Mother Symbolism In A Thousand Splendid Suns

Stepping into a park, we would witness countless of children, from all ages, dashing through, playing tag or hide and seek, or possibly competing who can climb the most monkey bars; however, these children aren’t alone, as we glance toward the benches alongside of the park, there sits a group (or groups) of women, keeping a careful eye on these children, tending to their safety and well-being. These women are the mothers. The imagery of these children and their mothers are taken into a different setting, through A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, a former immigrant of Afghanistan. A Thousand Splendid Suns takes place in Afghanistan through the lives of Laila and Mariam, and how their lives become intertwined through hardships, including

Although Laila grows up with a mother, her mother does not behave like a lawfully mother. She lays consistently in bed, tucked away from the natural light of the outside world. She couldn’t even gather the courtesy to pick Laila up from school. Revealing the irresponsibility of her mother and her misfortune, Laila got squirted by a gun filled with urine, and scurried on home to wash up and confront her mother. Growing up, Laila soon finds herself living in a household with Mariam and Rasheed. Becoming fond of Mariam, Laila and Mariam form a connection through the calamities they face. After protecting Mariam from Rasheed’s wrath, Laila stumbles upon “a stack of baby clothes, neatly folded, outside of her bedroom door,” suspecting they were from Mariam (221). This act of kindness represents the beginning of tremendous maternal love. A mother tending to her daughter’s baby insists a strong bond, full of support. When Laila’s life is at stake, this maternal love continues. After one of their visits with Aziza, Laila and Tariq finally reunite. Subsequently, Rasheed finds out, dashing towards Laila, and vigorously grabbing hold of her throat, nearly taking her life. Mariam triumphantly grabs a shovel and strikes Rasheed on the head, rationalizing, “He’d taken so much from [my] twenty-seven years of marriage. [I am] not [going] to watch him take Laila too” (310). Mariam

Through these relationships, Hosseini elaborates on the beautiful and profound influence mothers have. This includes Mariam’s mark of love on Aziza and Laila as a person. Aziza becomes an independent young woman, holding Mariam’s doll close, while Laila alters the orphanage into a new, flourishing environment, reserving Mariam in her thoughts. All of these relationships progress through each other, portraying how significant and influential mothers can be. We will only notice the prospering children and their mothers, as we walk through the park, exclusively recognizing the attractive children; yet, we should notice and recall the power of the affection these mothers provide for their children to even be prosperous. Throughout our individual adolescence, we strive to find acceptance from those around us (even strangers). However, we fail to acknowledge the acceptance we already have in our own home, as our mothers accept all of our flaws and ensuring our full potential. It is true that home is sweet— but even so, for our homes to be sweet maternal endearment needs to be alive and well within