How Is Mariam Presented In A Thousand Splendid Suns

Margareta Kulusic-Ho

Mr. Schmidt

English 3I

March 29, 2022

A Thousand Splendid Suns Mariam Characterization Essay In literature, characterization is a key element in how characters are represented and described. Through different experiences, characters can evolve to demonstrate how unique experiences can change their nature and give the characters depth. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini displays Mariam’s progression, as one of the protagonists, who is burdened with shame for being born out of wedlock, going on to marry an abusive man, Rasheed. Mariam begins the story as an innocent and hopeful child, then as the novel progresses she grows from a resentful and inferior woman to being able to defend herself. Mariam faces

Rasheed rushed to have a child with Mariam, going as far to rape her in order to replace his deceased first son. When Mariam proved to be infertile, Rasheed’s physical and verbal abuse intensified, leaving Mariam feeling powerless and inadequate. Rasheed moved on and took Laila, the young girl they had nursed back to health, to be his second wife. In a conversation with Laila, Mariam’s hidden feelings showed when she said, “‘And if you think you can use your looks to get rid of me, you’re wrong. I was here first. I won’t be thrown out. I won’t have you cast me out”…“Yes, that’s the other reason I came down, to thank you for taking care of me—” “Well, I wouldn’t have,” Mariam snapped. “I wouldn’t have fed you and washed you and nursed you if I’d known you were going to turn around and steal my husband”’ ( Hosseini 178). While Mariam wasn’t comfortable with Rasheed, he was still her husband. In her eyes, Laila was a new, younger, and prettier girl, which added to Mariam’s insecurities. Mariam wasn’t able to resist Rasheed’s abuse or his news of a second wife. Her bottled up emotions made her a resentful and bitter

By the end of the novel, Laila has had two children, Aziza and Zalmai, fulfilling Rasheed’s desires for a son to replace his previous family. However, when Rasheed lashes out on Laila over trouble started by Zalmai, Mariam gets involved and tries to stop him from hurting Laila. Laila was surged with strength and went on, “Mariam raised the shovel high, raised it as high as she could, arching it so it touched the small of her back. She turned it so the sharp edge was vertical, and, as she did, it occurred to her that this was the first time that she was deciding the course of her own life. And, with that, Mariam brought down the shovel. This time, she gave it everything she had” (Hosseini 280). While Mariam had never expected her life to turn out this way, she was still able to overcome her trauma and regain her strength. She fought off Rasheed to save Laila, who was being strangled halfway to death. This was the first time Mariam was sure of herself and had enough confidence to save Laila. She didn’t second guess herself or hesitate to grab the shovel to resist Rasheed’s attack. Mariam acted on what she thought was the best action to take, killing Rasheed and saving Laila, her