How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Fariba, all these people know is war," said Babi. "They learned to walk with a milk bottle in one hand and a gun in another." (2.24.29)
War is a cyclical process. Children growing up in war-torn countries are forced to experience the horrors of war on a daily basis, and this shapes them. Some, like Laila, dedicate their lives to peace. Many, however, give in to the pressures of society and continue the cycle of violence.
Quote #5
Giti was dead. Dead. Blown to pieces. At last, Laila began to weep for her friend. And all the tears that she hadn't been able to shed at her brothers' funeral came pouring down. (2.24.42)
It's horrifying to imagine that one of your closest high school friends has been killed in the war. So far, Laila has been able to compartmentalize the death of her brothers because they've been so far away for so long. When Giti dies, however, the reality of her absence is immediate and crushing.
Quote #6
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)
When we talk about war, we often forget about the toll it takes on civilians. We see here that civilians are usually the ones who suffer the most during a war. It's easy to think about it if you put people into neat categories of "bad guys" and "good guys," but the truth is rarely so clear.