Theme: Shame and Reputation

Question 1

Shame and Reputation

“a harami was an unwanted thing: that she, Mariam,
was an illegitimate person who would never have legitimate claim to the things other people had,
things such as love, family, home, acceptance.” - Mariam, Chapter 1

Answer 1

AO1 - Italics, Asyndetic list
AO2 - The use of a list foreshadows how the shame Mariam carries
will be infinite and never ending
AO3 - Pre-marital sex and having children out of wedlock
in Afghanistan is heavily frowned upon, further portraying
Mariam as a stain on her mother and father’s life
AO4 - Mirrors the labels Heathcliff has thrust upon him (“dark-skinned gypsy”)

Question 2

Shame and Reputation

“She thought of her entry into this world, the harami daughter of a lowly villager,
an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was
leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back.” - Mariam,
Chapter 47

Answer 2

AO1 - Asyndetic List cut off by a declarative sentence
AO2 - Mariam’s suffering was bound to be infinite like
her mother’s but she prevailed and stood up
against her abuser because of the love she has learnt
from Laila, which is symbolised in the list being cut off
by a simple sentence
AO3 - Hosseini’s story has an air of tragedy to it, mostly
surrounding the series of tragic affairs that is
Mariam’s life, to mirror the real things that happen in Afghanistan to innocent women
AO4 - Mariam die for a passionate cause whereas
Heathcliff dies mysteriously, unsatisfied with
his life

Question 3

Shame and Reputation

“But the game involves only male names. Because, if it’s a girl, Laila
has already named her.” - Laila, Chapter 51

Answer 3

AO1 - Comfortable conclusion
AO2 - Laila naming her future child Mariam displays the impact
she had on Laila’s life and how strong their bond was; Laila is honouring her friend’s memory
AO3 - Despite the large jump in time, Afhganistan is still a
patriarchal society but hope has not been diminished
AO4 - Mariam’s memory is honoured by someone who loved
her (Laila); similar to how Heathcliff is buried next to
Catherine Earnshaw to honour their passion