How does Mohammed Moulessehoul personify the setting in and around Kabul? What kinds of language and descriptions does he use in describing the countryside? The city? How do these descriptions inform the events of the novel?

Atiq expresses disgust at children, people begging, and elderly people. What are his reasons for disliking each of these groups? How are the material conditions of these groups affected by the Taliban rule?

Considering the nature of a proxy war, how does Moulessehoul portray the issues of foreign intervention? What conflicts are discussed outright, and how do these conflicts explain Kabul’s situation in the novel?