A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled
Hosseini
Quote Bank
Part 1
Chapter 1
Mariam was five years old the first time she heard the word harami.
Childhood/Class
Nor was she old enough to appreciate the injustice, to see that it is the creators of
the harami who are culpable, not the harami, whose only sin is being born.
Childhood/Class/Family
Mariam, was a illegitimate person who would never have legitimate claim the
things other people had, things such as love, family, home, acceptance.
Class
Nana had been one of the housekeepers. Until her belly began to swell. When that
happened, nana said, the collective gasp of Jalil’s family sucked the air out of
Herat.
Women in society/Marriage/Relationships
(Nana) “This is what it means to be a woman in this world…. Like a compass
needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman.”
Women in society
Summery: Mariam realises her position as a Harami and is becoming enthralled by
her father, more than her mother.
Chapter 2