This passage is indicative of their misogynistic society, but this is not limited to the novel. The fact that men often blame women is the root of many discrepancies and injustices against women. In Afghanistan, this manifested itself in male dominance, marital abuse, and extreme oppression. Men were seen as superior in every way, so they were expected to be responsible for many aspects of their wives’ and daughters’ lives, such as the way she dresses, the way she conducts herself, her honor, and her sustenance, among
Hosseini portrays how this treatment of women was accepted in Afghani culture because men’s superiority was derived from tradition. He depicts a culture in Afghanistan where wives were seen as mere possessions, so their husbands found fault with them for the inconveniences they experienced. Hosseini demonstrates the mistreatment of women in Afghanistan through the multiple examples he provides where men laid blame with women for circumstances beyond the women’s control or for which were not solely to blame for, just as Nana had warned Mariam that they were prone to do. The first instance in which Nana’s statement rings true is when Nana found out for herself how easily women in Afghanistan could be held completely accountable for things that were not solely their responsibility.
They represent the plight which the Afghan women have been facing since ages. These characters give hope to the countless women who still suffer the dominance and hardships of the Afghan society. The actions of these characters symbolize their strength to endure things as they join together and retaliate against the man, and in turn the society, who has taken away their rights to live their lives according to their own choices. The ‘thousand splendid suns’ represent the thousands of Afghan women with immense potentialities who are still under the clutches of patriarchal domination and are forced to hide behind the walls. Khaled Hosseini has beautifully portrayed the cruel realities of the lives of Afghan women through Mariam and Laila and this is what separates A Thousand Splendid Suns from literary works that deal with Afghan women.
Hosseini illustrates the struggle of women and their endurance of being treated as second hand citizens through his female lead characters. An important theme he displays is the importance of education in woman and the effects it has on a
The setting of the book set in Swat, Pakistan. Where Malala a young girl is shot by the Taliban( A terrorist group that forced people to practice Islam ( Religion) there way by using force)to strike fear in the hearts of women who want to attend school. When Malala is about 10 the Taliban seizes control of Swat, burning girls schools and other unspeakable acts of terrorism. Even though the situation is bad none can compare to the chaos that is Afghanistan. In Afghanistan women are beat for wearing white as it is a man's color, men are forced to girl out their beards, And women are obligated to wear buraq ( A head Scarf that covers every thing except the eyes.)
The main character had to manage his father’s neglect while growing up. All Amir really wants is to be “looked at, not seen, listened to, not heard” (Hosseini 65), and while this conflict shapes the way that Amir grew up, readers are exposed to the
Even within the book itself it's apparent that many females collectively realize what is happening to them is wrong, but that they have no option other than just being a spectator in this grand scheme of horror. Many women in Afghanistan still face these horrid conditions everyday, with no chance of it ever stopping, They all sense that there should be changed but they are ultimately powerless in the face of this social
(Hosseini, 86). But after the Mujahedeen took over, women were treated horribly especially by their husbands and were sometimes the punching bags if something wrong happened. The novel does a great job on letting the readers know why women were always blamed and/or beaten, what happens after the men blame the women for something and shows examples of little things that a woman has done or does that trigger the men to become angry or upset. If you dig deep
In the story, the women are oppressed by the society. This is narrated through the delivery of the main antagonist’s id, the gender inequality in enforcing laws and the marginalization of women. As a result of Rasheed’s id, Mariam and Laila are consistently physically and emotionally
In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, we come across two women Mariam and Laila, who endure extreme hardships that most women across the world experience. In the following essay I am going to critically discuss the statement that says "A Thousand Splendid Suns shows the social and cultural- and, ultimately political structures that support the devaluation, degradation, and violence endured by Mariam and Laila". This will be done by focusing on the events that take pace in
But maybe there is something else you want.” (Bala 366). The theme of women being sexually assaulted and mistreated was recurring throughout the novel and provides evidence to display how the abuse was mainly
This highlights the importance of how these acts of cruelty Mariam and Laila faced; ‘fear of the goat, released in the tiger’s cage’ is what ultimately defines their inner feminist strength, ‘over the years/learned to harden’ which shows that Mariam and Laila’s past indirectly prepares them for The Taliban’s arrival. The Taliban take away the basic rights of Mariam and Laila ‘jewellery is forbidden’, but they fail to do so. Ironically, it is the society itself that gives them the strength and platform to strike back against Rasheed, who is a cruel, male-dominating character who symbolised and reinforced everything the term ‘anti-feminist’ stands
Abstract women have been living very miserable lives throughout the history somewhere because of gender differences and somewhere base on lame excuses of religion. They do not have equal rights, freedom, opportunities as men and have been suffering gender-based violence perpetuated towards them in the male dominated society. Afghan women show great strength and resistance in the face of adverse circumstances. They have developed traumatic problems and in reaction to their problems, they have grown very resilience to the Afghan tradition and men harsh treatment. The research entitled “Trauma and Resistance of Afghan Women: A Critical Study of Khaled Hosseini’s Novel “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, was intended to critically analyze the novel to explore trauma and resistance of Afghan women.
Women’s Rights in Afghanistan As Afghanistan has evolved over time, the rights of its citizens have altered accordingly. The women’s population experienced a great amount of change as this country has seen a range of leaders who have ultimately decided their fate. These women have grown to be accustomed to disparaging expectations and standards as they are treated inferior to men. Women’s rights in Afghanistan have been largely impacted by the country’s past and current political state, as well as the imbalanced standards women in the current society have been obliged to follow.
The role of women in literature crosses many broad spectrums in works of the past and present. Women are often portrayed as weak and feeble individuals that submit to the situations around them, but in many cases women are shown to be strong, independent individuals. This is a common theme that has appeared many times in literature. Across all literature, there is a common element that causes the suffering and pain of women. This catalyst, the thing that initiates the suffering of women, is essentially always in the form of a man.
