Perseverance In A Thousand Splendid Suns

Isaac Lee Mrs. Clowe English 10H 10 April 2024 Title The world is filled with suffering, pain, and death. Society needs hope, courage, and perseverance to overcome its imperfections. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini illustrates the life of Mariam. As she navigates life, she encounters life-changing experiences, including the death of loved ones, oppression, and rejection, requiring resilience and hope to overcome her hardships. Mariam demonstrates courage and perseverance through her sacrifices for Laila and her kids, overcoming her identity as a harami, and enduring the loss of her own children and her mother. Mariam makes significant sacrifices for others’ well-being. Enduring a loveless marriage to Rasheed, she ultimately sacrifices

He really means to. And Mariam could not, would not, allow that to happen” (Hosseini 348). Mariam’s unconditional love for her children and Laila compels her to grab a shovel and strike Rasheed with all her strength. This act of Mariam killing her husband portrays not only courage, but also, her strength and bravery. Despite being oppressed by Rasheed for so long, Mariam takes courageous action. “‘I admit to what I did, brother,’ Mariam said. ‘But if I [had not], he would have killed her’” (Hosseini 365). Mariam herself could not even believe her actions, but she justified them by saving Laila’s life. She had always stayed away from violence and just accepted her fate. However, when one of her loved ones was in mortal danger, Mariam’s sacrificial heart compelled her to act, regardless of the consequences. She was unafraid to speak at her trial, displaying her courage to face the consequences in court. Mariam also discovers courage by accepting her fate as a harami, an illegitimate child. This identity shaped her worldview from a young girl to an adult. Mariam knew that being a harami was “a source of shame [for] her father and his family” (Hosseini,

Give sustenance to me” (Hosseini 96). Before Mariam’s prayer, she had just created a burial for her miscarried child. This indicates that she was not willing to let go of her loss until she prayed to Allah for guidance. Determination not to let her imperfections define her and to seek comfort and guidance from God is why she developed a close connection with Laila’s children, Aziza and Zalmai. Mariam is a true example of perseverance through the loss of her mother and her baby. Mariam’s world was filled with suffering, pain, and death, yet it produced courage and perseverance in her. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini portrays how Mariam’s sacrifices and unwavering courage in protecting her loved ones, her acceptance of her identity, and her perseverance through loss underscore the fundamental importance of courage and perseverance in navigating life’s challenges, even in a world without suffering. These virtues, deeply ingrained in the human experience, serve as guiding lights, inspiring society to endure, to fight for what society believes in, and to find strength in the face of adversity, ultimately shaping the very fabric of the world’s