Important Quotes
“Nana said, ‘Learn this now and learn it well my daughter: like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam’” (7).
This quote explains how, in Afghanistan’s society, a man always finds a way to make any problem a woman’s fault. Men are in control and consider themselves superior to women; therefore, men can easily blame women for anything that goes wrong and escape punishment. The author demonstrates this in the book through many ways: one being the times when Mariam has her miscarriages. Rasheed makes it seem like the miscarriages are Mariam’s fault when in reality they are just natural tragedies. The author wrote, “With each disappointment, Rasheed had grown more remote and resentful. Now nothing Mariam did pleased him” (99). Mariam did nothing wrong but Rasheed blames Mariam, lowering her self-esteem, all so he can boost his own. Afghanistan’s society considers women the scapegoats of society. If something goes wrong, a man will find a way to blame a woman.
“You’re afraid, Nana, she might have said. You’re afraid that I might find the happiness you never had, And you don’t want me to be happy. You don’t want a good life for me. You’re the one with the wretched heart” (28).
The reader can view this quote in two different ways. One way that a person could view this quote, would to be think about how Nana has done wrong. If the typical human is upset, he/she cannot stand to see another person happy. Jealousy is extremely common, and Mariam believed that her mother was jealous of the life Mariam had. She believed that her mother did not want Mariam to leave because Nana could not stand seeing Mariam happy. Another way to view this quote would be to think about how many children do not see or understand their parents’ reasoning for things. Rather than trying to understand her mother’s point of view, Mariam became angry because she was not getting what she wanted. But later in the story, after Mariam had been living with Rasheed and her mother killing herself, Mariam begins to realize why her mother was so protective over her and why her mother was against Mariam doing so many things. Overall, Mariam was under the impression that her mother was jealous of the happiness that Mariam had, and Mariam could not see that her mother wanted the best for her daughter.
“Marriage can wait, education cannot... Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance” (114).
This quote, said by Laila’s father, Babi, is a reflection on the situation that Afghanistan was in; womencould receive education. Although it was a quite rare, Laila went to school and learned. This deeply benefitted her later in the story when she found a job and earned money. Mariam, although she wanted to be educated, never had the chance to go to school. She never found a job and if she had not died, she probably would not have been able to take care of herself with no money. Laila is better off because of the fact that she is educated. As time goes on, it becomes illegal for a woman to be educated. Women as a whole are pushed off to the side while men are able to learn and make a living. Currently in Afghanistan, women are typically not educated and its society is not in great shape. Afghanistan has a high murder rate and many women are mistreated terribly. This is what Babi means when he says “society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated." Laila is much better off with an education and Afghanistan’s society was better off when educating women was legal.
“‘Everybody wants Jack,’ Laila said to Mariam. That’s what it is. Everybody wants Jack to rescue them from disaster. But there is no Jack. Jack is not coming back. Jack is dead’” (304).
At this point in the story, Laila has lost all hope. Relating Jack from the Titanic to a superhero, she feels that there is no superhero who is going to rescue them from the terrible lives they are living. What everybody wants is for Jack to come and help him or her and save him or her, but in reality, none of this is going to happen. The only thing Laila and Mariam had was each other. They were going to have to cope with the lives that God, or Allah, gave them.
“Mariam is never very far. She is here, in these walls they’ve repainted, in the trees they’ve planted, in the blankets that keep the children warm, in these pillows and books and pencils. She is in all the children’s laughter. She is in the verses Aziza recites and in the prayers she mutters when she bows westward. But, mostly, Mariam is in Laila’s own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns" (414).
This quote is symbolic and extremely important in the book. When the author says, “in these walls they’ve repainted”, “in the trees they’ve planted”, etc., he is explaining how these things are changing and being made better. When he says that Mariam is “in the verses Aziza recites and in the prayers she mutters”, this refers to when Mariam and Aziza always used to say prayers together, and how Mariam stays with Aziza when she prays. The quote also shows the impact Mariam has on Laila; Laila will never forget Mariam. Mariam made Laila happy. Both of them were stuck together in a very dark situation, but by teaming up, they were able to break free from this darkness. Mariam will forever be in Laila’s heart, shining “with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.”
“Nana said, ‘Learn this now and learn it well my daughter: like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam’” (7).
This quote explains how, in Afghanistan’s society, a man always finds a way to make any problem a woman’s fault. Men are in control and consider themselves superior to women; therefore, men can easily blame women for anything that goes wrong and escape punishment. The author demonstrates this in the book through many ways: one being the times when Mariam has her miscarriages. Rasheed makes it seem like the miscarriages are Mariam’s fault when in reality they are just natural tragedies. The author wrote, “With each disappointment, Rasheed had grown more remote and resentful. Now nothing Mariam did pleased him” (99). Mariam did nothing wrong but Rasheed blames Mariam, lowering her self-esteem, all so he can boost his own. Afghanistan’s society considers women the scapegoats of society. If something goes wrong, a man will find a way to blame a woman.
“You’re afraid, Nana, she might have said. You’re afraid that I might find the happiness you never had, And you don’t want me to be happy. You don’t want a good life for me. You’re the one with the wretched heart” (28).
The reader can view this quote in two different ways. One way that a person could view this quote, would to be think about how Nana has done wrong. If the typical human is upset, he/she cannot stand to see another person happy. Jealousy is extremely common, and Mariam believed that her mother was jealous of the life Mariam had. She believed that her mother did not want Mariam to leave because Nana could not stand seeing Mariam happy. Another way to view this quote would be to think about how many children do not see or understand their parents’ reasoning for things. Rather than trying to understand her mother’s point of view, Mariam became angry because she was not getting what she wanted. But later in the story, after Mariam had been living with Rasheed and her mother killing herself, Mariam begins to realize why her mother was so protective over her and why her mother was against Mariam doing so many things. Overall, Mariam was under the impression that her mother was jealous of the happiness that Mariam had, and Mariam could not see that her mother wanted the best for her daughter.
“Marriage can wait, education cannot... Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance” (114).
This quote, said by Laila’s father, Babi, is a reflection on the situation that Afghanistan was in; womencould receive education. Although it was a quite rare, Laila went to school and learned. This deeply benefitted her later in the story when she found a job and earned money. Mariam, although she wanted to be educated, never had the chance to go to school. She never found a job and if she had not died, she probably would not have been able to take care of herself with no money. Laila is better off because of the fact that she is educated. As time goes on, it becomes illegal for a woman to be educated. Women as a whole are pushed off to the side while men are able to learn and make a living. Currently in Afghanistan, women are typically not educated and its society is not in great shape. Afghanistan has a high murder rate and many women are mistreated terribly. This is what Babi means when he says “society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated." Laila is much better off with an education and Afghanistan’s society was better off when educating women was legal.
“‘Everybody wants Jack,’ Laila said to Mariam. That’s what it is. Everybody wants Jack to rescue them from disaster. But there is no Jack. Jack is not coming back. Jack is dead’” (304).
At this point in the story, Laila has lost all hope. Relating Jack from the Titanic to a superhero, she feels that there is no superhero who is going to rescue them from the terrible lives they are living. What everybody wants is for Jack to come and help him or her and save him or her, but in reality, none of this is going to happen. The only thing Laila and Mariam had was each other. They were going to have to cope with the lives that God, or Allah, gave them.
“Mariam is never very far. She is here, in these walls they’ve repainted, in the trees they’ve planted, in the blankets that keep the children warm, in these pillows and books and pencils. She is in all the children’s laughter. She is in the verses Aziza recites and in the prayers she mutters when she bows westward. But, mostly, Mariam is in Laila’s own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns" (414).
This quote is symbolic and extremely important in the book. When the author says, “in these walls they’ve repainted”, “in the trees they’ve planted”, etc., he is explaining how these things are changing and being made better. When he says that Mariam is “in the verses Aziza recites and in the prayers she mutters”, this refers to when Mariam and Aziza always used to say prayers together, and how Mariam stays with Aziza when she prays. The quote also shows the impact Mariam has on Laila; Laila will never forget Mariam. Mariam made Laila happy. Both of them were stuck together in a very dark situation, but by teaming up, they were able to break free from this darkness. Mariam will forever be in Laila’s heart, shining “with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.”