Quotes
"A man's heart is a wretched, wretched thing. It isn't like a mother's womb. It won't bleed. It won't stretch to make room for you. " (Hosseini, 26)
This quote refers to the time just before Mariam 'abandoned' her mother in hopes of being accepted into Jalil's home. Nana is describing a man's heart as a cold object. She's describing man as a cruel creature, that Mariam's father wouldn't step out of his comfort zone to make sure his daughter was happy and comfortable. He wouldn't go out of his way to do anything for her. This quote is important because it describes a lot of the men that were introduced in this story. As an example, Rasheed never showed an ounce of pity towards either one of his wives.
"You see, some things I can teach you. Some you learn from books. But there are things that, well you have to see and feel." (Hosseini, 134)
This is one of the many words of advice that Hakim offered to Laila. It is an important quote because it relays a big message. There are many things in life that we can learn through books, or through any secondary sources, however, the important aspects in life are things that we have to experience ourselves to become more educated on the subject. For example, in Mariam's case she never knew how her mother felt until Laila and the two kids came into her life, until she got to experience being a motherly figure herself.
"One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls." (Hosseini, 1)
This quote is extremely important to the story because it is where the title originated from. As Laila's family were preparing to leave their war-ridden country, Hakim recites this small poem. This poem completely contrasts the reality of the bloodshed in their country. He describes Kabul as an almost majestic place. An area lit up with a thousand splendid suns.