In Chapter 16 of A Thousand Splendid Suns, our focus is shifted from Rasheed and Mariam to Laila who is a new protagonist to the story. Khaled Hosseini establishes parallels between Laila and Mariam, and between the two married couples - Rasheed and Mariam, and Fariba and Hakim. Through the lives of Mariam and Laila, one can perceive that the personal suffering of both Fariba and Nana limits them to fulfill their roles as mothers. Both mothers care for their daughters, but are unable to focus on their needs due to their own misery. Because the author changed the third person point of view from Mariam to Laila, Hosseini can compare and contrast the two characters. Laila and Mariam are influenced by their mother’s behaviors. At times, both girls have hard feelings towards them, but at other times are empathetic. Nana and Fariba have experienced a lot of grief in their lives, but both of them can not look past it. Their inabilities to overcome the different losses in their lives affected the egos of their daughter’s, which is why Laila and Mariam feel much closer to …show more content…
“Harami” is the afghan term for “bastard”. The narrative, which takes place in Afghanistan, is filled with Afghani phrases that are sometimes directly defined. For example, the reader is introduced to the word “harami” before it’s actual definition is given. Other words such as “jinn” and “kolba are left for the reader to determine based on the context. Khaled Hosseini is an afghan born writer who left Afghanistan during the soviet invasion. This novel was written based on some of his memories and contains autobiographical elements. We familiarize ourselves with Hosseini’s style from chapter 1 where he uses these pashto terms to not only establish the setting, but to also signify that some phrases and thought cannot be
Meanwhile, having a good strong amount of perseverance is very helpful and important for someone having to endure, including the women of Afghanistan. In the beginning, when a bomb destroyed Laila’s home, killing her family, Rasheed saves her from the wreckage and Mariam works hard and perseveres to nurse Laila back to health, “... Mariam rub antibiotic ointment on the cuts on the girl’s face and neck, and on the sutured gashes on her shoulder, across her forearms and lower legs” (Hosseini 200). Little did Mariam know, but she and Laila would become great friends later on, and they both would show perseverance for each other 's friendship and sisterhood. “Mariam slowly grew accustomed to this tentative but pleasant companionship.
Using motifs and the complex characterization of multiple figures in The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini shows how one person’s decision can have an affect on their life along with multiple others’. In the novel, Amir and Hassan’s friendship is extremely one sided, which is influenced greatly by Amir’s envy. In Afghanistan’s society, Pashtuns are superior to Hazaras, which plays a
This is best ending for both of them, the power of love between Mariam and Laila effect on lots of people. Mariam’s love inspires Laila to do positive things and pay their love forward to those in
In regards to the historiography of gender politics in the Victorian era, the social position of women and femininity had become a problematic issue. Similarly, the gender apartheid instilled prior to the civil war in Afghanistan. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, initially published in 2007, is set in Afghanistan from the early 1960s to the early 2000s. In this, it explores the story of Mariam and Laila as the protagonists, who teach the reader the reality of life as a woman in a backward Islamic country. The story covers three decades of anti-Soviet jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny seen from the perspectives of these two women and observes how they become to create a bond, despite having come from previously living in very different backgrounds.
Mariam allowing herself to forgive Laila leads to a bond that helps Mariam find meaning in their lives (250). Laila seems to have a better life than Mariam, but that all changes when Laila's parents are killed by a rocket. Laila was not mistreated as bad as Mariam was but still wasn't loved as much as her brothers were. Lailas mom loved her sons and once they were killed Mammy became distant towards Laila. Laila is aware of the change and knows that “She would never leave her
He uses characterization, conflict, symbolism, and flashback. These literary elements used by Hosseini help to prove that the relationship between two people can be built up by life’s conflicts along with the art of silence. Society takes on a tremendous role in the book. Every man in Afghanistan faces the standards that society sets everyday. This situation is similar to the branches and trunk of a tree.
Laila on the other hand was raised by both parents except her mother did not focus much on her. She therefore had a strong bond with her father than her mother. The two grew up with the knowledge they were brought up with. My essay will focus on the comparison between Mariam’s relationship with her mother and Laila’s relationship with her mother and how these relationships prepare them for adulthood.
When Laila’s parents were killed and she was injured, Mariam took her in and sacrificed her time and space in order to take care of Laila (199). Mariam didn’t have kids of her own, yet took care of Laila as if she were her own daughter. She cared enough for the young girl’s well being to take her in and show her kindness. When Rasheed is about to kill Laila, Mariam hits Rasheed with a shovel so hard that it kills him (349). She viewed Laila as her own daughter, and she wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her daughter.
In this chapter, Foster discusses the importance of viewing a story from the perspective of the character. This accounts for fully understanding the character’s background and weighing that with the current occurrences. After taking into account Laila’s familial and religious background along with her new situation with Rasheed, this passage has a lot more weight. In the situation Laila is in right now, she likely feels repressed and alone. Because of this, she confides in her memories with Tariq.
In the historical fiction novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, Amir, the main protagonist, is a Pashtun with traumatic childhood experiences and tense relations with his father. Hassan, who Amir is acquainted with since birth, is a fiercely loyal Hazara. Ethnic conflicts materializes between the two boys due to the fact that the novel takes place in Afghanistan, where Hazaras are vehemently discriminated against. When a tragic event occurs to Hassan, Amir attempts to atone for his sins and to redeem himself. The three key elements that cause the novel to be considered a highly recommended piece of literature is the use of symbolism, archetypes, and situational irony.
However, after a long time of struggling against the society and the loss of her two sons in addition to that, her role as an ideal feminist challenger is no longer dominant. Much like Mariam, Laila is a victor. The difference between Mariam and Laila is Laila has been defying the norms of the culture throughout her life, unlike Mariam, who was submissive for the early years of her lifetime. Laila represents a hope for woman in the male dominated culture, as she goes on to escape from her abusive husband, finds happiness, pursues education, and contributes back to the society postwar. The male characters are also notable to observe from the novel because the patriarchal society, as well as for the comparison purpose.
One night when Mariam was constantly awaken by the scorching heat she went downstairs to drink a glass of water and she noticed Aziza lying awake beside Laila on the floor. Mariam immediately noticed that the little girl was “dressed like a damn boy” (243). A few days later Laila “found a stack of baby clothes, neatly folded, outside her bedroom door” (247). Laila knew that Mariam had generously given these clothes to her for the reason that Mariam knew that Rasheed was not going to buy any for her, and since Aziza was the first person to love Mariam “so undeservedly” (252) Mariam felt a connection between both of them. This interaction causes Mariam and Laila to come closer together also, and therefore the drinking of “chai” (251) became a “nightly ritual” (251).
Abstract women have been living very miserable lives throughout the history somewhere because of gender differences and somewhere base on lame excuses of religion. They do not have equal rights, freedom, opportunities as men and have been suffering gender-based violence perpetuated towards them in the male dominated society. Afghan women show great strength and resistance in the face of adverse circumstances. They have developed traumatic problems and in reaction to their problems, they have grown very resilience to the Afghan tradition and men harsh treatment. The research entitled “Trauma and Resistance of Afghan Women: A Critical Study of Khaled Hosseini’s Novel “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, was intended to critically analyze the novel to explore trauma and resistance of Afghan women.
A Thousand Splendid Suns’ was written by an Afghan American writer, Khaled Hosseini. The novel narrates the strength and resilience of two women who endure physical and psychological cruelty in an anti-feminist society. It also demonstrates how The Taliban uses fear and violence to control the people of Afghanistan, particularly females. Throughout this story the novel exposes the way customs and laws endorse Rasheed’s violent misogyny and it tells the tale of two women who endure a marriage to a ruthless and brutal man, whose behaviour forces them to kill him. The protagonist Mariam is a poor villager who lives in a remote area in Afghanistan, in contrast to Laila who is a smart, educated daughter of a schoolteacher.
Hosseini’s use of language, sin and redemption reveal to us the foundations of moral growth. As Amir ages, he experiences and grows to understands guilt and remorse. His actions and growth allow the reader to observe a journey of