The Patriarchal System In A Thousand Splendid Suns

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Literature often is looked upon in critical ways and has been written to change the mind of the reader in some way or form by helping readers think deeper about concepts that do not always come easily to the surface or have been buried away, unexplored, in our minds. It is the same literature that encourages individuals to challenge the patriarchal system under which we still live under to a great extent. I strongly believe that literature encourages us to challenge the patriarchal system under which we live because, it has revealed to me what a society with a patriarchal system looks like, and what negative consequences arise from a patriarchal system for the people. Through the eye of literature, I have seen the negative impact that a …show more content…

A Thousand Splendid Suns made me uncover and acknowledge what a democratic system would look like in their society and how it would change them as individuals. Throughout the book I noticed how Laila’s dad believes that the patriarchal system in place does no justice to the women of their society. In the book Babi states, “A society has no chance at success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance. (Hosseini 114)” Babi expresses that he does not agree with the way their patriarchal system works and believes that education is important making him one of the few feminist voices in the novel. In the book club, my group discussed how women who are educated can overcome all the biases in their society and even escape the abuse from their husbands (Book Club 2), one of the major themes in A Thousand Splendid Suns. We discussed how this can be seen in Laila’s bold and brave decisions made throughout her marriage with Rasheed. This is evident when Laila makes the life changing decision to run away from Rasheed to escape his torture and unite with her true love Tariq. Laila believes that she has the right to be freed from Rasheed and that she could run away if she wanted to. Everyone wants to live happily and have their rights but at the same time they want to abide by the system which they live under. By knowing what a good system for a country looks like, it makes us desire one. We begin to …show more content…

I have come to this feeling because of the article we read in class Why I Want a Wife by Judy Brady. Brady showed me exactly how a woman is classified in our patriarchal system. After the protagonist herself gets divorced she too wants a wife after realizing how much she does for her partner; she says, “I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after my children, a wife who will pick up after me” (Brady 4). This quote shows how Brady’s relationship had her working like a maid for her husband; Brady had no choices and happiness with what she does. She figured this out after having a child with him and losing more of her freedom. While she lists out all the things she expects from her wife she feels very strongly that she too then deserves a wife the same way her husband does. Implicitly it shows that developed societies too have a patriarchal system, however, it is not recognized as patriarchal from many people. This situation that Brady was in is what many women in present society in our country go through too without realizing it. While reading this essay in class it brought to my attention that the country I believed of not having a patriarchal system actually does. Leaving these problems and system

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