Week 6 Post B

This book is such a great book, but the tragedy is so sad. This book has just been getting more and more depressing. I find myself getting my hopes up for Laila and Mariam, but always something terrible follows. This section of reading started off happy with Laila meeting Tariq, who she thought was dead. She meets with him, but Zalmai lets word slip to Rasheed, when he is questioned by him. Rasheed asks Zalmai to go upstairs and gets out his belt and more violently than ever starts beating Laila. Mariam is constantly trying to fend Rasheed off but fails. And then all of a sudden Laila is gushing blood and Rasheed has his hand wrapped around her throat, and is definetly going to kill her, unless Mariam is able to stop him. Mariam runs to the garage and returns with a shovel. She strikes Rasheed with the shovel and he is knocked out. However, she knows that if she lets him live he could easily go upstairs and get his gun and shoot her, Laila and Zaila, so she does what she has to and kills him.

"I meant it. I meant it for you, Laila jo"(318).

This quote shows how unselfish Mariam is. She killed Rasheed so Laila could go on to live a happy life. She sacrificed her life and Rasheed's so for Laila. She is most definetly a hero. This is also shown by her turning herself into the police and being executed, unfairly. Laila can now go on to live her life with Tariq and reunite her children, by rescuing Aziza from the orphanage.

Week 6 Post A

Vocab:



abasement: to humiliate or dishonor.



degradation: the act of degrading.



Figurative Language:

1. "Meet our real masters, Pakistan and Arab Islamists. The Taliban are puppets. These are the big players and Afghanistan is their playground"(274). This is a metaphor that portrays the Taliban as not a threat, but the Pakistan and Arab Islamists as the "real deal."


2. "How could she care about the statues when her own life was crumbling dust"(279). This is another metaphor that just simply implies that Laila doesn't have to feel bad for artifacts being destroyed, when her own life is being "destroyed."


3. "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). This similie is used to compare Rasheed's suspicion and misgiving too a ship captain who is informed of a mutiny and needs time to plan. Rasheed is plotting yet another beating.

Quote:

"I know you're a married woman and a mother now. And here I am, after all these years, after all that's happened, showing up at your doorstep. Probably, it isn't proper, or fair, but I've come such a long way to see you, and . . . Oh, Laila, I wish I'd never left you"(305).

I like this quote, because finally Laila has a reason to live now that she found out Tariq is still alive. Without Tariq, she really doesn't have any thing to live for and through all this tragedy she has a reason to live.

Theme:

A theme for this section of reading is how unfair life can be. Mariam did the right thing by killing Rasheed, who was for sure going to kill Laila and probably herself and Zalmai. However, due to how corrupt Afghanistan was at the time of this book, she is sentenced to death.

Week 5 Post B

I read a lot in this section, since I simply could not put the book down and I had a bit of catching up to do in order to finish the book on time.


Many suprising things occured. First off Laila is separated from Tariq, after his family decides to leave Kabul, due to the war. This is hard enough on Laila, and later her family decides to leave Kabul as well. However, while they are packing up to leave a rocket smashes through their house, ruining everything, as well as killing both of Laila's parents. Laila is now left with nothing, not even Tariq, and yet conditions for her worsen when Rasheed takes her in and has her become his second wife along with Mariam. At first, just like with Mariam, he treats her fairly well, but later he begins beating her just like he does with Mariam. Mariam and Laila at first are "rivals," but they become best friends and help each other out when Rasheed goes into raids. Laila also goes on to have two children, Zalmai and Aziza. Zalmai actually happens to be Tariq's son, but she acts like it is Rasheed's, for obvious reasons. Rasheed beats them as well.

It seems like everyone in this story is falling in the clutches of Rasheed and must live through torture. Hopefully, Mariam, Laila and her children will find a way to escape from Rasheed and live happily for once.

Week 5 Post A

Vocab:

contentiousness: causing or involving in an argument or controversy.

conspiratorial: an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or a surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons.

Figurative Language:

1. "It made a sound like dropping a rice bag to the floor. She hit him hard"(267). This is a simlie since it compares Laila's punch to the sound of a rice bag drooping to the ground.
2. "What's happened to you? {...} I married a pari, and now I'm saddled with a hag"(271). This is a metaphor since Rasheed compares Laila to a "hag," without using like or as.
3. "His eyes glittering with murderous, kicking until he couldn't anymore"(272).

Quote:

"I swear you're going to make me kill you, Laila"(272).

This shows how absurd Rasheed is and what torture it would be to have to live with him. First Mariam had to deal with him, then Laila and now her children must deal with him as well.

Theme:

A theme that is obviously present in this book is tragedy.

Week 4 Post A

flaccid: soft and limp; weak.



protruding: thrusting forward; causing to project.



Figurative language:

1. "If I ever do get married they'll have to make room for three on the wedding stage. Me, the bride, and the guy holding the gun to my head"(141). The author uses a hyperbole here to show much Tariq dislikes weddings.
2. "She didn't understand that if she looked into a mirror, she would find the one unfailing convictionof his life looking right back at her"(136). This figurative language is used to show a misunderstanding between Mammy and her husband, Babi.
3. "Tariq gasped. Laila did too. And she knew then that she could live to be a hundred and she would never agains see a thing as magnificent"(132). A hyperbole is used here to exaggerate the beauty of the statue.

Quote:

"But I'm glad I have you. Every day, I thank God for you. Every single day. Sometimes, when your mother's having one of her really dark days, I feel like you're all I have, Laila"(134).

Significance:

This quote is a relief for Laila. She thought that her parents only loved her brother, who died in the war, so when her dad tells her how much he appreciates having her, she is relieved with happiness.

Theme:

This loss of a loved one is always tough to deal with.

Week 4 Post B

In this section of reading a new protagonist is introduced. The book now follows the life of a young afghan girl named Laila. She is a lot younger than Mariam, so she deals with different issues. Her biggest concern is the lack of love and attention that she gets from her parents, especially her mom. Her brothers were enlisted in the war and her mom won't do much, besides sitting around, praying for their safe return. Her dad on the other hand makes an effort to show her affection, however, he is gone a lot for work. And then when her parents get word of the death of her brothers, they pay even less attention to Laila, since her mom gets very depressed. Laila must run errands for her mom and the only conversation that she has with her is about her brothers. Laila is also without her best friend Tariq, who has been away for a month, but was only suppose to be gone for two weeks.

When Tariq finally returns, life brightens up a lot for Laila. She goes over to Tariq's house where she is given all the attention in the world. She plays games with Tariq, while Tariq's mom prepares wonderful snacks and meals for them. And then Laila's dad offers to take her and Tariq on a surprise adventure. They climb to the stairs to the top of a building, where you can see this beautiful and huge Buddha statue. Laila is amazed by the sight and then has a conversation with her father, and he tells that he is sorry for the loss of her brothers, but loves her dearly and prays for her every day.

Hopefully life will stay good for Laila, and she won't have to deal with much tragedy, unlike Mariam.