Patriarchy In A Thousand Splendid Suns

The book, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, portrays a story of two girls growing up in modern Afghanistan as they confront war and cultural conflicts. The author uses this plot uses this plot to show the theme. Characters such as Laila, Mariam, and Nana help provide the theme that women are limited by patriarchal institutions in society and government, and the men who create the oppression.

Nana is a static character, who illustrates how the oppression from a patriarchy can affect a woman’s life in Afghanistan. She gives birth to her daughter out of wedlock with a wealthy man named Jalil. To protect Jalil’s, Nana is forced into seclusion and becomes very bitter over time. On page 7, Hosseini writes that Nana says, “You know what he told his wives by way of defense? That I forced myself on him. That is was my fault. Didi? You see. This is what it means to be a woman in this world.” Due to cultural stigmas in Afghanistan, Nana was blamed solely for the conception of her child and isolated. She later says to Mariam, “Learn this now and Learn it well, my daughter: Like a

The Taliban follow their strict beliefs of the Islamic law. It is announced to the people om page 278, Attention women: You will stay inside your house at all times. It is not proper for women to wander aimlessly about the streets. If you go outside, you must be accompanied by a mahram, a male relative. If you are caught alone on the street, you will be beaten and sent home. You will not, under any circumstances, show your fac. You will cover with burqa when outside. If you do not, you will be severely beaten. (Hosseini)” These strict rules objectify and demean women by taking away many of their fundamental rights. Laila and Mariam are made to deal with these laws as they try to survive against their abusive husband. Women cannot excel in society when their entire existence is restricted by