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| Plot Summary of The Swallows of Kabul |
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" This is a story about Afghanistan and two couples from different social backgrounds living under the Taliban regime yet discovering that under oppression the human condition is the same for everyone.
The younger couple, named Mohsen and his beautiful wife named Zunaira (a former brilliant teacher in days before the Taliban take over), come from a wealthy background but lost everything in the Taliban regime including their pride.
The other couple is Atiq, a prison keeper (who has embraced the ideals of the Taliban) married for many years to a chronically ill and depressed wife named Musarrat. He is obligated to his wife for saving his life when he was a young man.
Ariq's job is to guard the Taliban's prisoners before they are to be publicly executed for infractions. He is a man who does as he is told and feels that life is cruel for his lot in life with his sickly wife and his passionless mundane existence.
Mohsen is also frustrated and cannot accept the horrible changes in his country that he can do nothing about. His wife must give up her career and can only be seen in public if escorted and veiled. One day in his powerless state, he joins a maddening mob as they publicly stone to death a young woman accused of adultery. He is appalled at his uncharacteristic behavior and is ashamed to tell his wife. "
Nancy Flinn Ludwin, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Swallows of Kabul |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- depressed
Time/era of story
- 1980's-1999
Inside culture (main char)
- Arab
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society)
- Arabic
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Eccentric:
- obsessed
- deluded
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Arab
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Main Adversary
Identity:
- an organization
Profession/status:
- infantry soldier
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a substantial amount
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 10 (a tremendous amount)
Desert?
Yes
Desert:
- hostile arabs
Small town?
Yes
Misc setting
- prison
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
- No single main character?
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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