Endurance is cruel, necessary due to preconceived notions of another person’s self worth, and lack of compassion. In Khaled Hosseini’s book “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, Hosseini highlights a greater understanding of what it takes for women in oppressive countries to endure their entire life hardship and isolation. In the case of Mariam and Laila, at very young ages, struggle to find their path in society, only to have their fate foretold for them with many deaths and family members lost along this not-so-glamorous journey. By the time their paths’ cross they experience true hardship, and life-changing migrations. It is this endurance that eventually creates a strong bond of friendship between Mariam and Laila. In order to endure, one must be prepared for adversity, patient through stressful times, and submissive.
Afghanistan creates adverse conditions for women throughout Hosseini’s novel. Multiple instances can be seen from the girls’ perspective, including when Mariam “caught a glimpse of what was beneath the tree”, (p. 36) and discovers her recently deceased mother. Here showcases a striking moment in Mariam’s life, her mind diverging from hope and prosperity to guilt and bitterness. Tragic, life-changing moments
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Mariam and Laila are forced, by punishment up to execution, to remain loyal and patient to their husband and while in public. Even while the alternative is cruel, “Mariam chewed. Something in the back of her mouth cracked”, Rasheed demonstrates his lack of compassion by leaving her to“spit out pebbles, blood, and the fragments of two broken molars”. (p. 104) Enduring injustices like this are nothing short of common for women in developing countries. Men control women through manipulation and fear, powerful, ugly tools that spawn from greed and selfishness. When a person is pushed past fear of death, their only option becomes to