A thousand splendid suns (2007) is a novel written by the Afghan-American author Khaled hosseini. The novel addresses both aspects, which he evaluates and points out to his readers. Hosseini tries to point out two young women in the following way. Mariam is an illegitimate child, and suffers from both the stigma surrounding her birth along with the abuse she faces throughout her marriage. Laila, born a generation later, is comparatively privileged during her youth until their lives intersect and she is also forced to accept a marriage proposal from Rasheed, Mariam's husband. Khaled Hosseini from birth onwards was confronted with the living conditions in Afghanistan. And always had a diplomatic view of things due to the job of his father who …show more content…
One thing that has to be taken into consideration is what is cultural diversity while talking about this book this has to be kept in mind at all times. Diversity is nothing more than a difference from the majority. Which basically means that in any culture there is a majority and there are also many minorities. Cultures have set norms and some set standards, which influence the culture in many different ways which have been reflected in the novel at many times. In every culture there are basic standards for social interaction such as personal space, body language and many …show more content…
Cultural diversity can either make a country weaker or stronger. But one important aspect is what really are norms and standards? And to what extent does it influence the lives of people. Mariam and Laila are two great examples that portray what a difference it makes to actually grow up with the same cultural backdrop with different standards of living. Hosseini tries to interpret these things by using events to point out the different things that have occurred in Afghanistan in the 20th century. One thing that has been pointed out by Hosseini is that the family plays a huge role. In the Arab culture family is an integral aspect. In most countries, men and women have very separate roles in the family. The man is generally expected to take care of the family financially this has been shown especially with Mariam and the relationship to her husband. Yet it has also been portrayed with Laila as well who has faced similar problems. Such as Mariam being abused by her husband this has a lot to do with the norms of the Arab culture and how men are under the impression that treating women like this is
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is a story of two Afghan women, from seemingly different backgrounds, whose paths cross and lives are changed by each other. Although it may seem like this story is one of resilience and optimism, A Thousand Splendid Suns is clearly a story that represents pain and hopelessness.
Mariam and Laila face a lot of social injustice yet they do not attempt to challenge the issues because they are told to endure all forms of pain and social injustice. From a very young age, Mariam was told by her mother that all she needed to do was to withstand any pain and suffering, it’s the one skill she needed.” Endure . . . Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have”(17). In addition, Laila also suffered the injustice of society since she was a single mother it was not safe for her to live on her own so she had no choice but to marry Rasheed. The society gave women no choice but to endure and that’s the main reason why Laila and Mariam were unable to take a stand. However, close to the end of the novel Mariam decides to take initiative and fights back. She finally takes action because she is driven by the love she has for Laila and her child since they are the only family she’s had that loved her. So when Rasheed her husband attempts to choke Laila to death, Mariam reflects on how much injustice she has faced and how unjust both her husband and the society have been towards her and other women. At this point, Mariam realizes that she must end her and Laila’s suffering once and for all. So she takes Rasheed’s life. Although Mariam is executed as a form of punishment, she is very successful at taking a stand to end the oppression and injustice. Mariam knew her actions were fatal yet she still did what she knew was right. Furthermore, she sacrificed herself and didn’t regret her action instead she was pleased that “she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother” ( 329). Her actions freed Laila and her child from Rasheed’s abuse and helped them build a better life. Thus Mariam was successful and did not want to endure the injustice or see Laila suffer, she did it by
From start to finish, one could see how much Mariam values Laila, Aziza, and their friendship. The first example is when Mariam vows to help Laila while they are in the hospital for Laila’s unborn child: “I’ll get you seen, Laila jo. I promise” (287). This simple promise is a deep portrayal of Mariam’s desire to help Laila find a doctor and deliver her baby. Additionally, one can see Mariam’s love for Laila when she protects her from Rasheed’s grip of death, “‘Rasheed.’ He looked up. Mariam swung. She hit him across the temple. The blow knocked him off Laila” (348). Rasheed was going to kill Laila, but Mariam steps in and knocks him off of her with a shovel to save her life. Mariam forms a tight-knit bond with Laila, and when Hosseini includes their relationship, one can see how Mariam values Laila enough to kill another man. The author also describes their relationship after Mariam and Laila discuss plans for leaving: “When they do, they’ll find you as guilty as me. Tariq too. I won’t have the two of you living on the run like fugitives.” … “Laila crawled to her and again put her head on Mariam’s lap. She remembered all the afternoons they’d spent together, braiding each other’s hair, Mariam listening patiently to her random thoughts and ordinary stories with an air of gratitude, with the expression of a person to whom a unique and coveted privilege had been extended” (358). The love Mariam has for
Cultural diversity is an important element. Often times we acknowledge cultural diversity but we don’t quite understand it simply because we do not live it. With this novel, readers can understand cultural
Mariam has built a mutual relationship with Jalil in her childhood, with weekly visits every Thursday. Mariam has hid behind a wall of innocence, and Jalil helped her get past the wall with the harsh realities of the world. Mariam was an innocent being at childhood: she was stuck indoors in Kolba. Mariam does not know what is going on around her home, because she has not experienced the outdoors as well as others. All she gets at is from Jalil’s stories, and Mullahs teaching. She does not understand that the world is not as as happy as it seems. In Khaled Hosseini’s novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini uses Jalil’s character to show development in Mariam's life, in order to emphasize how significant the impact of trust breaks Mariam’s innocent in the story.
In his first historical fiction novel, Khaled Hosseini tells the story of a young boy growing up in Afghanistan. The Kite Runner is the story of Amir, the young boy, and the path his life takes because of the decisions he makes when he is a young child. Forgiveness is woven throughout the book as it takes Amir to places he might not have gone if he hadn’t been able to forgive.
Both el Saadawi and Al-Shaykh both show how perception and expression are both affected within the confines of politics, social opportunities, and male privilege depicted in their stories. Whether the reader is a follower of the feminist movement or not, it is very clear and easy to see that these women are not being treated with the respect that any human being deserves. The misogynistic stranglehold on society, especially in this part of the world, is excessive and avoidable in today’s world but it is very likely that the traditional, conservative ways of the past will continue to control and inhibit women from being able to be fully treated as equals for many years to come, perhaps even after this generation has
“A Thousand Splendid Suns” starts off with a little girl named Mariam. The mood for the book is automatically set when her mother calls her a harami. Born a disgrace to her father and a burden to her mother. Mariam faces a life of rejection and when something unexpected happens and she is forced to go live with her father, and his three meddling wives, things don't turn out in her favor. Next we have
At a young age children believe almost everything that they hear. Parents and teachers need to be very careful and selective with what they talk about around children. One challenge that teachers and parents face is choosing the appropriate books to read for their young ones. One book genre that has caused a good amount of chaos and controversy are multicultural books. Adults are afraid of exposing their children to these kinds of books because they do not want them to be influenced by the negative stereotypes that many of these books contain. However multicultural books can help children to empathize with others and learn about different cultures, the right books just need to be selected. Parents and teachers need to find books that
A Thousand Splendid Suns is written by Khaled Hosseini. The novel is split into four parts (51 chapters) and has 420 pages. It was published by the Penguin Publishing Group, on May 22nd, 2007 in the United States. Khaled Hosseini was born on March 4th 1968 in Kabul Afghanistan however his current place of residency is Northern Carolina, United States. He studied biology in the University of Santa Clara and earned his bachelor degree in biology in 1988. The subsequent year he went into the UCFS School of medicine where he earned his M.D. Then in 1996, he completed residency at Cedars at the Sinal Medical Center in Los Angeles. He practiced medicine for more than ten years before publishing his first novel, The Kite Runner. Two of his other well-known
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a fictional novel which was written by Khaled Hosseini. Khaled Hosseini was originally born in Kabul however his family was relocated to Paris due to the Soviet Army invading the land. Much later in 2006, He founded the Khaled Hosseini Foundation which is a nonprofit that supports the people of Afghanistan. A Thousand Splendid Suns was published in 2007 by Riverhead Books and has four hundred eighteen pages. This novel shows how much Afghanistan changes and how much these changes affect the lives of citizens. However, women are often given the short end of the stick when it comes to these changes.
In recent modern times, the Islamic faith and culture has been scarred by bad publicity and criticism worldwide concerning terrorism, fanaticism, and the treatment of women. All these issues have existed in most religions throughout time, but the treatment of women is different in which most other cultures and religions have minimized the issues and Islam, under its attempts to also end it, has failed to create a society in which the treatment of women is equal to that of men. The treatment of women, beginning from the time when they are born, to the time of their marriage, to the moment of their death, has not been equal to that of men despite the actions taken to end the injustice.
The concept of diversity is very broad and it covers many definitions. We can say that, above all, diversity is a characteristic feature of our world and the reality of the society around us. A reality that in recent years has been reinforced by economic globalization, and the mobilization of markets and people. More and more people move around the world, bringing their culture and personal experience. For our society, cultural diversity is a fact that in many years it has become very evident largely due to the incorporation of immigrants. In the case of a business, cultural diversity can bring a number of positive elements such as creativity, innovative spirit, commitment, responsibility, knowledge, experience, etc. However, very often, cultural diversity is interpreted in stereotypes and prejudices. And in a way, more or less open, people are considered different in many cases subject to negative consideration. In most cases, this means that cultural diversity is associated with difficulties and problems and more positive side is not contemplated.
Daniels starts the chapter by stating that men historically have had more advantages than women. Men could be writers without being judged while women were unable to do so due to their lack of education. It is because of this that men could express their opinion while women were kept shut. Literature served as an insight of the culture and society of the time period. In Arab literature specifically, women are often portrayed in the familiar cultural stereotypes. Alifa Rifaat, a Muslim feminist, took a twist on the average Arab literature and she instead wrote stories about what it means to be a woman in an orthodox Muslim society in Egypt. In Rifaat’s book, Distant View of a Minaret, she discusses themes of human rights, sex and gender roles in her stories that would allow the reader to come to their own conclusion about such rights, or lack of, regarding women, hopefully in protest of such. Rifaat’s book contains thirteen short stories in which Muslim women are faced difficulties in their arranged marriages. Throughout her stories it is made clear that in Egypt and other orthodox Muslim societies women have little to no say in economics or major decisions, as well as little to no education. Women are expected to be under the control of their husbands, or their older brother if they are single or widowed. A major theme in all of Rifaat’s short stories is the deprivation of sexual satisfaction and lack of emotional attention many of the women suffer from in their marriages in orthodox Muslim societies. This then leads to a tyranny of masculinity that make women passive and unable to fight back. Not only is it the religious rules that have oppressed women in orthodox Muslim societies but it is also the tradition in such cultures. Such rules and traditions have
Khaled Hosseini begins the book off by talking about a girl named Mariam, a girl who has been mentally, verbally, and emotionally abused by her mother and father. She grew up being shunned for being born out of wedlock. Her father, Jalil, was worried about her ruining his reputation, so he makes her stay with her mother in a filthy home outside of Herat. Her mother, Nana, verbally abuses her everyday by calling her a harami (bastard), making her feel worthless. Nana wasn't the only person that abused Mariam in her young life. Jalil, her father, also abused her mentally by telling her things that he could not uphold. He also is very ashamed of having Mariam in the family and eventually tries to kick her out.