Shame In A Thousand Splendid Suns

In the late 20th century, Afghanistan was a war torn, male-dominated nation, where a culture of shame was perpetuated and women’s voices were seldom heard out. Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns focuses on two women’s experience in Soviet-controlled Afghanistan, and their struggles with shame and identity are central to the story. One character who illustrates this struggle is Mariam, whose troubled upbringing has left her with shame that never fully fades for the rest of her life. This shame manifests itself in Mariam’s interactions with others and in her own perception of herself. Hosseini uses various literary techniques to convey her damaged character.
Mariam’s shame influences the way she thinks of others, as she tends to think

Throughout her life, Mariam learns not to speak up for herself, as she is always met with retaliation or consequence, whether from Nana in her childhood or from Rasheed once she is married. Hosseini’s writing establishes her timidity. Especially in her early scenes with Rasheed, whose thoughts are expressed in long lines of speech, Mariam’s responses tend to be much shorter and less open. Frequently, she responds only with gestures, and on the occasions that she talks, Hosseini usually omits her dialogue and instead tells the reader directly of her response. This is in contrast to Rasheed, whose thoughts are almost always expressed through dialogue, sometimes in rants that drag on and on. This distinction illustrates the imbalance of power between the two, and the fact of Rasheed’s voice being heard over Mariam’s is a symbol for how Mariam’s desires and beliefs are drowned out under his. Mariam’s unspokeness stems from the immense shame she’s carried with her since childhood—because Nana’s death had occurred after Mariam defied her instructions, she’s now afraid to make major decisions of her own, and especially to disobey her husband. Mariam is only ever able to overcome her shame when it’s for the sake of Laila or her children. Near the end of the story, when Rasheed strangles Laila nearly to death, Mariam finally realizes how her shame has limited her–it says “Mariam saw now in those same eyes what a fool she had been . . . Had she not given this man her youth? Had she ever justly deserved his meanness?” (346-347) Until this point, Mariam had never really questioned the abuse she received from Rasheed; she knew it wasn’t right, but endured it for her shame and fear. Now, she realizes the irresponsibility of her inaction, and she is finally able to see past her shame, that the horrible things she’s had to endure are not faults of her