Gender Roles In A Thousand Splendid Suns

In “A Thousand Splendid Suns," Hosseini highlights the strict gender roles and unequal values placed on women in Afghanistan that lead to inequality between women and men. This essay explains multiple ways to explore this theme in the book “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and the real world. This theme of strict gender roles and unequal values placed on women is seen in many ways in the book “A Thousand Splendid Suns” This theme is seen in real-life Afghanistan as well, but not just in Afghanistan; we see this everywhere in the world.
In chapter 36, Laila comes up with an escape plan. She wants to get away from Rasheed. One way gender relations and unequal rights can show itself in the story is when the new Shari’a laws make the attempt of trying

Bibi jo had mentioned that Jalil’s other daughters would be attending. Mullah Faizullah, Mariam’s tutor, asks Nana if Mariam can go to school, but Nana says there's no use. She says the only skill Mariam needs is endurance. Nana says, “It’s our lot in life, Mariam. Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have. Do you understand?” (Hosseini 18) Nana thinks the kids at school will call Mariam a harami. At the moment, women and girls could go to school, but only the wealthy girls could get an education. In Part 3 of “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” The Taliban announced, “Girls are forbidden from attending school. All schools for girls will be closed immediately.” This was one of the Taliban's first decrees, and it caused Laila to get an improper

Women were seen as mothers, never workers. Laila's appreciation of her mother's role in the community emphasizes the influence of recognizing and valuing individuals' diverse strengths and abilities in healthy gender relations. Though Laila and her mother had a rocky relationship Laila still admired the ways her mother used to be. "It was a relief to see that her mother was capable of something other than being someone's wife or mother," (Hosseini 240). Fariba would take her on errands, play games, or have neighborhood women over for tea. Laila fondly recalls listening to the women gossip, their hopeful talk of the boys' return from war, and the matchmaking they'd do.
In real-world Afghanistan, the theme is reflected; is through the inequality and discrimination women face. The Taliban's tendency to restrict women's rights and opportunities demonstrate the gender roles in Afghanistan that often favor men and discriminate against women. "The Taliban’s inclinations will be to weaken women’s rights, further tighten cultural restrictions on women, and shrink socio-economic opportunities for them, even if the Taliban in government did not formally embrace as brutal a system for women as in the 1990s," (Allen and