A Thousand Splendid Suns Essay

In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, the reader views the struggles of victimized women throughout different invasions of Afghanistan. From the liberation and creation of women’s rights under the Soviet rule to the torment of the Taliban, hope and perseverance were the driving factors that allowed Laila to escape her demeaning environment. Through his use of characterization, setting, and plot, Hosseini develops the theme of the importance of hope and perseverance by demonstrating how it can empower and free women from a harsh and abusive patriarchal society By preserving hope and love in an imprisoning environment, the wives were able to serve as role models to Laila’s children and allow them to believe in a better future.

In the quote, “Just one glass Rasheed. Not for me. Do it for her. You don’t want her blood on your hands.”(270), we are able to view Laila’s resilient nature and the measures she took to save her only child. Laila’s actions prove her pure motivations and only wanting to save her daughter because of the hope of a better life in the future. In comparison, when Mariam was a child, she did not have a forgiving household that respected her. Mariam would stack rocks to symbolize her father’s family with a stray rock portraying her “harami” image with the hope that one day, she would be accepted. According to the text, “she picked up ten pebbles and arranged them vertically, in three columns[symbolizing Jalil’s family]... Then she added

The different images portrayed throughout the story symbolizes the struggles and conflicts discussed in the story and help give insight into the characters' attitudes. When we are first introduced to Mariam, Hosseini develops the setting in pre revolution Afghanistan, showcasing the promise Mariam saw in her life, even after being confined to only the “kolba”. Yet as soon as Mariam tried to escape her cage, “the rope dropped from a high branch.Nana dangled at the end of it”(36). Mariam was forced to endure through the tragedies and heartaches in her eventful life to be able to revolt against Rasheed and save Laila. Later in the story, when the Taliban started their revolt, the women in the novel were forced to cover their bodies and hide from the sight of men. In parallel, Mariam and Laila were obligated to please Rasheed while being hidden behind the walls of their house. When Laila was discussing the severity of the Taliban’s new rule, Rasheed stated “You think this is some new radical idea the Taliban are bringing? Have you ever lived outside of your precious little shell in Kabul''(279), illustrating the demeaning and abusive setting Laila and Mariam were forced to reside in. The wives endured through the struggles of a tyrannical and patriarchal society to pursue the dream of escaping in the future. Aziza was characterized as “the cherished one”, a baby that allowed