The Symbolism of the Chinese Tea Set
A Thousand Splendid SunsTraces the heirloom that Nana received from her mother, a symbol of family and loss.
increasing
Bearing strength in each event
decreasing
Bearing strength in each eventdecreasingThe Breaking of the Sugar Bowl
A Child's Accident
The Heirloom
Nana's Chinese tea set is the only relic of her own mother. She cherishes it. The sugar bowl has a dragon meant to ward off evil.
The Accident
Mariam drops the sugar bowl and it shatters. Nana calls her a clumsy little harami. The word is spoken for the first time.
The Wound
Mariam does not understand the word, but she feels the sting. The broken bowl is a symbol of her broken family.
The Tea Set's Fate
Lost Again
Left Behind
When Mariam is taken to Jalil's house, she does not take the tea set. It remains in the kolba. The fragments of the sugar bowl are still there.
A Memory of Nana
Mariam never sees the tea set again. It is a reminder of her mother's bitterness and her own shame.
The Unbroken Pieces
In Laila's visit to the kolba, there is no sign of the tea set. It has been lost or destroyed. The only legacy is the memory of Nana's words.
1959, when Mariam is five
1974, after Nana's death
