Death In A Thousand Splendid Suns

In Khaled Hosseini’s novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Rasheed’s death is one of the most impactful deaths because it allows for a drastic change in Mariam, Laila, and Zalmai’s lives. His death grants them a chance for independence, love, happiness, and freedom for them to live their lives away from the control, suffering, and abuse.

From the beginning, Mariam lived a difficult life. She was known as a mistake and never had anyone who genuinely cared for her. After years of being neglected and unwanted by almost everyone in her life, Mariam suffered enough. Apart from not being loved by her father and feeling responsible for her mother’s death, Rasheed is brought into her life. Her relationship with Rasheed was built upon pain and suffering

Rasheed’s death was a turning point in Mariam’s life because she was finally able to build up the courage and take action. Knowing she had a relationship worth saving and she had someone who would care for her and love her regardless, she had the motive to fight back. As Mariam faces the consequences for her actions, she thinks back to her life, “She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a potable, regrettable accident…She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last. No. It was not so bad, Mariam thought she should die this way. Not so bad. This was a legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginnings” (Hosseini 370). Mariam went through all the pain and suffering of being in a relationship with Rasheed which had no love. Her relationship with Nana and Jalil also lacked love refraining her

Although Mariam was the one to suffer the consequences of killing Rasheed, Laila also had a difficult time dealing with this newfound freedom. Her life is much better as she does not have to deal with Rasheed’s terror and she can live her life free without the constant worry of him being around to hurt her. Rasheed’s death allows for Laila, Tariq, Aziza, and Zalmai to be free and move on from his constant abuse and threats. After years of physical and mental abuse, Laila is happy and free; however, on the other hand, her own son, Zalmai does not know the full story. Although Laila is happy with her new life, Zalmai struggles with accepting his life. Rasheed was not a great person, but he was still Zalmai’s father who he loved and he looked up to as a role model so, it is hard for Zalmai to understand. Laila struggles with telling Zalmai the truth about what happened to Rasheed because Zalmai will not accept Tariq as his father in hopes of Rasheed’s return. When Zalmai asks about Rasheed, Laila has no other choice than to lie to him even though it is difficult for her to lie to her own child, “When he asks, she tells him the lie again, tells him his Baba Jan has gone away and she doesn’t know when he would come back. She abhors this task, abhors herself for lying like this to a child. Laila knows that this shameful lie will have to be told again and again” (Hosseini 379). Laila's newfound freedom brings her joy but