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Lesson Objectives
To develop learners’ empathy, comprehension, and critical thinking by exploring themes of memory, loss, displacement, and parental love through the reading and analysis of Khaled Hosseini’s “Sea Prayer.”
B. Now read the text titled “Sea Prayer” by Khaled Hosseini and answer the questions that follow:
My dear Marwan, in the long summers of childhood, when I was a boy the age you are now, your uncles and I spread our mattress on the roof of your grandfather's farmhouse outside of Homs.
We woke in the mornings to the stirring of olive trees in the breeze, to the bleating of your grandmother's goat, the clanking of her cooking pots, the air cool and the sun a pale rim of persimmon to the east.
We took you there when you were a toddler.
I have a sharply etched memory of your mother from that trip, showing you a herd of cows grazing in a field blown through with wild flowers.
I wish you hadn’t been so young.
You wouldn’t have forgotten the farmhouse, the soot of its stone walls, the creek where your uncles and I built a thousand boyhood dams.
I wish you remembered Homs as I do, Marwan.
In its bustling Old City, a mosque for us Muslims, a church for our Christian neighbours, and a grand souk for us all to haggle over gold pendants and fresh produce and bridal dresses.
I wish you remembered the crowded lanes smelling of fried kibbeh and the evening walks we took with your mother around Clock Tower Square.
But that life, that time, seems like a dream now, even to me, like some long-dissolved rumour.
First came the protests. Then the siege.
The skies spitting bombs. Starvation. Burials. These are the things you know.
You know a bomb crater can be made into a swimming hole.
You have learned dark blood is better news than bright.
You have learned that mothers and sisters and classmates can be found in narrow gaps between concrete, bricks and exposed beams, little patches of sunlit skin shining in the dark.
Your mother is here tonight, Marwan, with us, on this cold and moonlit beach, among the crying babies and the women worrying in tongues we don't speak.
Afghans and Somalis and Iraqis and Eritreans and Syrians. All of us impatient for sunrise, all of us in dread of it. All of us in search of home.
I have heard it said we are the uninvited.
We are the unwelcome. We should take our misfortune elsewhere.
But I hear your mother's voice, over the tide, and she whispers in my ear, “Oh, but if they saw, my darling. Even half of what you have.
If only they saw. They would say kinder things, surely.”
I look at your profile in the glow of this three-quarter moon, my boy, your eyelashes like calligraphy, closed in guileless sleep. I said to you, "Hold my hand. Nothing bad will happen."
These are only words. A father's tricks. It slays your father, your faith in him. Because all I can think tonight is how deep the sea, and how vast, how indifferent. How powerless I am to protect you from it. All I can do is pray. Pray God steers the vessel true, when the shores slip out of eyeshot and we are a flyspeck in the heaving waters, pitching and tilting, easily swallowed. Because you, you are precious cargo, Marwan, the most precious there ever was. I pray the sea knows this. Inshallah. How I pray the sea knows this.
Vocabulary List
| Word | Word | Word |
|---|---|---|
| Etched | Grazing | Persimmon |
| Mattress | Clanking | Soot |
| Bustling | Souk | Haggle |
| Starvation | Burials | Dread |
| Uninvited | Guileless | Indifferent |
Multiple Choice Questions
- Where did the narrator and his family sleep during the summers of his childhood?
- On the roof of the grandfather’s farmhouse
- In the basement of their house
- In a shared village hall
- Inside a refugee tent
- What does the narrator wish Marwan could remember?
- His first birthday party
- The bustling life and peaceful past of Homs
- Their journey across the sea
- His time in school
- What does the phrase “the skies spitting bombs” suggest?
- Rainfall caused destruction
- Planes were flying overhead
- The weather was extremely harsh
- Bombings were frequent and terrifying
- Which group is NOT mentioned among the people on the beach?
- Afghans
- Eritreans
- Palestinians
- Somalis
- What is the narrator’s tone when he says, “These are only words. A father’s tricks”?
- Proud and confident
- Regretful and helpless
- Amused and light-hearted
- Disappointed but firm
- What does the narrator fear the most during the sea journey?
- That their boat will be intercepted
- That Marwan will grow up to forget him
- That the sea is indifferent and could swallow them whole
- That they will run out of food
- What message does the narrator hope others would understand if they “saw even half”?
- That people like Marwan deserve empathy and kindness
- That the family had committed crimes
- That refugees bring danger
- That borders should be closed
Short Questions
- Where did the narrator spend his childhood summers?
- What memories does the narrator wish Marwan could remember?
- What sounds and sights did the narrator wake up to on the farmhouse roof?
- How has the city of Homs changed according to the narrator?
- Why does the narrator describe his comforting words as “a father’s tricks”?
- What does the narrator fear most while crossing the sea with Marwan?
- Who are the different refugee groups mentioned on the beach?
- What message does the narrator hope others would understand if they “saw even half” of Marwan’s experiences?
Fill in the Blanks
In the long summers of his __________, the narrator and his brothers slept on the __________ of their grandfather’s __________ outside of Homs. They would wake to the __________ through olive trees, the bleating of __________, and the clanking of __________. The narrator __________ his son, Marwan, could remember the __________ of Homs, with its mosques, churches, and the grand __________. But now, Homs is lost to __________, __________, and __________, and they are left seeking __________ among other displaced families on a cold and moonlit __________.
Suffix and Prefix Activity
The war brought __________ __________ to their homeland. What was once __________ and __________ became __________. The narrator feels __________ and filled with __________. Despite his __________ words of comfort, he is deeply __________ of their __________. He prays with __________ that the sea will be __________ to his son.
Complete the Table
Complete the following table with the information given in the passage.
| Subject | Event/Action | What/Why |
|---|---|---|
| The narrator and his brothers | __________________________ | (i) during childhood summers on their grandfather's farmhouse roof |
| The narrator | __________________________ | (ii) when Marwan was a toddler to show him family roots |
| The narrator’s wife | __________________________ | (iii) in a field of wildflowers to connect Marwan to nature |
| The Old City of Homs | __________________________ | (iv) to reflect religious harmony and shared daily life |
| The present world | __________________________ | (v) with bombs, starvation, and loss replacing childhood peace |
| Marwan | __________________________ | (vi) in war—he learned to recognize death and survival |
| The narrator | __________________________ | (vii) because he feels helpless to protect his son from the sea |
| Refugees | __________________________ | (viii) from different nations, waiting for safety and a new home |
Answers
Word Details
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Etched (Verb) | Engraved or carved into a surface or memory deeply | Bengali: খোদাই করা বা গভীরভাবে মনে গেঁথে যাওয়া | IPA: /ɛtʃt/ | I have a sharply etched memory of your mother from that trip. |
| Grazing (Verb) | Feeding on grass or plants | Bengali: চারণ বা ঘাস খাওয়া | IPA: /ˈɡreɪzɪŋ/ | The cows were grazing in a field blown through with wild flowers. |
| Persimmon (Noun) | A soft, orange-colored fruit | Bengali: খাকি ফল | IPA: /pəˈsɪmən/ | The sun was a pale rim of persimmon to the east. |
| Soot (Noun) | A black powdery substance produced by burning | Bengali: ঝাঁঝা ধোঁয়া / কালি | IPA: /sʊt/ | You wouldn’t have forgotten the soot of its stone walls. |
| Bustling (Adjective) | Full of lively activity | Bengali: কোলাহলপূর্ণ | IPA: /ˈbʌslɪŋ/ | I wish you remembered Homs as I do, in its bustling Old City. |
| Guileless (Adjective) | Innocent and without deception | Bengali: নিষ্পাপ / ছলচাতুর্যহীন | IPA: /ˈɡaɪlləs/ | Your eyelashes were closed in guileless sleep. |
Multiple Choice Questions
- Where did the narrator and his family sleep during the summers of his childhood?
- On the roof of the grandfather’s farmhouse ✅
- In the basement of their house
- In a shared village hall
- Inside a refugee tent
- What does the narrator wish Marwan could remember?
- His first birthday party
- The bustling life and peaceful past of Homs ✅
- Their journey across the sea
- His time in school
- What does the phrase “the skies spitting bombs” suggest?
- Rainfall caused destruction
- Planes were flying overhead
- The weather was extremely harsh
- Bombings were frequent and terrifying ✅
- Which group is NOT mentioned among the people on the beach?
- Afghans
- Eritreans
- Palestinians ✅
- Somalis
- What is the narrator’s tone when he says, “These are only words. A father’s tricks”?
- Proud and confident
- Regretful and helpless ✅
- Amused and light-hearted
- Disappointed but firm
- What does the narrator fear the most during the sea journey?
- That their boat will be intercepted
- That Marwan will grow up to forget him
- That the sea is indifferent and could swallow them whole ✅
- That they will run out of food
- What message does the narrator hope others would understand if they “saw even half”?
- That people like Marwan deserve empathy and kindness ✅
- That the family had committed crimes
- That refugees bring danger
- That borders should be closed
Short Questions with Answers
-
Where did the narrator spend his childhood summers?
He spent his childhood summers on the roof of his grandfather's farmhouse outside of Homs. -
What memories does the narrator wish Marwan could remember?
He wishes Marwan could remember the farmhouse, the creek, and the lively Old City of Homs. -
What sounds and sights did the narrator wake up to?
He woke up to the breeze through olive trees, bleating goats, clanking pots, and the soft morning sun. -
How has the city of Homs changed according to the narrator?
Homs has changed from a vibrant, peaceful city to one marked by protests, siege, bombings, and destruction. -
Why does the narrator describe his words as “a father’s tricks”?
He feels powerless to protect Marwan and admits his comforting words are just illusions to hide his fear. -
What does the narrator fear most while crossing the sea?
He fears the vastness and indifference of the sea and his inability to protect his son from it. -
Who are the different refugee groups mentioned on the beach?
The narrator mentions Afghans, Somalis, Iraqis, Eritreans, and Syrians as fellow refugees. -
What message does the narrator hope others would understand?
He hopes others would be more compassionate if they understood even a part of the refugees' suffering.
Fill in the Blanks – Answer Key
In the long summers of his childhood, the narrator and his brothers slept on the roof of their grandfather’s farmhouse outside of Homs. They would wake to the breeze through olive trees, the bleating of goats, and the clanking of pots. The narrator wishes his son, Marwan, could remember the peace of Homs, with its mosques, churches, and the grand souk. But now, Homs is lost to bombings, siege, and starvation, and they are left seeking refuge among other displaced families on a cold and moonlit beach.
Suffix and Prefix Answer
The war brought endless destruction to their homeland. What was once peaceful and beautiful became unrecognizable. The narrator feels powerless and filled with hopelessness. Despite his fatherly words of comfort, he is deeply uncertain of their safety. He prays with earnestness that the sea will be merciful to his son.
Gap Filling Activity in Table
| Subject | Event/Action | What/Why |
|---|---|---|
| The narrator and his brothers | slept on the farmhouse roof | during childhood summers on their grandfather's farmhouse roof |
| The narrator | took Marwan to Homs | when Marwan was a toddler to show him family roots |
| The narrator’s wife | showed Marwan a herd of cows | in a field of wildflowers to connect Marwan to nature |
| The Old City of Homs | had mosques, churches, and a grand souk | to reflect religious harmony and shared daily life |
| The present world | became filled with war and destruction | with bombs, starvation, and loss replacing childhood peace |
| Marwan | learned to survive amid war | in war—he learned to recognize death and survival |
| The narrator | feels powerless to protect Marwan | because he feels helpless to protect his son from the sea |
| Refugees | wait on a cold beach | from different nations, waiting for safety and a new home |
📖 Key Features
- 📌 Format: Reading Text
- 📌Content: Class VIII – Unit Seven, Lesson 3: A Conversation between Jahin and a Woman (Page 82) Fill in the Form
- 📌 Exercise: Multiple Choice Questions, Short Questions, and 10 words with IPA transcription, word class, Bengali and English meanings, and example sentences
- 📌 Ideal for: IT-Assisted Classrooms
- 📌 Perfect for: Presentation Purposes and Personal Learning too
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