Discussion Topic B

         In the novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns," author Khaled Hosseini demonstrates the triumph of the human spirit as he reveals the story of two women who grapple to survive in a world whose very laws and beliefs entail the oppression of women. Hosseini's utilization of intimate characterization coupled with the cultural expectations of the characters within the story explain the harsh reality with which the women in this novel are faced.

 The initial perception of the relationship between men and women in the novel are realized through the treatment of Mariam after her marriage to Rasheed. Her marriage to him represents her condemnation to servitude and submission. She describes the burqa he males her wear by explaining that “the padded headpiece felt tight and heavy on her skull, and it was strange seeing the world through a mesh screen…she did not like the suffocating way the pleated cloth kept pressing against her mouth.” (72)  This declaration by Rasheed ultimately symbolizes that Mariam’s new life is limited to Rasheed and Rasheed alone. The requirement of Mariam's burqa foreshadows Rasheed's selfish, protective nature, which will ultimately result in abuse. The position of women in Afghan society is so concrete and indelible as Nana, Mariam's mother, tells Mariam “Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finder always finds a woman.” (7) Women who do little more than cook, perform chores, and bear children, are use as scapegoats and held to a standard of living by men that forces them to become mindless and responsive individuals. The cultural expectations and norms that are the reality of Afghani women are embodied by the position and actions of Mariam and Laila and the other women who are forced to be held accountable by their gender.

The demonstration of the social poverty endured by these women is indicative of the degenerative values by which nations who are undeveloped and facing war, drought, disease and poverty live. Hosseini portrays the amazing power of will to disintegrate the barriers set in place by oppressive intent, and the ability of love and companionship to promote perseverance and hope.