Human Spirit In A Thousand Splendid Suns

“The human spirit is a magnificent entity. Just when we think we can stand no more, something significant touches our soul... and life goes on” (Peggy Toney Horton). Since the beginning of human history, the human spirit has had a profound impact on everything. The human spirit has harnessed the feelings of compassion and love, and the ability to prevail in situations where prosperity seems hopeless. It is this journey of the human spirit that the characters of Life Is Beautiful and A Thousand Splendid Suns face. Through the characters’s resilience to endure in their difficult environments and their sacrifices to care and protect their loved ones, Roberto Benigni’s film, Life Is Beautiful, and Khaled Hosseini’s novel, A Thousand Splendid

In the time that Mariam is married to her husband Rasheed, she initially struggles to find comfort in her new life. This difficulty is further intensified when Mariam discovers she is incapable of bearing a child. After hearing the news, Mariam’s “grief washed over her, swept her up, tossed her upside down…[and she became] envious, suddenly, of the neighborhood women and their wealth of children” (Hosseini 92). However, after much thought, Mariam decides to conduct a small burial in memory of her baby, against Rasheed’s rejection of the idea. The burial “would make [her] feel better…[and when the burial was complete, Mariam prayed for Allah to] give sustenance to [her]” (96). Mariam’s grief is compared to the relentlessness of waves, continuously hurting her without any pause or any place unexposed. The presence of the neighborhood women further remind her of the pain she has to bear. Alongside with having a completely different life, Mariam is burdened with an extremely troublesome setting. But after grieving for her lost child, she overcomes her self appointed guilt and gathers her resolve to perform a burial. Mariam prays for “sustenance” from

After hiding Joshua from the Nazi guards around the compound, Guido, knowing the great risk, disguises himself as a woman and sneaks around the camp in search of his wife, Dora. Unable to find her due to the export of prisoners, Guido is forced to turn back to his son when a guard captures him and leads him to be executed. The path Guido walks is in sight of the locker where Joshua is hidden and as a final effort to convince to Joshua that their situation was a game, he humorously galivants in front of the rifle holding guard until he passes out of Joshua’s sight (Life Is Beautiful). In this last act of sacrifice to protect Joshua, Guido has stopped him from realizing the true fate of his situation. By acting nonsensical in front of the guard, Guido has surely ended any chance of surviving from his captivity but willingly gives that chance up to solidify the presence of a game and to amuse his son. As a result, Guido succeeds in his effort in that Joshua still thinks that the grim reality of the concentration camp is a playful game and is shielded from the trauma that would come with the knowledge of the reality. Guido’s positive outlook on life and his bright spirit gave him hope, in spite of his inevitable annihilation, to create a greater future for his son by sacrificing his own life. Additionally, Mariam also sacrifices herself to protect her loved