Discussion Topic A

     In the novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns," author Khaled Hosseini confronts the physical and verbal abuse suffered by women in Afghanistan; using such literary devices as diction and conlict to portray the emotional and physical damage that results from such repeated abuse. Hosseini establishes a feeling of hopelessness as readers are presented with the abusive situations faced by the characters and their lack of ability to escape the oppression.
     The maltreatment of Mariam and Laila by their husband Rasheed is driven by an overbearing fear that he instills in them. Hosseini captures the potency of the ability of a man with total power to suppress and dominate those over whom he has control by describing, with detail, the instances of abuse. Notwithstanding the physical blows that Rasheed inflicts himself, first upon Mariam, and then upon both Mariam and Laila, " He snatched her hand, opened it, and dropped a handful of pebbles into it... Put these in your mouth... Now chew."(94) It would seem to readers that Rasheed's potential for abuse is boundless as he forces his wives to perform such painful acts. His lack of remorse and his incessant abuse instill a sense of superiority that is physicall and emotionally crippling to those over which he assumes control. Rasheed verbally abuses Laila by directly criticizing her purported inability to perform what he believes are one of her subordinate duties. He says to her "Now you know what you've given me in this marriage. Bad food, and nothing else." (94) The denouncement of her usefullness, and the dissapproval that Rasheed shows her is injurious to what little pride she may have retained after having underwent so much abuse. The exchange of dialogue between Rasheed and Mariam and Laila represents a Man v. Man conflict. The direct exchange of virulent language and physical blows between Rasheed and his wives is representative of the situation faced by almost all Afghani women as they struggle to gain small victories of freedom in a turbulent and oppressive world.
     The struggle to overcome abuse is stunted by the prevalence of a culture that condones the subordination of the female gender. Hosseini challenges readers to confront this realization by providing readers with examples of the violence and how it affects the morale and conception of women. He posits that even in the face of complete subjugation, hope and companionship can breed longevity and a better life.