Men Roles In A Thousand Splendid Suns

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Recommended: Gender roles in a thousand splendid suns

In the book A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini, the author of the book, tells the stories of two women living in Afghanistan and what their lives were like. Through the tales of the main characters Mariam and Laila, the reader can see what obstacles and situations Afghan people have to deal with every day in their society. The role of men is also very prevalent throughout the entire book, with stereotypes of Afghan men and depictions of the stereotypes being broken by certain characters. (Hosseini, pp. 3-415) This critical review will discuss the role of men in A Thousand Splendid Suns by classifying examples and comparing values and actions of men found in each male character. Summary: Critique: A Thousand Splendid Suns contains a prevalent topic throughout the book: the role of Middle Eastern women. Despite this, the role that men have in Middle Eastern society is just as widespread within the stories. Hosseini portrays this growing topic through various examples found within the male characters Jalil, Rasheed, Babi, and Tariq. The portrayal of both Tariq and Babi, Laila’s father, counteracts the common stereotypes of Middle Eastern …show more content…

Babi and Tariq treat women with respect throughout the story, which counteracts the common stereotype that Middle Eastern men often receive. (Hosseini) For example, Babi treats his wife and Laila fairly well and is shown as being a genuine and kind character. A character that acts similarly is Tariq. A few of Tariq’s character traits include the following: honoring, protective, strong-willed, determined, and ideal. (Hosseini) Hosseini uses these characteristics to show who Tariq really is as a person, and the reader can see these good traits through his thoughts and actions toward Laila. Unlike Rasheed, he protects and loves Laila instead of rebuking and retaliating his anger on her.

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