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The women,s of Difficulties in afghanistan
Abu-Lughod Afghan gender norms
The women,s of Difficulties in afghanistan
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Laila states, "I wanted to escape, to leave behind the only world I had ever known". Mariam goes further by killing Rasheed, her oppressive husband, as she states "I did it for myself. And for you, too", The technique of irony is used here, as the reader knows that Mariam is not only referring to her own death but also to the death of her abusive husband, Rasheed. This creates a sense of tension and anticipation in the reader as they wait to see how Mariam will carry out her plan and how the other characters will react. Furthermore, the impact of this quote on the reader is significant as it represents a pivotal moment in the story.
She got medical attention and found two of her brothers, but soon discovered she was pregnant because she got raped and later her baby died of malnutrition. “Since finding out I was pregnant, I’d endure serious bouts of depression, followed by moments of extreme happiness in which I forgot all about the war.” (Mariatu, page 97) Her and her brothers and sisters went and begged on the streets for money to buy food, soon news reporters were interviewing her and wanting her story “Indeed, passersby always singled me out when I held Abdul.” (Mariatu, page 102).
After having lived 12 years without this kind of responsibility, Mariatu steps up to the plate and goes out begging every day to support her family. This shows how she is quick to recover from difficult situations and to adapt to a new environment that she isn’t used to. Another instance where Mariatu shows great strength and resilience is on page 187, where she describes her experience with school. The memoir states, “My teachers gave me extra time to complete tests and examinations. I think I may have failed the first semester...
In the second section of the book, “Unbroken”, the author talked a lot about the experiences of the crew that Louie was with when he joined the army. Louie ended up with Phil and several other men to form a crew with their plane, a B-24 model, which they named “Superman”. They were all great pals who went through thick and thin together, but they believed the chance of survival was slim. One day, they barely managed to get it back to home base on one mission when the enemy relentlessly attacked their plane. However, one crew member was beyond help and several more had injuries that rendered them unsuitable for battle, their plane was also unrepairable.
Mariam thought that the baby would bring them along and it did for a while with him being nice to her and even creating a crib for the baby and buying a jacket for him. Not solely did Mariam grieve for her child, but she was also upset for her. Mariam was afraid in her initial four years of marriage, particularly with the man she was with and also the violence that was happening in her country. This quote showed that finally, she discerned that she could tolerate the fear and unleash it. People are always living in fear in Afghanistan, mostly due to how the country was continually in war and terrorist attacks are regular within the country.
Ahmedi was in a tough situation. After fleeing her home with her mother in search of a better life, she was denied entrance into Pakistan for refuge. During her harrowing experience, she realized ideas that changed her for the better. To begin with, she learned the importance of perseverance. She never gave up when trying to enter Pakistan, even when facing extreme consequences.
The Taliban took all of the boys and men to fight. Najmah’s mom had her son and husband taken. After they were taken Mada-Jan didn’t try to take care of herself, she just cried and cried. She did not even eat. “She doesn’t eat, or sleep, or talk, or wipe the tears away.
(Hosseini 96). Her final act of heroism is going to jail to save her friend, Laila, and her two kids, Zalmai, and Aziza. She wanted to save them from getting executed because of the death of Rasheed. Mariam wanted to show her apologies for earlier in life when Laila first came and they showed their hatred for one
The Taliban. Think like a mother, Laila Jo. Think like a mother of three. I am” (Hosseini 319). While Laila longs for all of them to escape together, Mariam reminds her of the reality of the situation.
When Mariam unexpectedly killed Rasheed, Laila was terrified by what had happened and Mariam “had Laila lie down, and, as she
She knew how much of an abomination killing her husband would be to society, but she loved Laila enough to risk the punishment. Instead of running away from Kabul with Laila, Mariam stayed behind so that Laila would never get in trouble for killing Rasheed. She was then arrested and later shot for murder (371). Mariam sacrificed her own life so that Laila could marry Tariq and live happily and freely with her family. She gave up everything, even her life for those whom she loved, even though they biologically were not her children.
Rasheed however asks her to wear a burqa before going out. He makes it very clear to Mariam and later on to Laila, that a “woman 's face is her husband 's business only”. However when Mariam fails to bear a child, after several miscarriages, Rasheed begins to torture her both physically and mentally. Rasheed also becomes cross on Laila when she gives birth to a girl child. Later on Laila gives birth to a boy, but this does not improve her status in front of Rasheed.
However, after a long time of struggling against the society and the loss of her two sons in addition to that, her role as an ideal feminist challenger is no longer dominant. Much like Mariam, Laila is a victor. The difference between Mariam and Laila is Laila has been defying the norms of the culture throughout her life, unlike Mariam, who was submissive for the early years of her lifetime. Laila represents a hope for woman in the male dominated culture, as she goes on to escape from her abusive husband, finds happiness, pursues education, and contributes back to the society postwar. The male characters are also notable to observe from the novel because the patriarchal society, as well as for the comparison purpose.
The war and prejudice against women in Afghanistan changes everything for Laura. Her parents die in a bombing and she is left to find her way and determine her fate by herself. Just like Mariam, she is married and like fate would have it, as a second wife by Mariam’s husband, Rasheed. Laila however bears two children for Rasheen unlike Mariam who has none and is treated much differently from Mariam. He compares her to a brand new first-class shiny Benz.
“I admit to what I did, brother,” Mariam said, “But, if I hadn’t, he would have killed her. He was strangling her” (P365). This shows that Mariam is willing to take responsibility for her action she knew that there would be conscious, but she also knew that what she did was to save Laila and her children. Mariam’s actions would lead to this moment, “Kneel here, hamshira. And look down.”
