A Thousand Splendid Suns Passage Explanation

Hosseini ends part Two of the book with four short passages. All four passages directly follow the bombing of Laila's house. The first passage is the very instance where Laila regains consciousness. "Shapes moving about. A flourescent light shines from the ceiling above. A woman's face appears, hovers over hers. Laila fades back to the dark"(174). The significance of this passage to the rest of the book is precisely based upon the foreshadowing it does of how Miriam and Laila's relationship will be. The worse Laila's life becomes as the book carries on, the more Miriam becomes a "flourescent light" for her. She "hovers over her" and protects her and cares for her in the future.

The next passage on page 174 also foreshadows how the man mentioned in the passage will become towards Laila. "The man waves his hands at her. Frowns"(174). The man she is referring to is Rasheed who makes her life miserable, puts a "frown" on her face, and will do a lot more than "wave his hands at her".

In the third passage, Layla thinks of Tariq, her best friend from childhood, and love of her life. "Where is Tariq? Why isn't he here?"(174). Laila's house was bombed shortly after Tariq and his family left for Pakistan from Kabul. As Laila's family was preparing to change their lives and location as well, her parents lives ended and hers was flipped upside down, all so abruptly. The ending of part two is this exact change that occurs to Laila and the moment that everything becomes different from what it once was.

The fourth passage is Laila's recollection of the time she went to the Red City to see the two Buddhas with Tariq and Babi. The "deep hush"(175) that "falls over everything"(175) represents the enormous change Laila will undergo, from loved daughter and cherished soulmate to neglected wife and envied woman.