Literary Conflict in A Thousand Splendid Suns

This Storyboard That activity is part of the lesson plans for A Thousand Splendid Suns




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Activity Overview

Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflict. Have your students choose an example of each literary conflict and depict them using the Storyboard Creator. In the storyboard, an example of each conflict should be visually represented, along with an explanation of the scene, and how it fits the particular category of conflict.

Literary Conflict in A Thousand Splendid Suns



MAN vs. MAN

After Tariq hears that neighborhood bully Khadim had sprayed Laila with urine from a water gun to mock her “yellow hair”, he attacks Khadim with his prosthetic leg. After the fight, Khadim never bothers Laila again.


MAN vs. SELF

Laila wakes up after her parents are killed by a rocket that hit their house, finding that she has been saved and taken care of by Rasheed. She also knows that she is pregnant with Tariq’s child, and that as an unwed mother, she will be in danger. Despite Mariam’s objections and obvious anger at the threat she feels Laila poses, Laila agrees to marry Rasheed to protect herself and her baby.


MAN vs. SOCIETY

Laila and Mariam try to escape on a bus to Peshawar with Aziza. However, they cannot board the bus without a male family member, so they enlist the help of someone they deem to be a friendly man. He turns them in to the authorities, who send them back to Rasheed. It is a crime for a woman to run away from her husband, according to the Taliban.



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Template and Class Instructions

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Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in A Thousand Splendid Suns.


  1. Identify conflicts in A Thousand Splendid Suns.
  2. Categorize each conflict as Character vs. Character, Character vs. Self, Character vs. Society, Character vs. Nature, or Character vs. Technology.
  3. Illustrate conflicts in the cells, using characters from the story.
  4. Write a short description of the conflict below the cell.



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A Thousand Splendid Suns



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