Summary: Mariam recollects her childhood being called a harami, or bastard. Mariam was considered a nothing, useless, and clumsy. Nina, Mariam’s mother, gets the jinn or evil spirits that makes her mad and violent. Jalil, Mariam’s father was very nice to her unlike Nana. He would tell her stories and tell her about the life outside of Herat. Jalil had three wives and nine children; Mariam is a non-legitimate daughter. Jalil owned cinema’s, land, drove a nice car and lived in a nice car. Nina tells Mariam how Jalil skews the truth about Nana and Jalil’s affair. Nana tells Mariam about how she was badly treated by Jalil’s wife and children, how Jalil kicked them out of his house and give them a terrible house to live in, and did not even come to Mariam's birth.
Nana disliked seeing any guests; she only made a few exceptions like the village leader and Mullah Faizullah. Mullah Faizullah tutors Mariam the Quran and about life. Mullah Faizullah is the only one who really understands Mariam. Mullah tries to convince Nana that Mariam should go to school in the city but Nana protests telling her that women only need one skill, to endure pain.
Analysis: In these three chapters, the narrator describes the main characters Mariam, Nana, and Jalil. How Jalil and Nana had an affair and had Mariam. How Mariam and Nana are treated like scum that don’t matter, a disgrace to the community. Also, the biggest conflict of parenting, whether Jalil is being truthful and being a greet father or is Nana the one who really cared for her. Whether she should be more faithful to the nice and fun father or the mean and strict mother. Also, introduced by Nana is the patriarchal community in that area. The quote about a compass that talks about men always blame the women and that the only skill women need is to endure pain and the effect of a patriarchal community.
