a thousand splendid suns paper

Some of the most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in which a death or

many deaths have taken place. Throughout the book, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

the author describes many different death scenes in the book. The theme that the author presents

throughout the book is that life is all about pain and suffering and about the misery you are forced to

deal with but although Mariam and Lalia go through many deaths and repeated upsets throughout their

lives in the end it shows that it is all worth it and that you have to fight through everything in order to

make it worth it.





The most important scene in the book is when a young man by the name of Abdul Sharif

showed up at the door step of Lalia and Rasheed’s home. He brought news of the death of one of

Lalia’s closest friends, Tariq. Before he even told the story of how Tariq had been killed Lalia already

knew why he was there. He began to tell the story but he first talked about why he had come to the

house and he had told Lalia that Tariq talked about her very much so. Abdul felt the need to come and

tell Lalia what had happened to her best friend. He first began to describe how he had wound up being

in the same hospital as Tariq. Tariq had been one of twenty three refugees who where all heading

toward Peshawar. Near the border their convoy was caught in the cross fire. “There were only six

survivors, all of them admitted to the same unit.” (Pg. 206) Abdul described the convoy in great

description and he went on to describe what had happened. “Three died within twenty-four hours. Two

of them lived-sisters, as I understood it- and had been discharged.” (Pg.207) Abdul left out the part

about Tariq at first he didn’t say that he was dead. Lalia kept hope as she listened to him continue on

with his story. The author describes this scene and he keeps Lalia in anticipation almost keeping her

hope alive. Abdul went on to continue the story about why he in fact was at Lalia’s doorstep. It all ties

back to the fact that in life you always endure much pain and suffering. After the story was

completely done Lalia sat there almost stunned by the story itself and how much detail this man had

gone through. Tariq was dead just like the rest of her family. He left her to live with this horrible man

and to fend for herself. This specific scene ties into the theme of the book because it shows that she is

suffering because Tariq is dead.







Although other scenes in the book have powerful impacts on the theme of the book, this scene

ties all of them together. It shows that most of life is full of pain and suffering. The author shows how

Tariq’s death affects Lalia. Even though Lalia was unhappy with Rasheed before the death, she

became almost none existent as a wife or even as a friend. She dwelled on the fact that he had been

killed and she resented not joining him on his journey. She resented not being able to say goodbye.

After a few months Lalia became pregnant with a little girl. This angered Rasheed because he wanted a

boy instead. The little girl Aziza looks nothing like Rasheed. She looks more like Tariq than she does

Rasheed. Aziza begins to hate Rasheed for the way he treats her. It shows that the author is trying to

show how the death of Tariq affects the whole plot of the story. It even affects Aziza even though she

wasn’t born when he was alive.






Throughout the book it is believed that Tariq is dead. Toward the end of the book Tariq comes

back into the picture suddenly. It was years after Lalia had firs head that he had been killed in a cross

fire. The author without any foreshadowing Tariq back into the story line. It is a little confusing at first

but it allows you to see why the author did this. “Get Away, you! Zalmai cried.” (Pg. 327) This quote

is how the author starts off the scene where Tariq comes into the story line. Rasheed wasn’t home at

the moment and Zalmai was angry that a strange man was at his door step. ”Lalia allowed herself to

take a step toward him. Then another, And another. And then she was running.” (Pg. 327) This quote is

the most important in this passage. It shows us that she realizes that it is not a dream and that Tariq

after all had never been dead in the first place. It had all been sneaky lie because Rasheed was afraid

Lalia would leave him to go out and to try and find Tariq if she thought he would be alive. It all teis

back to the theme because people in your life try to cause you pain and suffering just so that they can

he happy with their life.







One of the most important passages that connects all of the themes, and all of the different

scenes, is where Tariq’s death had come into play is when Mariam remembers seeing the doorman at

the hotel, when she and Rasheed had gone to try and contact Jalil. “But Mariam remembered now,

from nine years before, remembered his sitting downstairs, patting his brow with a handkerchief and

asking for water.” (Pg. 329) It shows how the author subtly connected all of the plots and themes into

this one and how it led up to the climax of the story which is when Tariq came back. The author usd

almost no foreshadowing in this scene and it was completely random and very unexpected. The author

resolves his whole point of the book in when Mariam remembers the man who had claimed Tariq was

dead nine years before.








The book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was written by Khaled Hossieni. The author throughout

the book shows the theme of pain and suffering and about how although life is full of misey there is

always some kind of joy throughout it. The theme of this book was specifically shown in the scene

where the family is notified of the death of Tariq. Although they believed that he is dead for almost

nine years in the climax of the book, Tariq is actually alive and well. Rasheed had paid off a young

man to come and tell his wife, Lalia, that her friend Tariq had been killed. It completely shows the

theme of the book because it allows the readers to see how all of the pain and suffering was not needed

even though at the end Lalia and Tariq live a happy life together.