Innocence In A Thousand Splendid Suns

As innocence and naivety vanish, the world becomes a darker place, trust is uneasy, and feelings are secondary to everything else. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam is extremely naïve as a child, but as she grows older her ideals of the world and her father are shattered. She sees her father for himself and hates him. Mariam does not trust anyone, for example, it takes Mariam many months to learn to like Laila and then trust her. Mariam buries her feelings deeply after so many miscarriages and becomes emotionless and hard.
Oppression and discrimination lessens quality of life for everyone not just those discriminated against. When the Taliban forbid women to do anything, everyone in Afghanistan suffered. There were no doctors to take

care of the pregnant women, less teachers, and workers without women. Everyone was affected by this prejudice and the women in particular suffered physically as well.
Rebirth can happen in many different ways, but almost always represents change and renewal.

When Mariam realizes her father is a vane, weak-willed man she is reborn in that her opinion of Jalil is forever changed. Another huge change happened when Laila escaped Rasheed with the help of Mariam and is reunited with her long lost love. It rains at both times which is another symbol of rebirth.
Violence and abuse will almost always result in retaliation from the abused, whether it comes immediately or later. Rasheed is abusive to both of his wives Mariam and Laila. He abuses them physically, verbally, and emotionally as well. After years of this pain Mariam and Laila can take it no longer and fight back resulting in Rasheed’s death.
Conceit and vanity will knock over anyone in their path as long as they look good doing it. Rasheed is concerned with what everyone thinks of him so he makes sure to always put his wives in their place - below him. Jalil also values others opinions, and gives away his illegitimate daughter to a 40 year old man because of

this.

“Like a compass needles that points north, a man’s accusing finer always finds a woman. Always.” (Hosseini 7). This simile compares that just like a needle always points north, whenever there is a problem the woman is always at fault.

“Mariam found herself looking forward to the sound of Laila’s cracked slippers slapping the steps as she came down for breakfast…” (Hosseini 251).

The words ‘slippers slapping the steps’ is an alliteration because the words all start with the letter s.

“Don’t leave me, Mariam jo. Please stay. I’ll die if you go.” (Hosseini 27). Nana’s words are foreshadowing for the future, because Mariam does leave and Nane does die; she kills herself.

“It snowed at last this past winter, knee-deep, and now it has been raining for days. The Kabul River is flowing once again. Its spring floods have washed away Titanic City” (Hosseini 408). This rain symbolizes rebirth for Kabul. A clean, new start without the Taliban and a time to rebuild what was lost.

“The city held its breath.” (Hosseini 172). This is personification as a city cannot actually hold its breath.
The opening scene sets a standard for the rest of the book: womens inferiority. Nana teaches Mariam thhe lesson that no matter what the case or who may be at fault, the woman is always to blame and will always come in second. As Mariam grows older this lesson holds true whether it be her husband, Rasheed, or even the Taliban who have taken over Afghanistan. Women are merely property to be used and this sickening truth shapes Mariam’s daily decisions and

happiness.

In the final chapter of the novel it rains signifying a new beginning for Laila’s family and Afghanistan. Rain represents rebirth or change, and both of these have happened to Laila after escaping from Rasheed. Laila teaches at the orphanage where Aziza lived and this shows the small progress that has occurred towards women’s’ rights. The last piece of the puzzle is Laila’s pregnancy. A child she plans to name after the woman who saved her life and taught her strength: Mariam. This ending is hopeful an suggest that although the past is dark and dreary there is always a beam of sunshine waiting in the future.