Theme: Suffering

Question 1

Suffering

“Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have. Do you
understand?” - Nana, Chapter 3

Answer 1

AO1 - Short, declarative sentences and rheorical questions
AO2 - The shortness of the sentences displays Nana’s lack of
agency as she tries to pass on her world-wise
knowledge to Mariam, but she will never truly understand
because of being sheltered in the kolba her whole life
AO3 - Women in Afghanistan’s rights were decently
okay until the invasion of the Taliban which reduced
women’s rights next to nothing
A04 - Nelly Dean attempts to help Catherine Earnshaw
but her excessive pride and fickle nature makes
the attempt in vain, much like how Mariam does
not understand her mother’s statement about the
resilience women must develop for survival

Question 2

Suffering

“Mariam remembered the day they’d buried Nana and how little comfort she had found when Mullah Faizullah had quoted the Koran for her.” - Chapter 27

Answer 2

AO1 - Abrassive, viseral descriptors
AO2 - The Koran and God does not give Mariam any comfort in this moment despite religion being such a large aspect of everyday life in Afghanistan
AO3 - Religion in Afghanistan is a topical issue, with several wars going on because of said issue
AO4 - Joseph symbolizes harshness, punishing religious deologies, whereas Mullah Faizullah symbolises caring guidance of religion

Question 3

Suffering

Snow

Answer 3

AO1 - Pathetic fallacy and metaphors
AO2 - Snow is described as the sighs of aggreived women, which links snow to suffering (“She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world.” - Chapter 13)
AO3 - In the Quran, snow is linked to purity and Judgement Day
AO4 - Pathetic fallacy and the symbol of the weather is used at several points in Wuthering Heights (Storms represent how the characters in Wuthering Heights are at the mercy of forces they cannot control)