntilsheisprovidedwithclosureforMariamsdeath,bymeetingHazamandvisitingMariams
oldkolba.
4. WhyisLailaafraidtohopeforpeaceinAfghanistan,aftertheU.S.warontheTaliban
isover?
ManypeoplebelievethatoncetheU.S.overthrowstheTalibanandkicksthemoutforgood,
Afghanistanwillfinallyberestored.Peaceandtranquilitywillspreadthroughoutthecountryonce
againandthingswillstarttakeaturnforthebetter.Lailahowever,disapprovesoftheideaofanother
waragainstAfghanistan.Shestillremembershermotherandfathergettingblownupbythebomb.
ShestillremembersherfriendGitisfuneral.Sheremembersalltheinnocentliveslostduringthe
crossfire.WarisallLaliaknows.Eversinceshewasachild,Lailahasgrownuparoundwar.Shehas
livedthroughmanywarsinherlifetimeandhasseensmallperiodsofpeaceinbetweenthem.She
doesntwanttobecomecomfortable,infearthatthingswillstartalloveragain.

5. WhatforcestugonLailatoreturntoAfghanistan?
EventhoughKabulwastherootofallofLailasheartache,Lailabeginstomissherhometown.
LaliagrewupinKabulforherentirelife,soitisonlynaturalforhertobecomehomesickandwantto
returnhome.ButitisnthomesicknessornostalgiathathasLailathinkingofKabulsomuchthese
days.Shebecomesplaguedbyrestlessness.ShehearsofschoolsbuiltinKabul,roadsrepaved,
womenreturningtowork,andherhere,pleasantasitis,gracefulassheisforit,seemsinsufficient
toher.Inconsequential.Worseyet,wasteful.(Page345)Lailafeelsasthoughsheneedstohelp
Afghanistanbyreturningtoherhomelandandcontributingtoitsreconstruction.Thefinal,and
arguablythemostinfluential,factorthatmakesLailawanttoreturnhomewasBabiswordsplaying
onconstantrepeatthroughouthermind.Youcanbeanythingyouwant,Laila,hesays.Iknowthis
aboutyou.AndIalsoknowthatwhenthiswarisover,Afghanistanisgoingtoneedyourhelp.(Page
345)
6. WhydoesLailawanttovisitthehomewhereMariamhadlivedasagirl?

OntheirwaybacktoKabul,LailaasksTariqiftheycanstopbyHerattovisitMullahFaizullahs
house.Whenshearrives,shelearnsthatMullahhaddied,butshetalkswithhissonHamza.Later,
HamzatakesLailatoMariamsoldkolba.IthinkLailawantstovisitthekolbasobadlytoprovide
herselfwithsomeclosureforMariamsdeath.ThisisshownwhenshesaysgoodbyetoMariamfor
thelasttimewhilewildlyweeping.
7. HowdoestheletterofMariamsfathershowhischaracter?Doesitredeemhiminsome
way?Inwhatwaysisitironic?
TheletterJalilwritesforMariamfinallygivesyouaninsightintohismind.Youfindoutthathe
isntsuchadespicableperson.Asheisspillingouthisthoughts,emotions,andworries,youbeginto
seethatJaliltrulydidcareaboutMariam.Inaway,thisredeemsasmallpartofhisnameasafather.
However,thiswholesituationisironicseeinghowJalilisonceagaintoolatetoassisthisdaughter.

8. WhatisfittingaboutLailasreturntoKabulandherworkattheorphanage?
Lailaworkingasateacherattheorphanageisfittingbecauseshehasalwaysstronglybelievedin
theeducationofwomen.SheisalsohelpingrebuildthecityofKabulandgivingbacktothe
community,whichisthereasonshecamebacktoKabulinthefirstplace.Ifeelasthoughthe
orphanageholdsaspecialplaceinLailasheartduetoAzizasstaytheremanyyearsbefore.

9. Howdothedrawingsbythechildrenintheorphanageexpresstheirexperiences?How
dotheyshowthecontrastbetweenthetimewhenAzizawasthereandnow?
Thehallwayswallsarecoverednowwithposters,ofdinosaurs,cartooncharacters,theBuddhas
ofBamiyan,anddisplaysofartworkbytheorphans.Manyofthedrawingsdepicttanksrunningover
huts,menbrandishingAK47s,refugeecamptents,andscenesofjihad.(Page365)Thedrawings
hangingonthewallsexpressthepainthattheorphanshaveenduredastheyhavelivedthroughwar.
Thechildrenwithalwayscarrythesescarsandbattlewoundswiththemevenastheygrowold,but
thingsaregoingtogetbetter.Thenewpostersalsohangingonthewallsofferhopeforabrighter
future.TheyshowthatthingshavedrasticallychangedforthebettersinceAzizawasthere,andthings
willonlycontinuetoflourishfurtherwithtime.
10. HowhasMariambecomeasymbolofKabulforLaila?
MariamsacrificedherownlifetosaveLaila.ThisactofbraveryandvalordeeplytouchedLaila
innumerousways.BeforeMariamsdeath,MariamandLailasharedanunbreakablebond.Lailastill

remembersthisspecialconnectiontheyhadanditbecomeshersymbolforKabul.Sheassociatesthe
friendshipandlovetheysharedwithherbelovedhomeland.

DiscussionQuestions:
Lailaknowsthatthisshamefulliewillhavetobetold
againandagain.(p.379)
Kabuliswaiting.Needing.Thisjourneyhomeistheright
thingtodo.(p.392)
Lailathinksofherownlifeandallthathashappenedto
her,andsheisastonishedthatshetoohassurvived....
(p.395)
...MariamisinLailasownheart,wheresheshineswith
theburstingradianceofathousandsuns.(p.414)