Belonging In A Thousand Splendid Suns

“Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn't require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.” This quote shows the difference between fitting in and belonging is quite significant because in order to belong one has to put forth their authentic selves, but to be accepted one has to change themselves. This idea appears in the book A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini because Mariam and Laila both have similarities and differences in their childhood, relationship with their father, and education, ultimately illustrating the power of belonging. Both Mariam and Laila have different childhoods which impacts their perspective as they get older.

Mariam used to love her father, but that changes when he marries her off to a man named Rasheed. A quote supporting this is when Mariam is on the bus leaving for Kabul she says, “I used to worship you” to Jalil. This articulates how far Jalil has fallen in relation to Mariam because he went from being at the center of Mariam’s life to her refusing to speak to him after he marries her off. This is contrasted with Laila’s father whom Laila feels admiration and love toward. This is illustrated when Laila, Babi, and Tariq are on top of the Bamiyan Buddhas and the text says, “A wave of affection overcame Laila. From then on, she would always remember Babi this way: reminiscing about Mammy, with his elbows on the rock, hands cupping his chin, his hair ruffled by the wind, eyes crinkled against the sun.” This indicates that, unlike Mariam, Laila has a loving relationship with her father. Mariam and Laila’s relationship with their fathers strengthens their bond later in the book. In summary, Mariam may have a negative relationship with her father and Laila may have a positive relationship with her father, but this difference does not take away from Mariam and Laila’s relationship later in the