Laila's Suffering In 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'

Audrey Muck

A Thousand Splendid Suns Essay Questions

This novel shows the struggle of two women suffering against the Taliban society. Their similar suffering leads to the mother-daughter bond they created later in the book. The quote, "Women like us. We endure. It's all we have", can be used to exemplify the importance of hope, strength, and courage. Everyday, Mariam and Laila faced oppression and injustice, yet the book ended with a sense of pleasure. Mariam's mother believes that women have no choice but to be tough and survive.

In chapter 33, Laila saved Mariam from a beating by agreeing to have sex with Rasheed. Laila surrendered to Rasheed by saying, "You win. You win. Don't do this. Please, Rasheed, no beating! Please don't do this." This quote reveals the loyal and authentic relationship Mariam and Laila created. Laila took this action

Mariam taught Laila how to be a good wife and to survive a life with Rasheed. Even when Laila was bearing her second child, Mariam was doing everything she could to get Laila her medication despite the resentment Mariam had for not being able to carry children. Their relationships with their mothers shaped the way they treated one another. Laila's mother spent most of her time depressed because of her two older sons. In chapter 17, Laila's mother did not react when she told her about boys bullying her on her way home from school. While Mariam was the mother Laila never had, Laila was the daughter Mariam never had. The two women fill the important roles in their lives that they were once lacking. In chapter 34, page 247, it quotes, "Two days later, Laila woke up in the morning and found a stack of baby clothes, neatly folded, outside her bedroom door." Mariam had given Laila clothes for Aziza after Rasheed refused to support his daughter. Mariam constantly took care of Laila like a good mother