Chapter 28 & 29

Reza will either bring his family to freedom or death.

1. Reread the prologue and respond. 
2. Destiny
3. Mothers of Warriors

1. When the author meets Pari and Soraya “their emotion transcends language.”  Discuss
2. The family stands at the edge of the frozen river.  Describe their physical and mental states. 
3. How does the setting contribute to the tone at this point in the story?
4. Analyze the significance of Ardeshir’s conversation with Hassan.
5. Did the resolution provide closure for the reader?  Support your answer.

Write the word ‘pahlavan’ in the center of your paper.   Create a cluster with words, pictures and examples from the story that reflect the idea of pahlavan.

1. Ardeshir rolled to his side.  A vacant stare washed away all expression.  With deliberate rhythm, his distant voice echoed from another time, another place.  “I did something worse than losing.  I quit.  And when I quit, your brother….your brother…”  Ardeshir took the gold medal from Hassan and wrapped his hand around it.  “He’s so much stronger than I am.”
2. A very old face looked at Reza.  A frozen face.  A defeated face.  A face with a chipped eye carved from stone.  Reza reached under Abbas’s arms just as he lay limp.  “Baba!  You can’t give up!”  Abbas called again for his wife.  “Nimtaj…Nimtaj….”  Through the trees they heard her whispers…”pahlavan…pahlavan”.  
3. Reza closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the shower wall.  The warm water poured down his body.  Naneh, I would have liked to see you one more time.  I should have hugged you tighter.  I should have said I love you more.  I will always regret that.  I miss you Naneh.   I miss you so much.

A theme is a central idea that unifies an entire literary work.  It is not a lesson, but rather a meaningful insight or a comprehensive vision of life.  It is the observation about the subject matter, a revelation about the behavior of human beings or the conduct of society; an insight into the human condition. A long work can have more than one theme.  It can be stated in a single sentence. 

In a single sentence, state the theme.

Against the dramatic landscape of world altering events, Reza’s heroric journey unfolds.