Jalil Kana By Nana Dialectical Journal

PART 1: CHAPTERS 1-15
Characters introduced:
Mariam
Mariam is the protagonist in the novel. She grows up outside of the city of Herat in a small shack and is raised by her mother, Nana. She was thought to know that she is a “harami”. She dreams of bigger things for herself and tends to question authority.
Nana
Nana is Jalil’s wife and Mariam’s mother. Nana was cast out of Jalil’s house by Jalil after she got pregnant with Jalil's baby. She built a shack where she and Mariam lived in. Her life revolves around taking care of Mariam.
Jalil
Jalil is a rich man who owns a movie theater who lives in Herat. He is Mariam’s father. Although Nana thinks he has disregarded his obligations to his family, Mariam likes Jalil and thinks he is an amazing

Mariam longed to place a ruler on a page and draw important-looking lines.” (1.3.26)
- In Mariam’s childhood home, education is not valued. Because of this she spends a lot of time thinking about the idea of learning. In reality, the persecution Mariam feels as a “harami” directly ties directly with the lack of education.
Questions/Comments: Does the quote "a man's accusing finger always finds a woman" (1.1.26). that Mariam’s mom says hold true during the novel?
PART 2: CHAPTERS 16-26
Characters introduced:
Tariq
He is a few years older than Laila and is her next door neighbor. A lot of people in the neighborhood call him a cripple because he lost his leg in a war. Even with all of that, he is still strong and when Laila gets picked on, he defends her.
Giti
She is Laila’s friend. She got struck with a bomb in Kabul during the war.
Khadim
He harasses Laila all the time. He filled a squirt gun with urine and sprayed her with it.
Ahmad and Noor
They are Laila’s brother and fight against the Soviets in the jihad. They die because they are very loyal to their cause.

What's keeping you off the streets, your smarts or me? I'm despicable? Half the women in the city would kill to have a husband like me. They would kill for it." (3.38.22)
- This quote shows that when you have money, pursuing your dreams and aspirations is very easy. It is a lot harder to do that with little to no money. This is very hard because the Taliban forbid women from making money.
Questions/Comments: If Zamai was a girl and Aziza was a boy, how would the novel be different?
PART 4: CHAPTERS 48-51
Characters introduced:
Hamza
He is Mullah Faizullah's son. Hamza brings Laila to kolba and shows her around Herat.
Literary Devices:
1) Foreshadowing
2) Personification
3) Metaphor
4) Simile
5) Mood
Quotes:
“Massoud's violent end brings her no joy, but she remembers too well the neighborhoods razed under his watch, the bodies dragged from the rubble, the hands and feet of children discovered on rooftops or the high branch of some tree days after their funeral.” (4.49.7)
- It is often forgotten that people suffer a lot when it comes to war. Here, we see that civilians suffer the most while wars are going on. People/countries are categorized as bad or good, but it’s not always like