Why did Laila punch Rasheed?

It is Mariam, instead, who becomes the closest thing to Aziza's second parent. That night, in fact, Rasheed tells Laila he's decided to send Aziza into the street to beg at a corner—many families in Kabul are doing the same. Laila says she won't allow it, and when Rasheed slaps her, she punches him back.

What did Laila do when Rasheed slapped her this time?

Laila refuses and Rasheed slaps her across the face. Laila punches him back and experiences a fleeting sensation of victory before Rasheed holds her against the wall with his gun down her throat. That night, Laila dreams of burying Aziza alive and wakes up terrified, tasting dirt.

What did Rasheed do to Laila?

Rasheed, overcome with anger, beats Laila and locks her and Aziza in Mariam's bedroom. He beats Mariam brutally and locks her in the tool shed.

Why did Laila steal from Rasheed?

Why did Laila steal from Rasheed? She needed to buy more baby supplies for Aziza.

Why did Laila cut her finger?

Laila feels incredibly guilty for her choices and cannot look Mariam in the face during the wedding ceremony. That night, after she and Rasheed have intercourse, she grabs the knife she's hidden under the mattress and pricks her finger to sully the sheets, just to perpetuate Rasheed's belief that he married a virgin.

A thousand splendid suns | Chapter 40 | Audio books.

Is Laila pregnant with Tariq's baby?

Devastated and realizing she's pregnant with Tariq's child, Laila agrees to marry Rasheed. Mariam is initially hurt and threatened by Laila's presence and refuses to have anything to do with her.

Why do Mariam and Laila have their first fight?

She had raced upstairs, missing her parents desperately. Suddenly, the baby had kicked for the first time. While Mariam and Laila have for the most part managed the simmering tensions in the household, their first fight allows them to explicitly voice the pain and resentment that each of them feels.

Why is Rasheed so cruel to Mariam and Laila?

Rasheed feels as if Mariam and Laila are now trying to work together against him which angers him. The war has caused laws against women to become more strict which encourages Rasheed to continue his cruelty as it appears, to him, to be expected and right.

How old was Laila when she married Rasheed?

When she is fifteen, Mariam, forced into marriage with forty-year old Rasheed, moves to Kabul to start a life with her husband. Hopeful at first, she is unable to conceive, and lives a loveless existence with a husband who abuses her regularly.

What lie does Laila discover that Rasheed has told her?

Laila finds it odd as she tells a lie that's also the truth: that Aziza's father is dead. Zaman believes her and agrees to take Aziza in, assuring Laila that she's able to visit Aziza whenever she wishes.

What is Rasheed planning for Laila?

After dinner, Mariam confronts Rasheed, who openly admits he plans on asking Laila to marry him.

What is the main message of A Thousand Splendid Suns?

The primary theme in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns is the rights of women, especially under the Taliban. Mariam and Laila grow up during regimes that are not oppressive. Although Mariam's father's family pushes her into marriage with Rasheed, it is ultimately her choice to agree to marry him.

What happens when Rasheed tries to beat Mariam for corrupting Laila?

He punched Laila, threw the baby and locked her in a room. Mariam got beat and locked her in the tool shed. What is Rasheed's opinion of the Taliban?

What does Laila tell Zalmai about Rasheed?

Zalmai adjusts more slowly. He rejects Tariq's kindnesses and asks for Rasheed. Laila hates lying to him, but she does so again and again, telling Zalmai that his father has left and may never return.

How does Laila feel about the Taliban?

Laila, however, having been educated and taught that both she and her independence matter, is less able to accept the Taliban. Laila is shocked anyone would obey their rules. Through all three characters' reactions, Hosseini shows the complex relationship Afghanistan, particularly Kabul, has with the Taliban.

What does Rasheed say to Laila after he has finished punishing Laila and Mariam?

What does Rasheed say to Laila after he was finished punishing Laila and Mariam? He'll make her watch him killing Mariam first, Aziza second, and Laila last.

How is Rasheed a hypocrite?

Clearly, Rasheed's religious convictions he holds in public are different from his private interest in pornography, making him something of a hypocrite. Mariam's betrayal of Rasheed's wishes to keep his bedroom and life private foreshadows future strife between them.

What is wrong with Laila's mother?

Laila's mother has fallen into manic depression over the loss of her sons to the war. She does not get out of bed every day. Good days are very rare for her. Laila's friend, Tariq, lost one leg to a land mine explosion when he was five.

What did Laila's teacher forbid?

Take your daughter and run away.

Why is Rasheed abusive?

Why does Rasheed become abusive? Rasheed becomes abuse because she can't have children.

Is Rasheed a victim in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

Rasheed is the most abusive character. His is also the most authoritative character in charge of the women for most of the novel. He both physically and verbally abuses his wives countless times in the story. This is due to his personal loss of a son in the past.

Why is Mariam so hostile towards Laila?

Mariam views Laila as a threat and fears that Laila will replace her, so she becomes hostile and sour, calling Laila names and acting defiant for the first time in her life.

How did Rasheed abuse Mariam?

When Rasheed thinks that Mariam's rice is undercooked, he makes her eat rocks as a punishment: “His powerful hands clasped her jaw. He shoved two fingers into her mouth and pried it open, then forced the cold, hard pebbles into it. Mariam struggled against him, mumbling, but he kept kept pushing the pebbles in” (104).

Why is A Thousand Splendid Suns banned?

A Thousand Splendid Suns had been challenged because it contains violence and abuse against women. Although this is true of the book, it contains a look into the culture of Afghanistan and the issues its citizens faced during this time period.

Is Mariam infertile A Thousand Splendid Suns?

After becoming pregnant, Mariam becomes thrilled at the prospect of being a mother and of having someone who will love her. Unfortunately, she miscarries her first child and the subsequent ones. Mariam's infertility strains her marriage and Rasheed grows increasingly violent towards her.