Silence In A Thousand Splendid Suns

Have you ever thought about the power of silence? In a world where words are often celebrated and spoken language is valued as a means of expression and connection, it is easy to overlook the profound impact of the unspoken. Yet, within the calmness of silence lies a force that can shape lives, dictate destinies, and perpetuate a cycle of suffering. Khalid Hosseini’s novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, highlights the profound impact of silence on the lives of women, specifically the characters of Mariam and Laila, in the patriarchal society of Afghanistan. Through the lives of these characters, Khalid Hosseini portrays that silence can serve as a form of violence by perpetuating oppression, being used as a tool for control and power, and inflicting deep psychological and emotional harm on the characters.

Silence perpetuates oppression by maintaining gender-based societal norms

When Laila knows that she is pregnant from Tariq, she decides to marry Rashid to hide this fact and pretend later that he is Rashid’s child. As stated in the novel, “she made her decision quickly. Six weeks had passed since her time with Tariq. Any longer and Rasheed would grow suspicious. She knew that what she was doing was dishonorable. Dishonorable, disingenuous, and shameful. And spectacularly unfair to Mariam” (Hosseini 135). In Afghan society, becoming pregnant before marriage is highly stigmatized and culturally forbidden. Consequently, Laila chooses to remain silent about the fact she is pregnant from Tariq and quickly decides to marry Rashid to conceal this fact and pretend that the baby is his. However, her decision to hide the truth brings her a sense of dishonor and shame, adding to her internal conflict and emotional distress. All in all, the silence of Mariam regarding her husband’s abuse and the silence of Laila about her pregnancy from Tariq contributes to their psychological and emotional