The Swallows Of Kabul Summary

Summary: Chapters 1-5
The book The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra’s first five chapters introduce the reader to an overview of the four main characters and shows the theme of mob mentality. Atiq Shaukat whips the people in his way so that he can move through the crowd quicker. Atiq is getting late, he needs to go to the jail in order to hand over prisoners for execution. Mohsen Ramat is in a crowd of people that are chanting for the blood of a woman. The woman is to be publicly stoned to death because she is believed to be a prostitute. The people are signaled to throw the stones at the woman by a mullah, Mohsen picks up stones and throws them towards the woman. Atiq works as a jailer; he spends most of his time in a small, dark, cubbyhole which he …show more content…
Quassim arrives at the jail with two militiawomen along with a new prisoner. The prisoner has killed her husband and is to be publicly executed. A soldier comes along and sits with Atiq. Atiq questions him about Qaab, someone who Atiq knew. The soldier is in shock and feels that Atiq is joking around. Quassim informs Atiq about the big rally the following Friday at the stadium in which the prisoner will get executed. Quassim advises Atiq to get rid of the gloomy look on his face. Atiq notices that the prisoner has taken off her burqa. Atiq is mesmerized by her beauty and cannot take his eyes off of her. Atiq has not seen any other woman’s face except for his wife’s for years. Atiq come home and is unable to take that thought out of his mind. Suddenly, he remembers that he did not feed the prisoner. Atiq leaves the house without his vest, turban and whip which shocks Mussarat. Atiq watches the prisoner sleep, when he returns home, he informs his wife about the prisoner. Mussarat is happy for him and even offers to make a meal for the prisoner as it would make Atiq