Examples Of Pride In A Thousand Splendid Suns

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Moreover, in both texts, Shakespeare and Hosseini present how the male characters’ damaged pride causes them to inflict pain on others as a way of deflecting their own pain and suffering. The patriarchal ideals of honour and pride cause them to overlook the deeper consequences of their actions. We note this as Edmund’s damaged pride causes him to lack empathy and care for his father’s suffering, as he blames his father for his position in society. This is interesting, as in “A Thousand Splendid Suns” Rasheed damaged pride by Mariam’s inability to conceive causes him to unjustly abuse his wife as if he similarly blames his wife for the position they are in. For instance, Edmund’s damaged pride means that he emotionally disregards and abandons …show more content…

The noun "sports" connotes light-hearted amusement and entertainment, which paints a vivid image of vicious and vindictive gods who revel in our misery and pain. This is more tragic as on stage the audience witness his eyes being brutally gouged out. Shakespeare intended for this vicious act of cruelty to be displayed in front of the audience so that it can be more tragic and the pain is more potent, as we are forced to see the extent of suffering Edmund’s pride has resulted in. In countless ways, Edmund epitomises Machiavellian as he uses his cunning traits to manipulate Gloucester to ensure that he gets what he wants, being driven entirely by self-interest. Edmund’s damaged pride is accentuated as he allowed the sinister mistreatment of Gloucester due to the fact he was illegitimate. On stage in the Sam Mendes production 2014, Edmund’s villainous traits are accentuated as Edmund appearance was a disguise of his evil treachery as he dressed smart and presentable in contrast to Edgar naked and dirty, but in reality, he is a deplorable …show more content…

Still, whilst Edmund may be involved in Gloucester blinding, he does not actually cause the physical harm, whilst Rasheed is direct in the tangible pain he causes his wife. His shattered pride at being unable to conceive a child leads to his verbal and physical abuse, perceiving Mariam to be insignificant and inferior to him. For instance, he taunts and degrades Mariam by saying “you know nothing, do you? You’re like a child. Your brain is empty.’ The degrading tone causes emotional pain to Mariam that she felt “she was nothing but a burden to him”. The accusatory tone is intensified through the repetition of the direct pronoun “you”, which causes Mariam to feel dehumanised and worthless, resulting in long-term suffering. The simile heightens Mariam’s degradation, as she is being compared to a “child”, showing how he belittles her and lacks any respect for her. Moreover, it highlights the imbalance of power between them and conditions her to believe she, equivalent to a child, is dependent on him. Coupled with the use of rhetorical questions and condescending tone, it suggests he is directly Miriam’s intelligence. It seems that Rasheed is trying to compensate for his damaged pride through belittling Mariam, a behaviour we see continues with his next wife, Laila. Through this, Hosseini uses Rasheed’s treatment of his wives symbolise the

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