Treatment Of Women In A Thousand Splendid Suns

Brian Ruiz

Amy Dudgeon

English 2 Honors

10 April 2023

The Reality of Life in Afghanistan

The treatment of women in Afghanistan has been a subject of debate for decades, as news has circulated internationally about the abuse, violence, and discrimination experienced by Afghan communities. Given these issues, A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khalid Hosseini in 2007, is a novel that demonstrates the ongoing events during the 1990s and early 2000s in Afghanistan. During this period, Hosseini illustrates the difficulties and brutal conditions women and others of minorities had to withstand. He describes the suffering that both main characters, Mariam and Laila, endured, reflecting the experiences of these minority groups in Afghanistan. These

Hafizullah Emadi links women’s violence to men dishonoring their wives. He argues that “Women are continually abused by men who regard them as their personal property and there is no legal recourse to defend them. They are forced to marry against their will and young girls are forced to marry older men. Women are severely punished on suspicions of actions men deem to be dishonoring the family” (Emadi 254). Emadi argues that men subject women to punishment based on actions that men consider dishonorable to the family. By men being given this much power under the Taliban’s regulations, it causes inhumane and abusive treatment towards women in situations such as forced marriage and isolation from their social life. The novel exemplifies Emadi’s findings when Rasheed finds out that Laila welcomed Tariq into their house and conversed with him. During Rasheed’s conversation with Zalmai, Zalmai provides a detailed account of what occurred between Laila and Tariq. Zalmai describes how Laila was talking to Tariq downstairs while he was upstairs. Rasheed reacts threateningly and comments on their teamwork. Rasheed then leaves the scene, giving himself time to process everything he learned. After Rasheed returns, Hosseini describes his violent outburst by stating, “Without saying a word, he swung the belt at Laila. He did it with such speed that she had no time to retreat or duck, or even raise a protective arm. Laila touched her fingers to her temple, looked at the blood, looked at Rasheed, with astonishment” (Hosseini 345). In Emadi’s examination, he reveals how one of the reasons for violence toward women is the dishonorable behavior that men see in their wives. In his statement, he emphasizes that the beating of women occurs without any protection from the law. If a man has suspicions of