Category: A Thousand Splendid Suns

Dystopian Societies and Female Oppression: An Overview

The protagonists in both ‘The Handmaids Tale’ by Margaret Atwood and ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khalid Hosseini suffer in the societies in which they exist. Similarly, the theme of religious oppression underpins the suffering of the female protagonists in both the fictitious, dystopian society of Gilead in ‘The Handmaids Tale’ and the historical realities of Afghanistan in ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’. The Handmaids Tale is a dystopia written in a near future in which the protagonist Offred is oppressed by the totalitarian Republic of Gilead, a fierce theonomy. Contrastingly, the society in A Thousand Splendid Suns is influenced by the reality of the complex, cultural environment of Afghanistan from the early 1960s to the early 2000s. The protagonists in this novel, Mariam and Laila are oppressed during a period of immense political change and by existing social, moral and class structures overseen by the omnipresence of religion. Despite contextual differences, the theme of religious oppression underpins the suffering of the protagonists in both novels.

The Handmaid’s Tale: A Speculative Fiction Reflecting Real Historical Events

The Handmaid’s Tale is described by Margaret Atwood herself as ‘a speculative fiction about an American theocracy’ 1 as she draws on a number of real historical events to create a strong sense of reality about the dystopian society imagined. Originally published in 1985, the novel illustrates a late 20th century future where nuclear pollution has resulted in catastrophically low birth rates and complications. As a result, the patriarchal Republic of Gilead was founded by Christian fundamentalists called the Sons of Jacob, who impose strict, judicial religious laws. The novel itself is heavily influenced by the society in which Atwood lived and observed during the time of writing. The novel echoes the American socio-political climate of the 1980s, amidst the period of conservative revival and the election of Ronald Reagan following the ‘sexual revolution’ of the 60s and 70s. Atwood appears to satirise the conservative fundamentalists views of the time by creating the deeply flawed and hypocritical society of Gilead, depicting what a future under conservatism might look like. On the other hand, Atwood’s critics have compared The Handmaids Tale to the masculine Orwellian dystopias that inspired her surveillance society, such as ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ and believe that the novel does not belong to the traditional dystopian genre as Atwood’s novel lacks ‘the destructive force of satire,’ and has ‘no satiric bite’ 2. Despite this, the real threat of religious fundamentalists on female emancipation is realised in The Handmaids Tale where sexual freedom no longer exists and women are forbidden to vote, read or write and have become, ‘ambulatory chalices.’. Due to the ‘underlying muted feminist polemic’ 3 thematically embedded within the novel, The Handmaids Tale is often either referred to as a ‘feminist vision’ or a ‘feminist dystopia’ as Atwood not explores the politics of sexuality and reproduction in a totalitarian society, but how these scared feminist premises are hijacked by religious belief and warped into tools by the patriarchy, resulting in the destruction of sisterhood and the oppressing of females between one another.

Religious Fundamentalism and Female Subjugation in Gilead

Given that Atwood herself announced that, ‘There’s nothing in the book that hasn’t already happened’, we learn that the nature of Gilead is influenced by contextual fears at the time including growing concerns about pollution, nuclear power and declining birth rates. Interestingly Atwood’s assertion that she ‘invented nothing’ in Gilead is affirmed by her clippings in 1984 of Ayatollah Khomeini’s actions in Afghanistan that forced women out of education and the workplace into ‘their burqas and their homes’ 4 .She also clipped accounts of Iranian prison refugees, reporting violent torture including the use of electric prods reflected in the use of ‘cattle prods’ by the Aunts in her novel. In addition, the novel’s epilogue references the Philippines, “under the rubric of ‘salvaging,’ that engaged in state-sanctioned murder of dissidents” 4 .Meanwhile, Ceausescu’s government in Romania at the time outlawed both birth control and abortion, closely monitoring women for pregnancy and linking women’s wages to childbearing, much like how the value and life of a Handmaid depends on her ability to bear a child. Atwood provides a criticism of these events by removing them from their real-life contexts and amplifying them to extremity in her novel, illustrating how governments and policies underpinned by religious ideology are a far cry from utopic societies. The social and political structures established in Gilead, a supposed utopian society, are revealed to be fiercely oppressive and ‘in practice miserably lacks spirituality and benevolence’5.

A Thousand Splendid Suns: Mirroring Afghanistan’s Socio-Political Realities

A Thousand Splendid Suns written by Khaled Hosseini is almost entirely influenced by the socio-political contexts of Afghanistan throughout a 40-year time period. The society in the novel is a mirror of reality in Afghanistan, unlike the fictional Gilead. The political backdrop of A Thousand Splendid Suns begins in Herat in 1964 and ends in Kabul in 2003. By contextualising the experiences of two Afghan women with contrasting upbringings against immense political changes that impact them both, Hosseini narrates the extent in which the suffering of the protagonists is underpinned by religious oppression. Within the period, the society undergoes ‘radical transformations in its socio-cultural fabric’6 and women suffer a double subjugation in the form of both patriarchal dominance and the ripples of oppression emanating from the persistent conflicts. Firstly, the era of King Zahir Shah existed followed by the Republic of Mohammed Daoud Khan’s communist rule, then the arrival of the Taliban following the mujahideen conflict and Soviet withdrawal and finally, the interim presidency of Hamid Karzai. Comparing the lives of women before and after the harsh and oppressive arrival and rule of Taliban enables Hosseini to ‘depict the degree of injustice done to women of Afghanistan’7. The Taliban government drastically changed the law and order of Afghanistan, replacing secular law with Islamic Shari’ah law. In accordance with feminist literary criticism, Hosseini illustrates the stark differences between the former western influences on the country and the new religious order through the portrayal of the protagonists Mariam and Laila to highlight their suffering.

Moreover, their suffering is is almost entirely endured and directly related to politics as the undercurrent of religious oppression in society and inherent political violence is mirrored in the interactions between characters. Similarly, to The Handmaids Tale a smaller, power politics is at play within the relationships between characters in the novel. For example, the religiously influenced domestic hierarchy in Rasheed’s household and the Commanders Household. In addition, the significant matriarchal hierarchy created as an extension of patriarchal authority and bi-product of a totalitarian society is mirrored in both novels. Through Mariam’s humble and illegitimate origins labelling her ‘harami’, she is viewed negatively by both men and women in society and often scorned and ostracised from the female community. By the same token, women in The Handmaids Tale have differing social positions and small pockets of authority based on their adherence to the religiously influenced societal norms. In this way, religion also dictates the character motives within the novel and the politics of character relationships and interactions. Furthermore, through Marxist literary criticism, the thematic ‘socio-political activism’ in the novel that strongly explains Mariam plight compared to Laila’s privileged upbringing, highlights ‘the missing values of gender and class equality’8 .Hosseini’s choice to incorporate the constant change of political regimes and leaders in Afghanistan to demonstrate how ‘the conditions of violence and conflict magnified oppression’ 6 highlights the influence of religion in the daily lives of women, allowing him to explore female suffering under religious oppression more comprehensively than in his previous literary works such as ‘The Kite Runner’.

Symbolism and Imagery: Tools of Religious Oppression

In addition to the wider contextual and thematic religious oppression inherent in the nature of the societies in both novels, both authors use rhetorical devices such as symbolism and imagery to highlight the suffering of the protagonists. The futuristic neo-puritan, totalitarian society of Gilead has a wealth of tools of religious oppression in order to enforce authority, one of which is clothing. The freedom for women to wear what they chose has been erased and replaced with mandatory conformity of the state’s belief in religious humility and modesty. The women who are Handmaids like Offred wear long, red, draping dresses covering every inch of their bodies. Offred frequently complains of how uncomfortable and hot the clothing is, suggesting it’s a form of continuous physical oppression, “that sucks in heat and blazes with it at the same time.”. The symbolism of the striking red colour is described by Atwood herself as “the colour of blood, which defines us” (womankind). Here red alludes to menstrual blood and the all-important womb in Gilead, symbolising the oppression of women’s reproductive and sexual rights. The colour red is also an alarming and jarring colour suggesting its oppressiveness over the wearer and the dominance of the ideology of the state. The red colour of the Handmaids uniform comes to symbolise all blood in the novel and is linked to the most violent tool of religious oppression in Gilead, the Wall, where traitors to the Republic are publicly and gruesomely hanged as a deterrent. On the wall, the red blood starkly contrasts the white cloth over the male doctors’ heads, “blood, which has seeped through the white cloth” the same contrast seen in Offred’s uniform that is complete with white wings. It also contrasts their white lab coats that symbolise their previous profession and, in this instance, their current role in society as criminal abortionists under religious oppression. The significance of colour on the suffering of the protagonist is enforced by Offred’s experience in Jezebels nightclub. In the brothel the clothing is multi-coloured and vibrant, but even so the ceaseless religious oppression at the nucleus of this society perverts the ideas about freedom to wear colour as unnatural and oppressive. In addition, the Wives of the commanders wear blue, a colour symbolising their pure motherly role often associated with the biblical Mary, but more like Ruth they are mothers who have not directly conceived themselves due to their old age and infertility. The contrast between the Handmaids red uniforms and the Wives blue uniforms is used to symbolise how religious oppression has invaded sisterhood and caused suffering to the protagonist Offred. For example, Offred envies Serena Joy’s blue ‘uniform’, “Her dress is crisp cool cotton. For her it’s blue, watercolour, not this red of mine”. This symbolism is explored further through natural imagery, Serena’s flowers are a motif symbolic of her wifely status and religiously juxtaposing lack of fertility, “Then we had the irises, rising beautiful and cool” amongst the contrasting red tulips symbolising Offred being cut off with her shears.

Moreover, Aunts, the unmarried women who oversee the Handmaids training, wear modest brown uniforms with cattle prods attached whilst the Martha’s, the unmarried domestic servants, dress in green associated with cleanliness. Finally, the Econowives, married to lower class men wear, “striped dresses, red and blue and green and cheap and skimpy,”. Though they appear to have more freedom of dress, the colours are prescribed and almost derogatory of their lower-class position, making their freedom every bit as restricted as the other females. The colour-coding of women in society is illustrates how the theonomy demands ‘functions’ of women and how the Sons of Jacob have enacted the ‘virtual enslavement of women,’ reducing them to ‘mute, replaceable objects’ 9 .The men are also subject to uniforms and the colour black is a sign of power in Gilead. Those who are either Commanders, Angels, or Guardians, wear black, symbolising death and threat, reminiscent of the of the SS officers’ uniforms in Nazi Germany. Any of these men could also be a member of the Eyes, the secret police those who epitomise the religious oppression inherent in society. Comparatively, in A Thousand Splendid Suns the male antagonist is not subject to uniform wearing, yet his infliction of religious oppression is expressed through his indicative clothing. Rasheed is often described to be wearing dirty clothing stained with grease and “yellow sweat stains”, suggesting his embodiment of the negative and hypocritical religious beliefs that dictate his actions. As a result of this form of this religious oppression, the individuality of the protagonists is completely stripped away amplifying their suffering.

The customs and rituals of Gilead also enact suffering onto the protagonist. The dystopic and unnerving rituals are described as ‘Orwellian’ 3 and include those such as Testifying that enforce the oppression of women under a totalitarian theonomy. During Testifying, the Commander reads appropriate excerpts from the bible- forbidden to be read by women. Most notably a Genesis chapter is read, ‘Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her’. The verse exemplifies the nature of the Republic whose primary aim is to procreate and in doing so oppresses all women. This aim accumulates into the subsequent Ceremony that deprives Offred of her right to choose and surrenders her reproductive rights to the household patriarch, whose actions encouraged by the authoritarian state and protected by divine right.

Similarly, the tools of religious oppression enacted on the protagonists in A Thousand Splendid Suns are of the purpose of enforcing scriptural authority. The realities of the harsh Taliban rule in Afghanistan saw the Islamic symbol of the burqa become a form of religious oppression on Mariam and Laila. The burqa is an important rhetorical device in the novel that for Laila, symbolises the erosion of her past freedoms. Contrastingly, Mariam felt it comforting as it shielded her from the judgmental society in which she lived. The burqa is one of the only visible and physical symbols of religious oppression in A Thousand Splendid Suns. Like the women in The Handmaids Tale, women are instructed to cover themselves before they leave their homes, “You will not, under any circumstance, show your face. You will cover with burqa when outside. If you do not, you will be severely beaten”. The burqa wearing is enforced on the protagonist Laila by her husband Rasheed who appears to hold authority and power by upholding religious values that ultimately oppress and cause the suffering of the female protagonist by the symbolic stripping of her individuality. Unlike the abundance of physical tools in The Handmaids Tale, the tools of religious oppression in A Thousand Splendid Suns are largely invisible. They are often the unwritten intricacies of the extreme patriarchal society realised in Afghanistan. The many social conventions influenced by Islamic fundamentalism were enforced by the Taliban government and imposed on women in Afghanistan in the form of twenty-nine laws outlined in the novel. Some laws that restricted the freedom of free movement of women included in the novel are enforced by Rasheed who does not let Mariam and Laila leave their home, especially unaccompanied by him, “It is not proper for women to wander aimlessly about the streets. If you go outside, you must be accompanied by a mahram, a male relative. If you are caught alone on the street, you will be beaten and sent home”. Correspondingly to The Handmaids Tale, the impending fear of corporal punishment is underpinned by religious beliefs about proper female comportment and subsequently causes the suffering of the protagonists in both novels.

The Taliban government also discouraged western popular culture that was acceptable during the reign of the Najibullah-led communist government, this included superficial activities such jewellery wearing that were in conflict with religious ideas about modesty and humility- a conflict explored in the modesty of uniforms in The Handmaids Tale. Other rules such as not being permitted to speak unless spoken to and making eye contact with men were enforced. Notably the rule “You will not laugh in public.”, epitomises the oppressive natures of the societies in both novels. A lack of enjoyment and humour is present in the everyday lives of the protagonists in A Thousand Splendid Suns and in the unsettling arrangement of the Ceremony that must be endured by both the Handmaids and Wives. This alludes to religious ideas of suffering in order to reach enlightenment. Both societies are created on fundamentalist beliefs of contrasting religions, Christianity and Islam yet both require the suffering of the protagonists in order to adhere to moral righteousness as perceived by the societies in which they live. Furthermore, the Taliban government in A Thousand Splendid Suns banned the education of women and forbade their attendance at schools, otherwise instructing them accept the traditional roles of housewives and motherhood. The significance placed on traditional gender roles in religion is reflected throughout the two novels as emancipation is reversed and reduced to the objectification and subjugation of women in their respective societies. In A Thousand Splendid Suns women are constricted to an inferior position in all aspects of society and their value is determined by how well they fulfil their role according to religious beliefs, much like how women in The Handmaids Tale are reduced to “two-legged wombs” and are expected to fulfil their reproductive purpose, there only purpose.

Moreover, in A Thousand Splendid Suns the ‘Department of Vice and Virtue’ was created to ensure that religious laws were upheld “these are the laws that we will enforce, and you will obey”. The duty of the department is to oversee and supervise the Shari’ah laws imposed and punish those in violation of them. In the same fashion, the secret police in Gilead called the Eyes, ‘reminiscent of the Gestapo or the Soviet KGB’10 have the identical purpose and desired outcome, fear. Both organisations were set up to ensure conformity to the religious beliefs of the state, the beliefs that actively oppress and cause the suffering of the protagonists in both novels.

In both novels there are characters that embody religious oppression and actively cause suffering to the protagonists. The character Rasheed in A Thousand Splendid suns is both driven and shaped by Islamic fundamentalism and its beliefs. He abuses his position as the household patriarch to inflict mental and physical abuse on the protagonists Mariam and Laila, contributing to their suffering. Rasheed’s brutal actions and abuse are justified and validated by scripture and thus, according to him, the will of god. Hosseini uses rhetorical devices such as the symbolism of pebbles to encapsulate how the nature of society and the suffering of the protagonists is underpinned by religion and enacted by those such as Rasheed. For example, the symbolism of pebbles, an important and recurrent symbol in the novel particularly associated with Mariam. As a child she made stacks of pebbles to represent her isolation from her father and his legitimate family “Solitary, eleventh pebble,” and from society as a whole, because in line with religiously influenced social convention, Mariam was an illegitimate child whose existence brought shame. This illustrates how the protagonist suffered since childhood due to the oppressive religious undercurrents in society. Furthermore, when Rasheed criticises Mariam’s cooking he not only insults her but, “He snatched her hand, opened it, and dropped a handful of pebbles into it…Then he was gone, leaving Mariam to spit out pebbles, blood, and the fragments of two broken molars”, leaving her to suffer alone. In addition, the protagonist Laila is also associated with the symbolism of pebbles as, “a shower of dirt and pebbles and glass” rained down as when her home was hit with a bomb. The pebble motif symbolises the suffering of the protagonists in their male-dominated society that is underpinned by religious oppression and encapsulated by political violence.

In contrast to Rasheed, the Commander in The Handmaids Tale has a specified high-ranking role and duty in the totalitarian theonomy of Gilead. The Commander embodies the authority of the religious ideology of Gilead, much like how Rasheed embodies the negative aspects of Islam. Once again, the role of patriarch is used to oppress the protagonist. The commander both controls and gambles with Offred’s life by letting her read the bible, play scramble and visit a brothel, breaking the law and endangering her. His little regard for the consequences of Offred’s involvement demonstrate his sense of exceptionalism afforded to him by misogynistic religious ideology. Similarly to A Thousand Splendid Suns, a small inanimate object such as a pebble and scrabble piece has the potential to cause significant suffering to the protagonist. The way in which small rebellions can cause great suffering to the protagonists highlights the extent of religious oppression in both novels.

Conclusion: The Impact of Religious Fundamentalism on Female Individuality

To conclude, it is ultimately the destruction of female individuality and inquisitiveness by religious fundamentalists that causes the suffering of the protagonists in both novels. Both in the fierce theonomy of Gilead and contextual Afghanistan the success of the totalitarian patriarchy relies on female subordination, realised through domestic hierarchies that self- regulate one another. Moreover, the false female collaboration enacted in The Handmaids Tale and the conformist, virtue-driven society in Afghanistan proves to be the primary cause of the suffering of the protagonists. Both novels are more than contextual dystopia’s and fictions as encapsulated by Offred’s words in The Handmaids Tale that directly addresses the reader ‘who knows what the chances are out there, of survival, yours?”, suggesting that the answer to patriarchal totalitarian societies underpinned by religion is not the ‘destruction of either sex’ but their ‘mutual survival’ .

With reference to wider reading, explore and compare Margaret Atwood and Khaled Hosseini’s sociological representation of religion and its impact on women’s treatment in The Handmaid’s Tale and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

In both texts, A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Handmaid’s Tale, both writers explore the exploitation and mistreatment of women for the benefit of ‘the class structure of a society…in a struggle for economic, political and social advantage’, as stated by Karl Marx[footnoteRef:2]. However, the underlying force behind the oppression of women is the sociological representation of religion which is used as a power tool to control women’s place in society. For instance, women in both texts are can be specifically regarded as the base of a superstructure in society, creating the means of production, which is children. [2: Abrams. H. M, Harpham G, (2005), 8th edition, A Glossary Of Literary Terms, Page 155]

Thus, it is no surprise that both authors focus on the disturbing and consequential aspects of religion, illustrating the control religion has over humankind which ultimately leads to women being perceived as inferior. It is this idea that religious scriptures are twisted and turned to suit a purpose for society or men that draws my attention to the disempowerment of women; both authors give us a chilling account of the lives of women in two different countries (America and Afghanistan) across three decades. On a personal level as a young, modern Muslim woman, independent religious perspective is a tool that empowers, but the idea of religion used as a form of control or as means of production in society is fundamental to this essay. It is not within the scope of this essay to make specific references to wider reading related to biblical or Islamic scriptures.

According to the feminist critic, Driver, traditional patriarchy has evolved because of religion. For example, she argues that “religious writings in praise of women as virgins or wife of mother continues to appear” with “God as father, incarnation as male, masculine type of authority[footnoteRef:3] pointing out the criticism of religion as the basis of patriarchal power in our society[footnoteRef:4]. This interpretation can be linked to Atwood and Hosseini’s presentation of women in subordinate roles with religion being the primary reason behind their poor treatment. Equal rights do not exist and women are trained to become housewives or child bearers in both texts. [3: Driver, A. (1976). Religion. 2nd ed. The University of Chicago.] [4: Driver, A. (1976). Religion. 2nd ed. The University of Chicago.]

Atwood powerfully highlights how religion sociologically plays a big part in the way that women are treated if they are unable to bear children because Gilead is strictly reliant on the bible, specifically Genesis. The epigraph very early on explores the idea of women almost becoming worthless or desperate in society as seen in: “Give me children, or else I shall die” Right from the start the strong references to fertility enables the reader to appreciate that bearing children is rare and precious in Gilead. This is suggested through the Martha’s private conversations on “unofficial news” (Page 21) in Chapter 2, “Stabbed her with a knitting needle, right in the belly. Jealousy, it must have been, eating her up” (Page 21). On the exterior the Wives appear to be calm and silent about the fact that they are infertile, yet on the interior we can detect that they are resentful of their own situation and jealous of the Handmaid’s, leading readers to the horrifying realisation of the power struggle between the women.

Religious ideologies in both texts fit Abrams and Harpham’s reference to Engels and Marx theories of how “An ideology, is in complex ways the product of the position and interest of a particular class.” [footnoteRef:5]This is particularly relevant to A Thousand Splendid Suns because the antagonist, Rasheed, forcefully demands his wives to wear the Burqa in order to retain male power over the women. Unsurprisingly, the belief that “a woman’s face is her husband’s business only” (Page 69) was perhaps a common belief held by the men in Afghanistan because of the religious patriarchy being most prominent between the 70’s and 80’s because of the Soviet War, leading women perceived as properties and their rights of choice and freedom taken away. Similarly, Gilead is a totalitarian state controlled by men who adopt fundamentalist Christian values. Some readers may link Gilead’s reliance to the bible to the Evangelical Movement which was most prominent during the 80’s, when Atwood was writing The Handmaid’s Tale, when a group of Protestant Christians wished to “proclaim the gospel to every creature, a command toward a movement of evangelizing the world”[footnoteRef:6]. [5: Abrams. H. M, Harpham G, (2005), 8th edition, A Glossary Of Literary Terms, Page 155] [6: Jambrek, S. (2018). The Great Commission in the Context of the Evangelical Churches of Croatia in the Second Part of the Twentieth Century. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: http://www.academia.edu/23276240/The_Great_Commission_in_the_Context_of_the_Evangelical_Churches_of_Croatia_in_the_Second_Part_of_the_Twentieth_Century [Accessed 27 Jan. 2019].]

Firstly, both authors use symbolism in the descriptive detail of the women’s clothing which is also heavily associated with religious ideologies of acceptance or conformity. This is portrayed by the loose clothing which is a symbolic tool to strip women of their sexual freedom, as following a strictly conservative dress code preserved their modesty. For example, in The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood demonstrates the controversial fictional critique of Christian supremacy[footnoteRef:7] via the motif of clothes. Offred’s narrative description of the “ankle-length, full” (Page 18) skirt which is “gathered to a flat yoke that extends over the breasts” (Page 18) highlights the dehumanising restriction of sexual freedom through the hard line religious beliefs on the freedom of expression and sexual choices[footnoteRef:8]. Sadly, this suggests simply categorises them based on their reproductive status in society. [7: Park, E. (2018). God, Guys and Guns. A review of The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood. [online] National Secular Society. Available at: https://www.secularism.org.uk/opinion/2018/06/god-guys-and-guns-a-review-of-the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood [Accessed 13 Nov. 2018].] [8: Park, E. (2018). God, Guys and Guns. A review of The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood. [online] National Secular Society. Available at: https://www.secularism.org.uk/opinion/2018/06/god-guys-and-guns-a-review-of-the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood [Accessed 13 Nov. 2018].]

On the other hand, Hosseini’s significant descriptive detail of the burqa powerfully symbolises Mariam’s disgust, not only at the attire, but at the start of the “imposing and immovable” (Page 69) control Rasheed is starting have over her. For example, emphasis on how it “felt tight on her [Mariam] skull” (Page 72) may metaphorically present the forcing of the burqa as the start of Rasheed dominating over Mariam’s mind. However, Mariam presents slight rebellion towards the “suffocating” (Page 72) outfit as she clearly states that “The loss of peripheral vision was unnerving” (Page 72). These references are perhaps a metaphor for the way that Mariam now views the world or society under Rasheed’s control, highlighting her vulnerability and loss of independence.

Both writers depict women engrained in a system that brainwashes them into becoming hypocritical and judgemental of other women. Atwood intentionally adopts a disjointed structure to include first person flashbacks which are Offred’s memories, emphasising the distortion between illusion, reality and memory. Offred’s memories are triggered to gives the reader a snippet of her previous identity before religion or the government controlled her life. Offred does not even realise how oppressing her outfit truly is when she expresses her repulsive attitude towards the Japanese tourists at the beginning of the novel. She describes them as “undressed” (Page 38) even though she “used to dress like that” in a “Westernized” (Page 38) fashion herself. By this point, the reader is reminded that the once independent Offred has adopted Gileadean society’s religious definition of simplicity and modesty which is reflected in her appearance as well as her thinking. However, Offred views herself at a “political advantage” [footnoteRef:9]because of her symbolic “red” dress which signifies fertility and a level of status. The reader is likely to connect her attire, which Offred gorily references as “blood”, in connection to the blood of the sacrificial lamb in the bible which is ironically similar to a moral sacrifice as women are disregarded as human beings and kept safe purely for their reproductive ability. However, later in the novel when the Commander takes her to an underground brothel and encourages her to take off her red gown, Atwood reveals the hypocrisy of the system and religious values as she wears a costume “so glittering and so theatrical” (Page 242) that it is “a sneer to the Aunts” (Page 242). It is fair to say that the regime retrained women’s minds to fulfil their religious obligations of providing their body for the benefit of men through reproduction and sexual pleasure. [9: Abrams. H. M, Harpham G, (2005), 8th edition, A Glossary Of Literary Terms, Page 155]

Likewise, Hosseini corresponds this brainwashing to Mariam’s fascination to “modern” women with “makeup on their faces and nothing on their heads” (Page 74) suggesting modesty is the most important factor in cultural acceptance and their belief in what is deemed right or wrong in the way women dress. Hosseini adopts a third person narrative structure to suggest how Mariam distinctively separates herself from those who choose not to conform to the religious code of dress imposed by men; in a way this is her way of being at a “social advantage” [footnoteRef:10]amongst the men and women in her town, unlike Offred. Whilst, both protagonists unconsciously turn on women, Hosseini illustrates that Muslim women in Afghanistan are almost born to judge and be judged by others. This is seen in her self-consciousness acceptance of the burqa because it conceals and prevents judgement: “Inside it, she was an observer, buffered from the scrutinizing eyes of strangers. She no longer worried that people knew, with a single glance, all the shameful secrets of her past’ (Page 73). This links to Mariam’s memories of her mother who often referred to her as “Harami” (Page 1), meaning an act forbidden from Allah because of her dishonourable birth. In a way, she embraces the burqa because she would no longer be an outcast in society. [10: Abrams. H. M, Harpham G, (2005), 8th edition, A Glossary Of Literary Terms, Page 155]

Critics Abrams and Harpham’s view religion as a “hidden function of legitimizing and maintaining the position, power, and economic interests of the ruling class”[footnoteRef:11] which is specifically applicable to the double standards practised by men in both novels. Strikingly, both authors challenge patriarchy by exposing men’s double standard who in the name of religion take control. For example, In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood names a secret brothel “Jezebels” (Page 262) which is significant because this is the place where the Commander secretly takes Offred. This is also significant because Jezebel was a woman in the Bible who was portrayed as a “murderer, prostitute and enemy of God”[footnoteRef:12]. Offred describes herself as a “travesty” (Page 266), illustrating the success of the regime that makes women question their appearance instead of questioning the men (‘ruling class’) who impose religious rules yet break them in a corrupt, secretive and sordid underworlds away from the public eye. From these references, it is apparent Offred has become so accustomed to her Handmaid outfit that her past has become strange to her, even her “nakedness is already strange” (Page 72). [11: Abrams. H. M, Harpham G, (2005), 8th edition, A Glossary Of Literary Terms, Page 156] [12: Gaines, J. (2018). How Bad Was Jezebel? – Biblical Archaeology Society. [online] Biblical Archaeology Society. Available at: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/how-bad-was-jezebel/ [Accessed 28 Jan. 2019].]

Likewise, Hosseini reveals the hypocritical nature of some men who, although enforce their wives to preserve their modesty by wearing the burqa, lust for women’s bodies as seen when Mariam’s discovers Rasheed’s pornographic magazine. “he thought nothing of looking at the private areas of other men’s wives and sisters?” (Page 82). This emphasises Rasheed’s lack of respect for other women and also emphasises that he views his wives as his property.

In the same way as the Gileadean men, the corruption of men, who act as the “ruling class”[footnoteRef:13] in Afghanistan, essentially interpret religion as a power tool enabling them to create a patriarchal country, benefiting men. This is because “the Mujahidin rejected the reforms instituted by the communist government and equated a return of women to their traditional roles to a return to the nation’s Islamic Identity. A restricted role for women became part of their Islamic ideology and Afghan nationalism”.[footnoteRef:14] Therefore, Rasheed’s warning: “there isn’t a court in this godforsaken country that will hold me accountable for what I will do” exemplifies how religion acts as a hidden function to legitimize control, enabling Rasheed to take control of his wives by stressing the inequality in the justice system. His use of the adjective ‘godforsaken’ may be perceived by the readers as blasphemy, highlighting that his religious beliefs are a mere façade because he is willing to twist, curse and resort to violence, knowing that he is protected by the law, meaning there will be no repercussions for his double standards or violent actions. Disturbingly, the character of Rasheed further parallels the Taliban’s sexist, misogynistic and restrictive views about a woman’s place in society as he imposes similar harsh punishments. For example, Rasheed warns Mariam: “one wrong look, one improper word, and blood is spilled” (Page 69) just before he places a Burqa on her in the early stages of their marriage. The brutal reference to “blood is spilled” foreshadows violence and bloodshed later in novel as he violently attacks both Laila and Mariam and is then later slain himself by his wife. [13: Abrams. H. M, Harpham G, (2005), 8th edition, A Glossary Of Literary Terms, Page 155] [14: Benard C, Jones G. S, Oliker O, Thurston Quantic. C, Stearns K. B and Cordell K. (2008). Women and Nation-Building. RAND Corporation.]

The hidden function of religion is also made apparent through the social positioning of women in Gilead. Atwood positions the women into their roles in terms of their usefulness according to Gilead’s needs of reproduction. Christian ideology is manipulated to force social change and brainwash useful women who can help the state to multiply their population and give elite families heirs to their thrones such as the Commander and his Wife.

Both writers reveal how religion can be used as a misguided weapon to justify punishment and mistreatment of women. For example, Afghani people are threatened with death and brutal beatings if they disobey the Taliban if they fail to accept patriarchal political control. A clear example of this is through Laila’s disobedience and refusal and non- conformist attitude to set Taliban rules by walking alone without a male family member in order to visit her daughter despite knowing she would be subjected to “whips and slaps” (Page 313) by the Taliban. The reader admires Laila’s maternal instincts and strength to go against the regime, despite the brutal consequences.

Atwood’s depiction of women fighting for a voice in a world where men’s definition of religion controls them is fundamental to feminists who emphasise “women’s struggle for liberation without challenging its male-dominated concepts”[footnoteRef:15].The female characters are unable to challenge ‘male dominated concepts’ in The Handmaid’s Tale because of the severe consequences. The punishment for those declared as ‘Unwomen’ (infertile women), or those that defy laws like doctors who are labelled as criminals due to their work in abortions which is classified as illegal in Gilead, have the threat of being shipped to the “Colonies” (Page 20) or executed which further enforces the power of fear controlling people into submitting to religion dominated by men. Additionally, Offred’s internal monologue reveals her psychological struggle to retain her ability to think and feel for herself which will eventually be taken away from her by the men who brainwash. At the beginning, Offred refuses to accept her new residence: “not my room, I refuse to say mine”(Page 18) because she rejects this as her new life and permanent home when she still has beautiful memories of the past. However, Atwood shows how the women begin to lose their fight with the patriarchal society, as seen when Offred predictably “called it mine” (Page 59). [15: Driver, A. (1976). Religion. 2nd ed. The University of Chicago.]

According to critics, some religious rules are simply ‘tribal and traditional customs’[footnoteRef:16] that have been manipulated to socially construct women’s lives for the benefit of the higher class. Both Atwood and Hosseini powerfully demonstrate this through the presentation of theocracy, which was first a Greek word which means the “rule by God or some God(s)”[footnoteRef:17]. In both texts, the “divine rule through human agent” [footnoteRef:18] is typically men, seen through the Commanders and the Taliban, whereas “stereotypes of women as sexually passive, obedient, and fulfilled only in motherhood”[footnoteRef:19]. This is evident in The Handmaid’s Tale’s female characters have their bank accounts cancelled, leading to financial dependency on men and forced residence at home to produce children which is Driver’s valid argument above. Additionally, the men appoint themselves as religious characters execute their political beliefs. Atwood’s significant scene of the Ceremonies, where the Bible is read out every night, questions the religion presented as Offred “knew they made that up…but there was no way of checking” (Page 100), as well as the Salvagings, executions for crimes, where they were “drugged” (Page 287) which were manipulated to be portrayed about religious breaches however instead were considered to actually be political killings. This plays on the idea of man playing God by using religion to justify and control life and death. [16: Benard C, Jones G. S, Oliker O, Thurston Quantic. C, Stearns K. B and Cordell K. (2008). Women and Nation-Building. RAND Corporation.] [17: Waskey, A. (n.d.). National Social Science Association. [online] Nssa.us. Available at: https://www.nssa.us/journals/2007-28-1/2007-28-1-16.htm [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].] [18: Waskey, A. (n.d.). National Social Science Association. [online] Nssa.us. Available at: https://www.nssa.us/journals/2007-28-1/2007-28-1-16.htm [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].] [19: Driver, A. (1976). Religion. 2nd ed. The University of Chicago.]

Similarly, Hosseini uses women’s rights in order to highlight the severity of theocracy. For example, the protagonist, Mariam, is in awe of the “different breed” (Page 74) of women. The use of the word breed highlights how women were viewed in categories, disturbingly similar to animals breeding for reproduction. This deliberate wording dictates how the lack of women’s rights in a theocracy allows women to be judged as simple child-bearing vessels and mothers, not educated women able to have jobs regardless whether they wear modern clothing or makeup. It is clear from this that women turn against other women for the sake of the Taliban’s influence on religion and what they consider to be the correct way to speak, act and wear.

In conclusion, both authors develop the sociological representation of religion and it’s impact on women’s treatment through the constant exploitation of religion being placed as a façade for men to gain power over the women in both novels, as proven by Marxist and Feminist critics. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Gilead forced religion upon women by powerful figures where “there wasn’t an enemy you could put your finger on”, as stated by the character of Offred at the beginning. Similarly, Hosseini states that in A Thousand Splendid Suns although Afghanistan previously were “lacking a common enemy, had found the enemy in each other” (Page 169). A Thousand Splendid Suns creates a more personal connection to me as a reader. The novel itself is historically accurate of the Soviet War as Hosseini based the novel during the 1970’s- 2003. This is significant as Hosseini himself fled Afghanistan in the 70’s and returned back in 2003, where he heard the “vivid and heart-breaking”[footnoteRef:20] stories of the women and although difficult to write about he “began to view these two women, not as Afghan women but rather just people and focused on their humanity rather than their femininity”[footnoteRef:21]. As a result, he was able to confidently write the novel and even wrote “to the women in Afghanistan” in the dedication. [20: Sachs, A. (2008). Q&A:Khaled Hosseini – TIME. [online] TIME.com. Available at: http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1864617,00.html [Accessed 14 Nov. 2018].] [21: Sachs, A. (2008). Q&A:Khaled Hosseini – TIME. [online] TIME.com. Available at: http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1864617,00.html [Accessed 14 Nov. 2018].]

Bibliography

Primary Texts

1. Atwood, M., Nault, R. and Atwood, M. (1985). The Handmaid’s Tale. 1st ed. Penguin Random House.
2. Hosseini, K. and Leoni, A. (2007). A Thousand Splendid Suns. 1st ed. Riverhead Books.

Journals

1. Abrams H. M, Harpham G, (2005). 8th edition, A Glossary Of Literary Terms, Page 155
2. Driver, A. (1976). Religion. 2nd ed. The University of Chicago.
3. Benard C, Jones G. S, Oliker O, Thurston Quantic. C, Stearns K. B and Cordell K. (2008). Women and Nation-Building. RAND Corporation.

Websites

1. Jambrek, S. (2018). The Great Commission in the Context of the Evangelical Churches of Croatia in the Second Part of the Twentieth Century. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: http://www.academia.edu/23276240/The_Great_Commission_in_the_Context_of_the_Evangelical_Churches_of_Croatia_in_the_Second_Part_of_the_Twentieth_Century [Accessed 27 Jan. 2019].
2. Park, E. (2018). God, Guys and Guns. A review of The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood. [online] National Secular Society. Available at: https://www.secularism.org.uk/opinion/2018/06/god-guys-and-guns-a-review-of-the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood [Accessed 13 Nov. 2018].
3. Gaines, J. (2018). How Bad Was Jezebel? – Biblical Archaeology Society. [online] Biblical Archaeology Society. Available at: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/how-bad-was-jezebel/ [Accessed 28 Jan. 2019].
4. Sachs, A. (2008). Q&A:Khaled Hosseini – TIME. [online] TIME.com. Available at: http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1864617,00.html [Accessed 14 Nov. 2018].
5. Waskey, A. (n.d.). National Social Science Association. [online] Nssa.us. Available at: https://www.nssa.us/journals/2007-28-1/2007-28-1-16.htm [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].

The purpose of this study to reveal the main characteristics of women, that how women are oppressed in our society and how they are facing challenge daily in their personal and professional life. According to the novel of Husseini, he declares the real version of women and portray the story that how the two characters changed their lives while living in the society where women are considered as a puppet.

An expanded sexual orientation mindfulness all in all and in connection to war specifically has affected the manners by which war stories have been communicated in the course of the most recent two decades. Postcolonial women’s liberation pronounces that an inclination towards homogenizing and universalizing ladies by concentrating solely on the contribution of ladies in Western way of life is an imprudent endeavor, in light of the fact that for this situation, they are just characterized by their sexual orientation and not by social class, race, sentiments, ethnicity, sexual inclinations, and setting of the colonized regions. Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns delineates the social, social, and political structures that help the degrading, corruption, and savagery suffered by the female characters in the novel. From a postcolonial feministic viewpoint, this paper endeavors to explore the predicaments of ladies, especially the two noteworthy characters of the novel, Mariam furthermore, Laila, which are authorized on them through the man centric culture and principles.

This paper is a genuine endeavor to depict the misuse and segregation of ladies in the man centric social frameworks of the Afghan culture as outlined in the books of Khalid Hosseini. In both the books: A Thousand Splendid Suns, the ladies share the normal predicament of torment, where the male people treat them as insignificant items and subject them to outrageous persecution. The author legitimately delineate the narrative of these ladies, who hint at obstruction and endeavor to defeat the male request however their battle is overpowered by the belief system of the male-ruled social frameworks. In the novel the champions are the characters who experience the ill effects of the ills of bigotry, sexism, and imbalance, however at last them two reemerges as ladies with poise and fearlessness. The champion of Husseini’s tale, Mariam is a harami, a jerk. She changes from a young lady who endures a consistent sentiment of humiliation and pointlessness into a lady who has adored and has been cherished. Her pointless and unintended life can bring harmony and comfort for the ones she has cherished. ‘She thought of her entrance into this world, the harami offspring of modest resident, an unintended thing… yet she was leaving the world as a lady who had love and been adored back… Mariam figured, that she would pass on along these lines. Not all that terrible. This was a real end to a life of ill-conceived beginnings’ (Husseini, 2007:370)

A. Introduction:

This paper sees female dimension of obstruction however the perspective of post-imperialism and woman’s rights dependent on Khaled Hosseini’s epic, Thousand Splendid Suns. Discoveries on the contentions of females and the dimension of obstruction components are found in the novel however the examination of the two essential characters in the novel Maryam and Laila, as the impression of reality of Afghan female’s way of life.

This examination has drawn my consideration and expanded my comprehension of the manners by which females manage the requests of fulfilling desires for other people, to be specific individuals from the family and network. This specific composed content demonstrates that in the point of view of Afghan womanhood, females experience clashes when they endeavor to fit into the open assignments and look for their own distinguishing proof in the meantime. It additionally demonstrates that Afghan females show a basic yet unfaltering technique for dimension of opposition that features the innovation of Afghan feminist inside their way of life and network. By moving back to their history and inventive components of their way of life, Afghan females retell their story of their circumstance, characters and wants of the eyes of Afghan lady’s presence. An Afghan-American creator, Khaled Hosseini, was outstanding as the 2006 Humanitarian of the Year by the U.S. office of the United Nations. A celebrated creator who got his notoriety, through his first novel The Kite Runner. A Thousand Splendid Suns, is its buddy: an account of females, about fondness and scorn, and opposition. A Thousand Splendid Suns direct us see the females under the burqas against the man centric male overwhelmed society of Afghan. The tale symbolizes issues of the battle for progression at two dimensions, as post-pioneer people and as females. In the post-frontier perspectives, A Thousand Splendid Suns uncovers clashes of distinguishing and ID concerning experience in Afghan individual in the local way of life. While through the women’s activist perspective, the novel gives issues of battle of Afghan females to locate their own self-personality, uncovered from the image distinguished by man centric parts and standards. Novel contains different aspects but the principal worry of the perspective is to see the negligible position of post-pioneer females in the social orders that they live in and how the author criticize them with the real oppression.

B. Questionnaires: (problem formulations):

The paper will discuss the main idea that how the two characters have faced so many issues in their life and still they draw a negative impact to the society according to the author.

1. How would be the main characters are criticized in the all novel?
2. What sort of society is shown and describe in the novel?
3. What is the main struggle of the ladies against the gender discrimination?

C. Objectives of the Study :

In this research paper there are different sort of objectives which includes, that how different writers want to the show the reality and struggle of their lives. The second objective is that how society is dominant and creates such circumstances for someone. The third objective of the study that how the ladies suffer in order to proof themselves that they are not less than men, where the gender discrimination is the central power of the paper.

D. Research and hypothesis:

This exploration seeks after to examine male controlled society in political Islam and portrayal or picture of Islam in the West through the perspective of Islamic women’s liberation in A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) by Khalid Hosseini. The purpose behind this examination is to show that ladies have faced a flood of political Islam that has commonly involved a retrogressive sexual orientation plan. While political Islam has realized numerous blocks for the individual privileges of modernized and special urban upper and upper-white collar class ladies, it has amusingly squeezed a developing number of once in the past underestimated, of late urbanized working class ordinary ladies into social, political and religious activism. Subsequently, it is huge to test the speculations that man centric society bores its power over ladies in fluctuated ways by household physical abuse and by damaging the ladylike brain research socially, financially, and politically; that there will be a negative relationship between the sexist endeavors of Western scholarly community and politicized Islam; that the outcomes for the progressions required in the current extremist character of the proceeding with personality governmental issues, dominatingly Islamism will be very noteworthy; and that there will be huge outcomes for including the artistic work of Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns in the system of this examination.

This paper looks to demonstrate a critical need to draw the impact of man centric society over ladies. Notwithstanding this need, concentrating the discouraging associations between the sexist task of political Islam and Western scholarly community may perhaps show their motivation. Besides, the current chauvinist nature of the continuous self/male political convictions deliberately ingrained in Islam is offering backing to the venture of political Islam. The consequences of the examination would exhibit the need of the freeing ladies particularly Afghan ladies and the progressions that are noteworthy to improve the current innate and customary arrangement of Islam in Afghanistan by depoliticizing this portrayal or the picture of Islam in the West. This examination plans to suggest that Afghan scholarly work composed by Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) may contribute altogether to check the speculations made in this investigation. This study will add to support the neighborhood specialists in the comprehension of limited potential outcomes of Islam. Incorporating neighborhood Afghan writing is a stage to raise awareness about advancing culturally diverse comprehension of Islam. Subjective methodology is being selected so as to test the previously mentioned suppositions in a successful way.

Literature review:

The hypothetical structure of the possibility of the dimension of opposition for this examination is gotten from specialists , underline a portion of the techniques for how dimension of obstruction is demonstrated in artistic works however her exposition, ‘Opposition Theory/Theorizing Resistance or Two Cheers for Nativism’. ‘Agitating the Empire: Resistance Theory for the Second World’, center around a few clarifications of abstract dimension of obstruction in post-frontier investigation. In the substance ‘Rethinking the post-pioneer Females Self’ , the possibility of the dimension of opposition is given concerning the worldwide point of view of post-provincial Afghan ladies.

1. Women’s struggle against gender discrimination as seen through the major characters in Khaled Hossein’s A thousand Splendid Suns

The principle highlights of post-pioneer considers in the realm of writing alongside the dimension of opposition comprise of insult, disadvantage and estrangement, relocation and hybridity. Post-provincial research is self-control that is as yet changing and developing as it gives motivations to a few flawed and dubious themes and issues. As lucia (2010) states in her article ”Coming to Terms with the ‘post-pilgrim’, the territory of post-pioneer scholarly examinations have been important to other pivotal research, for example, woman’s rights, postmodernism, deconstruction and post-structuralism.

2. Postcolonial feminist reading of Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns

Ensieh and seifi Said’s concept of the post-provincial dimension of obstruction is taken is one of his prominent writings, Culture and Imperialism (2011). Leaving from the extraordinary by and large tone of the provincial dimension of obstruction, for example, Fanon’s feelings, Said (2011) shows that the decolonization of social dimension of opposition does not plan to totally deny the colonizers component in the shaping of new post-pioneer personalities. On the other hand, the dimension of opposition is dictated by ‘entwining accounts’ (Said 1993:259) of the colonizer and the colonized, connecting the hole between the western social orders and the local. The association among women’s liberation and writing can be found essentially by methods for substances and gadget. Women’s liberation is the substance and the scholarly content become the item where the material is planned and admired to get the exact impression of the lady’s reality from a specific perspective. Dimension of opposition in women’s activist writing can be considered at two viewpoints. The first in the difficult of the validity of the male ruled or male centric abstract custom that distorts and undermines the ladies ID and experiences. The second obstruction is considered in the remodel of new characters of ladies, which bring ahead the ladies talk at the focal point of consideration from the non-presence or ‘hushed’ space of manly talk.

3. A Thousand Splendid Suns: Sanctuary and Resistance

Rebecca states that these gatherings frequently strife with one another in the academic territory and artistic practice. By expressing, he makes the primary dimension of significance of opposition as, ‘ a demonstration or set of acts intended to discharge the general population of its despots, and it so altogether presents the experience of living under control and weight that it goes to be a practically self-sufficient rule’ (Rebecca ,2013). This importance is connected to this article as the component of the dimension of opposition is depicted through the association of the oppressors and the manly dominator and the mistreats as the female subject. The demonstration of the dimension of obstruction is resolved through the development of the female characters in the novel as in the activities, conduct and thoughts as their reactions to the circumstance of being physically or rationally abused.

Here the dimension of opposition is resolved with respect to the overwhelming figure (the First World) through the acknowledgment of the inclinations of the reflection and advancement of the Third World. In the two clarifications, abstract dimension of obstruction is underlined as a sort of gadget or strategy to demonstrate avoiding tolerating or creating to a burden of creating positions or pictures by the prevailing force. The significant prevailing figure of the First Globe in post-pioneer idea is viewed as a similitude of the man-centric culture and standards in the Afghan people group, as the portrayal of abuse of the ladies characters in A Thousand Splendid Suns.

4. The inner strength of women in Khalid Husseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns

In this dimension the talk expects to stress the system of the places of Afghan females, focusing on the possibility of a spouse hood on the conventional structure. The possibility of spouse hood here is viewed as a lifestyle suggested for the wedded females that is distinguished inside the components managing the rules and necessities of the Afghan people group. In this particular novel, the gathering that pulls in the convictions is basically that of Afghan way of life and culture, religious convictions, with its fixation on the traditional system. As portrayed by and large of Asian and Third Wold female’s male centric social structure as depicted before the examination will accentuate how the convictions and places of females in Afghan people group is seriously influenced and constrained by man centric musings. The exchange will outline that the male centric factor in the Afghan open system frequently sustains females as the hirelings of men in practically every one of the positions that they perform. It is additionally significant that the photos of Afghan females in the novel are for the most part given through the characters of youthful age, to be specific Maryam and Laila. This highlights in this journal is the point that photos and convictions of Afghan females fundamentally get from the conventional conviction which directed to the more youthful generation. One of the most predominant photos of the ideal Afghan spouse in the Afghan people group depicted in the novel is the job as the captive to her better half and his relatives. A decent spouse must have a place with the things of her better half, who in all blessed messengers is viewed as her supervisor. He controls her with respect to her exercises and even thoughts. Ideally a spouse must consume her entire time on earth to fulfill her significant other, and wish for the best things in his way of life for him.

5 : (Re)Defining Afghan Women Characters as Modern Archetypes using Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns

In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mr. Hosseini makes it clear that he is locked in with the conditions of females in Afghan culture – before all else, Nana talks surprisingly about ‘our present situation,’ the part of the lacking, uninformed ‘ladies like us’ who need to withstand the issues of life, the numbness and concealment of men, the hatred of the network. The youthful Mariam — the unlawful young lady of a rich individual, a man who is humiliated of her way of life — is effectively wedded her to a thirty-five years of age shoemaker known as Rasheed, a piggy mind-blowing of a man who says it irritates him ‘to see a man who’s lost control of his better half’ . Rasheed makes Mariam to put on a burqa and irreverence her, ridicule her, mishandles, notwithstanding, ‘strolling past her like she didn’t be anything yet a house feline.’ Mariam ways of life in stress of ‘his moving states of mind, his unpredictable personality, his emphasis on directing even ordinary trades down an angry way that, once in a while, he would resolve with punches, slaps, kicks, and now and then attempt to present appropriate reparations in light of with dirtied conciliatory sentiments and once in a while not.’ It is through the sub-content of quietness that Mariam recounts to the narrative of her despondency and agony. Simone de Beauvoir in her book ‘The Second Sex’ sees: ‘A man performs celibacy upon a lady’ yet then again for himself performs and request joy.

Introduction

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a work of realistic fiction based on Khaled Hosseini’s trip to Afghanistan. The story is set in Afghanistan between the early 1960’s and early 2000’s and features two main protagonists. The first is Mariam, a quite, thoughtful child at the start of the book. Born out of wedlock to a rich and married businessman named Jalil and his former housekeeper named Nana. Mariam resents her mother’s strict ways and the fact that she sees her father once a week when he visits her Kolba. Eventually, she runs away and one thing leads to another until she finds herself married to a forty-year-old man named Rasheed and starts living in Kabul. Laila, the second major protagonist of this novel, is the youngest child and only daughter of Hakim and Fariba. Through the story Laila shows a strong desire to use her intelligence and education to improve the world around her. The perspective switches between the two women, following their journeys which eventually bring them together, leading them to sacrifice for each other and trust one another as the struggle in their highly misogynist society. Numerous artistic components worth studying in A Thousand Splendid Suns to know further the multi translations of the writer who prevails to an expansive degree giving a decent foundation about the nation of Afghanistan frequently mixed up by the bits of gossip about the media. Hosseini utilizes such a large number of components that contribute effectively to the creation of this novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, so astounding for perusing and examining like the choice of characters among male and female, the plot and the setting. In this paper I intend to explore the discrimination and victimization of Afghan women as well as the class struggle of the main characters by using Feminist and Marxist literary criticism.

Feminism and A Thousand Splendid Suns:

Feminism is a social movement and ideology that fights for the political, economic and social rights for women. Feminists believe that men and women are equal, and women deserve the same rights as men in society (“What is Feminism?”). As oppression predominated throughout the novel, Nana, Mariam, Laila and Aziza are typical examples of ill-treatment and illustration of the abuses and seizures faced by the Afghan women shown in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Hosseini.

The mother of Mariam, Nana suffered from oppression, cruel and violent treatment of her husband Jalil and his family. Besides, her father also insulted and eventually expelled her because she gave birth to Mariam as a ‘Harami’ (an illegitimate child). Throughout her life, Nana was treated poorly. Jalil left her and expelled her from his house because she worked as a housekeeper, so he repudiated his baby when she was pregnant and fired Nana to a small village. He felt embarrassed and ashamed to get out of wedlock a harami child, so he sent her away to cover up his mistake before his family. Nana said all she felt and all she experienced because of men, warning her daughter Mariam that men always find a way to blame women for their redemption and rescue when she said “Like a compass needle that always points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always, you remember that, Mariam… ‘and believe me’ Nana said ‘it was a relief to your father having me out of sight’(p.07) On the other hand, Nana’s daughter, Mariam, was an unlawful child, so she had bad luck to be a harami girl from her first day, then because of her father Jalil’s hatred; she was not accepted by him at all.

He doesn’t like her because he thinks she’s the cause of disgracing the image of his family. Moreover,she was compelled by him to marry Rasheed, who was thirty years older than her, even though she was only fifteen because she doesn’t want to be caught up with him. She ended up embracing him by force despite her unwillingness. Eventually, her husband also continued to abuse her, especially when she had a miscarriage and was unable to be pregnant.

Mariam subsequently ended up killing Rasheed to save the life of Laila, the second wife of Rasheed because he was about to kill her. Although it was self-defense and committed this crime to rescue Laila, it was convicted as well as executed by the Taliban administration.

Laila was luckier than Mariam, she was not an unlawful child, but throughout her adult life she had suffered from mistreatment by men.In addition, Rasheed abused her, first of all when he lies on her that her beloved Tariq had died to accept his wedding proposal.Then when he began to harm and rebuke his wives Mariam and Laila for anything wrong with him in his life, especially when Mariam was unable to deliver a child and Laila gave birth to a girl, he became abusive. In addition to the horrors of Rasheed who violated his responsibility as a husband, the Taliban beat Laila for going out alone in the orphanage to visit her daughter Aziza.Despite all of Laila’s abuses, struggles and injuries throughout her life, all the sacrifices she offered made her stronger and therefore more powerful in fighting all the difficulties and continuing her life as a great and affectionate mother.

Aziza was marginalized and received very bad treatment from Rasheed whom she believed to be her true father, but he rejected her as a girl and sent her to the orphanage simply because of her sex. In fact, Rasheed wanted to retrieve her first son who died from another, and when Laila delivered Aziza instead of a boy, he became upset and started rebuking both Aziza and Laila’s mother.It is difficult to grow up in such a complex and very heartless situation, but she could be soulful and tender despite all these oddities and difficulties.

In this novel, Afghan females were marginalized by men of their own nation who control and treat every aspect of woman’s life as inferior beings. One of the main reasons of marginalization is Afghanistan’s society has been considered conservative and typically tied for so long. Numerous political and religious regimes get affected society and have pushed it far from civilization and modern lifestyles. The novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, reveals the plight of women in Afghanistan. The main reason leading to marginalization is the changing political situation that is having a strong impact on the status of women in Afghan society.

As depicted in the novel, women’s position changes from region to region. And the most convenient city that retraces the popular political alterations took place in Kabul throughout most of the story of A Thousand Splendid Suns where the reader could encounter the shift and adjustments in the status of the woman. In Kabul, all the various changes were depicted, and this was noticed when Mariam moved to this city and was forced to marry Rasheed. She observed modern life astonishingly, especially for women, she was amazed by the fact that females could wear whatever they wanted in a modern style, they could go outside alone and walk around the city alone, they could forgo head coverings, drive, work, and even hold professional positions. This period was known in Afghanistan as the most interesting time, particularly for women who relished the most freedoms. That’s when the Afghan people were under the Soviet government’s rule in the communist era. This period facilitates all sorts of women’s freedoms. Women had the right to study and learn. In the communist era, education was outlined for them. Equality has been imposed and spread across the country for the sake of women, providing them equal rights to education. Men and women in all domains are considered equal, so it was optional to wear hijab and burqa and was not compulsory for women. When the Taliban gained power and headed the city in 1996, women’s rights and freedoms were reduced. Women have been severely controlled and their rights have been strictly restricted. They become marginalized, mistreated, inmates in their homes as they have been required to stay in their homes and can not leave or walk alone outside unless their relatives have a man. Education and equality have been abolished; women have no right to learn or work. Thus, analphabetism spreads and accounts for 90% of Afghan women today.

Works Cited Page

1. https://rosie.org.au/our-world/womens-rights/what-is-feminism/

Major characters in A Thousand Splendid Suns are Mariam, Laila, Rasheed, and Tariq. Secondary and supporting characters can be seen in this book as the parents, friends, and children of our main characters.

Mariam is the first main character that we get to know in the book. Her beginning story is that of an illegitimate child’s struggle in Afghanistan. Mariam’s life as an outcast growing up brought her very little knowledge about the outside world. Her childhood was heavily influenced by her mother, Nana, who had a harsh but experienced outlook on life and how society in Afghanistan treated women. This drove Mariam to seek love from her father that visits once a week. Jalil (Mariam’s dad) was a wealthy businessman that gave Mariam gifts and the love that she yearned for. On Mariam’s fifteenth birthday, she asks Jalil to take her to go see a movie at his theater. He reluctantly agrees, but never comes to get her. Mariam decides to run off and find him, only to find that he is away on business. She refuses to leave spends the night outside his house. The next morning she catches a glimpse of Jalil in the window and is driven home. Upon arrival, she sees that Nana has hung herself because Mariam left. Mariam then goes to live at the house of her father and is soon married off. She and her husband, Rasheed, are unable to have kids which leads him to be abusive and aggressive. Her life eventually gets the love she always dreamed of with Rasheed’s second wife and her kids.

(Mariam’s life started with started her growing up as an outcast with her strict mother and has a harsh but experienced view of society. This drives her to look for love from her father who visits once a week. When she runs away at fifteen to see him, he rejects her. When she returns home, she finds her mother dead. Soon after she is married off to Rasheed who is an abusive husband. Her inability to have kids drives his anger and her lack of hope that she will ever find love in her life. Luckily, Rasheed marries again to Laila, and Mariam is able to enjoy her company and her kids. Her life feels so complete that she is willing to turn herself in when she kills Rasheed for trying to kill Laila.)

Rasheed is another major character in A thousand Splendid Suns. He is part of the conflict between himself and his wives and is a driving force behind the lives and actions of Mariam and Laila. His previous marriage has left him widowed and without his son. Rasheed seeks to replace his son and previous life but is unable to with Mariam. So after a rough and abusive decade and a half, he has another marriage with Laila. Laila was saved and nurtured back to health after the bomb took out her parents and her home under the care of Rasheed as he intended to marry her. With some manipulation, he can convince her that she has no better choice, and she agrees. After the first child in the marriage turns out to be a girl, he becomes aggressive. This anger is taken out on his wives and only seems to slow once the second child of the marriage, a boy, comes along. He loves his baby boy and spoils him with gifts and attention. His story comes to a close when Laila’s old friend and lover Tariq shows up and spends the afternoon talking with Laila. Rasheed becomes furious and starts beating Mariam and Laila. When things escalate and he tries to kill Laila, Mariam goes and gets the shovel and kills him.

Laila is a young girl in the city of Kabul when her brothers go off to war. Her mother, cast into a deep grief that her boys are away, spends her time in the bedroom, not showing Laila much attention or love. Laila’s father is a very progressive and encouraging man that gave Laila confidence in herself. Laila’s best friend is Tariq. Tariq is an adventurous young man that loves mischief and fun. He is very protective of Laila and will do anything for her. As the story moves forward, Laila’s brothers are killed in battle which leads her mother into even more grief and depression. When the war worsens in Kabul, Laila’s mom refuses to leave, hoping that she will see this war to the end for her sons. Throughout this time, Tariq and Laila develop a love for each other. These feelings are being cut short because Tariq and his family are leaving Kabul in hopes of finding safer places to live. Tariq and Laila see each other one last time, and he leaves. Soon after he leaves, Laila’s house and parents get bombed, with her only surviving because of Rasheed and his wife Mariam. She notices that she is pregnant with Tariq’s child, and marries Rasheed to give her child a good chance at life. Rasheed also paid a stranger to tell Lalia that her true love, Tariq is dead. Rasheed abuses her and spoils her next child, Rasheed’s son.

Tariq is Laila’s best one-legged friend and future husband. His childhood growing up with has brought him many good memories and times with Laila. This time of peace and simplicity ended when Tariq says that he is moving away. They admit their love and spend the night together. When Tariq leaves, he goes off to a refugee camp where times were tough. He went to prison in that time for bringing drugs unknowingly across the border. When in jail, he made connections that landed him a job and a home in Pakistan. Once he was comfortable and able to, he tracked down Laila and told her of his life one afternoon while Rasheed was gone. Rasheed found out and tried to kill Laila, only to be killed himself by Mariam. Laila, Tariq, and the kids flee to his place where he is the new father figure and husband. His life is complete with Laila and their kids.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini. In 2007, the year of its release, the book has already taken the attention of many by becoming number #1 New York Times bestseller. The story is about 2 young girls, Mariam and Laila, having to deal with their cursed fate. The story takes place in Afghanistan more precisely in Kabul a city where Mariam moved when she got married and where Laila was born and met her first love, Tariq. At that time, terrorism was at its peak and there was nowhere to run. Many casualties happened which led to many people’s deaths and one of the main characters too, Mariam. In the end, the war and the terrorism stopped and freedom was then given to everyone’s souls even the dead ones.

The plot is without a doubt one of the most important reasons why this story is so popular. First, the plot looks real and the reason behind it is because of the author. Khaled Hosseini knows more than anyone about the situation in Afghanistan; throughout this book, we feel the connection between him and the story with the aspect of patriotism. The story takes place in Kabul the same city where the author was born and at the end of the story Laila tells Tariq she wants to go back to Kabul “Laila has her dreams. In them, she’s always back at the house in Kabul” (page 387). The plot reflects the reality of this world and shows the pain the character is going through which makes us drown in this sad fictional world.

The narration is also another important aspect of this story because the author first presented Mariam’s story when she was younger and after that, he went from one chapter to another and changed the protagonist of the story. Moreover, it didn’t affect the story at all instead; it added an original effect because at this end everything was related. It seems difficult but it isn’t. It’s like reading 2 short stories based on the same topic that got mixed, a very good way to entertain the readers in my humble opinion.

The characters are also very well made by Khaled but there were too many. Sometimes I had problems remembering some characters, especially at the end when Mariam was talking about her old tutor. However, every one of them had an importance and a weight in this story. They were all unique with unique traits that the reader must’ve thought this story was based on real events. The reason there were many characters in my opinion is because the author couldn’t have made a better story if he didn’t do that because he used his surroundings in Afghanistan to make this story many people helped him which means many ideas.

The absolute best thing about this story is without a doubt the details that the author put to make such a story. It was so clear that you had the idea in your head I give this book a 5 stars

Miriam is a fifteen-year-old Afghani girl who has had a troubled upbringing. Mariam’s mother, Nana, was a housekeeper for a very wealthy man named Jalil. Nana became pregnant with Jalil’s baby, Miriam, and has suffered great shame. She and Mariam had to move out of town into a very small cottage, away from Jalil and his wives and children. Ever since birth, Nana has been calling Miriam a “harami.” Mariam did not know what this word meant but later found out it meant bastard child. Miriam was visited by her father on Thursdays and her father would tell her stories about Herat. She loved her life but wanted more. So she decided, for her birthday, when she wanted to go into town and see a movie in her father’s cinema. Her mother said she would die if she went, but Mariam did not listen nor believed her and went. She came back to see that her mother had hung herself. The next thing she knew her father made her get married to this older man and move to a different city (Kabul). She faced many hardships with her new husband, like abuse and a miscarriage.

The inclusion of Arabic words in the text makes you think and use context clues to find out what they mean. Also, the text showed hints and made the thought of gender roles. Some examples from the text include, “The next morning, Rasheed wanted to invite his friends over for dinner to celebrate… She was in her room by the early evening before the men arrived.” Rasheed invites other men to share his excitement, instead of inviting both his and Miriam’s friends. Not only this, but completely excludes her from the celebration. Also, he only wants a son, not a daughter. (this way his name could be passed on). These are just a few of the ways the text makes you think about gender roles played in this book.

This section also includes many important and sad moments, one of many including how Mariam’s mother hung herself. This left Mariam feeling so alone and depressed since she loved her mother very much. Also, Mariam’s father barely acknowledges her and ships her off to marry a man to get rid of her. This man was abusive, and when everything seemed to be going right, Mariam had a miscarriage. These moments of hardships and heartache Mariam faces contribute to the overall theme of this book. Although she goes through tough times, Mariam never gives up and maintains strength. She pushes through her hardships and perseveres to maintain strength and accept fate.

Throughout the chapters, you find out that Miriam’s husband is abusive. There might be a frightful scene in which her husband will hurt and abuse her. This is because Miriam had a recent miscarriage, and he might blame her for causing it (even though the doctor had said there was no real reason it happened). I would like to ask the author what was the reason for Mariam’s miscarriage. She was so happy to be with the child, and things were finally getting better for her. It felt as if this ruined the flow.  

Following Hosseini’s original best-selling novel The Kite Runner, a novel exploring the journey of self-discovery of a young boy named Amir, A Thousand Splendid Suns pictures the stories of Mariam and Laila, two young women who live in the country of women and face heavy discrimination for being women throughout the novel. The country of Afghanistan is portrayed as a conservative country with traditional attitudes regarding the roles and images of both women and men in society. Unlike the common impersonation of feminism in modern literature, which reflects feminism as an opposition to men, Hosseini challenges gender roles and socialization through the subverted development of his female characters in response to different social and political issues that occur throughout the Afghan culture.

Hosseini initially introduces Mariam, a young woman who is taught early on the harsh realities of being a woman in the Middle East, particularly through her experiences as a young child being raised by her mother Nana. It is implied early on that women are held to lower standards in Afghan society, as Nana tells Mariam “There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school… And it’s this: tahamul. Endure…” (Hosseini ). In the beginning, the women have little sense of independence as it is constantly portrayed that they are suppressed by the men and sociopolitical hierarchies of society. Nana’s pragmatic perception of men in society is taught early to Mariam, creating a gender divide in Mariam’s perception of her culture as she grows up. “… a man’s heart is a wretched, wretched thing, Mariam. It isn’t like a mother’s womb.” Nana compares a man’s “wretched” heart, to a mother’s womb. While one is capable of harboring the fruition of life, it deeply contrasts with Nana’s perception of a man’s heart thus painting a negative image of men from the beginning. Her isolation from the rest of society and constant displeasure with the conservative attitudes of society are clear in her displeasing quotes regarding men. “Like a compass needle that always points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.” (Hosseini 7)

Nana’s words come from personal victimization and experiences at the hands of men throughout her life, and she aims to hammer this idea to Mariam from the very beginning. In many ways, Nana is a representation of a woman in the Afghan culture who carries out the traditional gender roles of a woman. She was a housemaid to Jalil until she had a daughter with him, where she then stays at home with her daughter and is forced to live in a desolate, isolated shack away from her husband. When her only relative and her last sense of emotional support, Mariam leaves her house to visit Jalil in Kolba despite Nana’s warnings, she is consumed by guilt and insecurity and turns to suicide. Nana reflects a victim of the discrimination of the harsh treatment of women in Afghan culture who do not receive any form of support. Jalil turns her away since their marriage, as a man caring for his woman is seen as cowardly by the rest of his peers. This excessive idea is further established when the Taliban come into power and prevent women from doing the same daily tasks as men. Once again, this group of individuals who are majorly men impose strict and unfair rules on the rest of the women in the country, and further paint the idea that there is a huge divide between the rights and responsibilities of both men and women.

The The Taliban verbally and physically abuse Laila regularly due to her being out after curfew hours, and she is stripped of basic human rights while it is evident that she too lacks a sense of independence and equality. Despite these strict rules, Laila leaves the house every day and endures beatings and lashings regularly. “Laila never would have believed that a human body could withstand this much beating, this viciously, this regularly, and keep functioning.” (Hosseini ) However, Laila’s ability to withstand and persevere despite the beatings shows her merciless will and Hosseini’s empowering portrayal of women throughout the novel. This marks the beginning of her enduring journey to find a sense of independence and self-discovery in a society riddled with suppression and discrimination toward women.

A clear and early establishment of gender roles comes from Jalil, the illegitimate father of Mariam who has multiple wives (one being Nana). Jalil’s character and responsibilities are very reflective of traditional gender roles that Hosseini attempts to break. He is the partner responsible for working and acquiring money for his family, while his wives are constantly forced to stay at home and look after the kids in worn-down environments. Although he is consistently absent as a father figure for Mariam as she is a child, she holds him in a high place in her mind as a role model and aims to mirror his behaviors. She is told contradictory stories about him from both parents (Jalil and Nana) and yet chooses to side with the version that Jalil tells her, despite his absence in her life. “Mariam would listen dutifully to this. She never dared say to Nana how much she disliked her talking this way about Jalil. The truth was that around Jalil, Mariam did not feel at all like a harami. For an hour or two every day, when Jalil came to see her, all smiles and gifts and endearments, Mariam felt deserving of all the beauty and bounty that life has to give. And for this, Mariam loved Jalil.” (Hosseini 3) 

For years, sociologists have been developing various theories as to when and how an individual becomes an adult. In sociology, the topic of adulthood is very contradictory, as it can be perceived in different ways. Many sociologists believe that an individual must face psychological, biological, cultural-sociological, and environmental factors that will influence a person’s development. The author Khaled Hosseini, uses the two main characters, Laila and Mariam, to demonstrate the similarities and differences between the two, and these theories of adulthood can further prove what factors influence the transition into adults, as it directly correlate to the internal and external factors they must face.

In the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, both Mariam and Laila display extensive development throughout the novel, however, Laila’s transition into adulthood happens at a more rapid pace in contrast to Mariam’s. This is because growing up Laila had close family relationships, and a thorough education, which led to her developing an overall strong sense of self-confidence and character. Laila’s rapid maturity enables her to stand up for herself and Mariam, think clearly, and make the right decisions, as well Laila ultimately helps Mariam develop into adulthood. Having strong and supportive family connections is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Laila grew up in an encouraging family environment compared to Mariam who grew up in very toxic conditions. For the whole of Mariam’s childhood upbringing, she has been exposed to her mother, Nana, who has been emotionally, mentally, and verbally abusive towards Mariam.

Nana’s inability to show any kind of sentiment towards Mariam stems from her upbringing, and the fact that she is not fully loved, and Nana, unfortunately, passes this on to Mariam. From a very young age, Mariam adored and worshipped her father, Jalil, she always looked forward to seeing him next. However, it is later revealed that Jalil is conflicted about his relationship with Mariam, as he shows some affection for her, but still is ashamed and embarrassed to bring her to Herat and let her meet his other kids. When Mariam finds out about this, she is heartbroken, it tears her apart and is forever instilled in her that the one person she thought loved her, did not share that same mindset. The lack of these strong emotional and nurturing relationships led Mariam to an environment of complete loneliness, as revealed to the reader when the narrator states, “She picked up ten pebbles and arranged them vertically, in three columns. […] She put four pebbles in the first column, for Khadija’s children, three for Afsoon’s, and three in the third column for Nargis’s children. Then she added a fourth column. A solitary, eleventh pebble” (Hosseini 28-29). This one lonely stone signifies Mariam’s isolation and realization that there is no place for her in the family. This imaginative and youthful game turns into internal conflict for Mariam, as she is coming to terms with her status as an unwanted and illegitimate child. The constant bullying and isolation Mariam faced from childhood and then when living with Rasheed negatively impacted her ability to form a strong sense of self-confidence and ultimately held her back from development.

Similar to Mariam, Laila’s relationship with her mum, Fariba, deprives her of that essential and nurturing mother-daughter bond and forces Laila into a state of independence and isolation. Fariba’s tendency to put her sons Ahmad and Noor first made Laila invisible to her mother and reinforced her non-existent connection with her mother. However, Laila’s good-hearted relationship with her father makes up for this and allows Laila to not feel complete loneliness. Laila’s relationship with her father, Hakim, is encouraging, expressive, supportive, and respectful. The love that Laila has for her father is reciprocated, in a way that Mariam has never known. Laila’s father is very vocal about education, specifically for women, and believes that all women should have the same rights men do and that mindset was beneficial to When Tariq is leaving for Pakistan, he asks Laila to go with him, which she responds, “It’s my father I can’t leave,” Laila said. “I’m all he has left. His heart couldn’t take it either” (Hosseini 184). This demonstrates the importance of family to Laila, as she would not leave her father for absolutely anything, despite being heartbroken about staying. Laila believes that she must stay with her father as he has always been there for her, encouraging her along the way, and thinks that leaving him behind for a better life would be insulting and dishonorable of her. This close relationship Laila had with Hakim, benefited her in developing into an adult, as she had emotional support when she was younger, but then eventually had to suffer the loss of both her parents, which exposed her to the abusiveness from Rasheed. In turn, having experienced those hardships ultimately pushed forth her development, forming the well-rounded person she becomes towards the end of the novel. Without close family relationships, an individual’s overall development may be hindered compared to an individual who has close family relationships. Education is extremely important regarding an individual’s overall development. In Laila’s family education was valued, however, Mariam grew up in a family where it was disregarded. Mariam’s educational experience or lack thereof is limited to learning how to read and write at the hands of her tutor, Mullah Faizullah. As well, it was Mariam’s dream to attend school, she romanticizes the idea of learning, and the persecution that she faces from her parents, Rasheed, and society directly ties into the deprivation of education in her life. While, yes, it is great that she is being educated in some way, the society that she lives in, tolerates and recognizes the importance of education. When the idea of Mariam going to school gets brought up to her mother, she turns it down immediately.

Nana is against Mariam attending school as she believes an illegitimate person like Mariam has no entitlement and does not deserve to attend school. The readers learn this when Nana says, “What’s the sense in schooling a girl like you? It’s like shining a spittoon. And you’ll learn nothing of value in those schools. […]” (Hosseini 18). Nana’s harsh view of Mariam attending school has direct negative implications for Mariam. The inability to go to school has deprived Mariam’s potential to become self-sufficient and develop relationships that could give Mariam hope in finding love, the absence of education forced Mariam into a submissive lifestyle. Laila grew up in a very fortunate time for women, as they were allowed and even encouraged by some to go to school. Laila took advantage of this opportunity and ended up becoming a very bright student, excelling at school, which led to her achieving various awards and being recognized for her outstanding performance. Laila’s education gave her an advantage over Mariam who did not go to school, as she had the background, intelligence, and social skills Mariam lacked.

Laila’s father, Hakim, provides a positive view on education and believes that it is a vital component in someone’s life. Furthermore, Hakim is adamant that women will be the key to the future, and that they will be needed as much as men are needed. Hakim says, “I know you’re still young, but I want you to understand and learn this now, he said. Marriage can wait, education cannot. […] Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance” (Hosseini 114). Hakim has high hopes for Laila and has confidence that she will become a successful figure and change the world. Hakim’s passion for educated women influences Laila’s character, fundamentally empowering her to become an adult. There is a distinct contrast between Nana’s and Hakim’s view of education, which gives insight into both Mariam and Laila’s childhood upbringings. The advantage of education increases an individual’s overall development positively and without an education, an individual’s development is negatively affected. Self-confidence and a strong character a significant trait that aids in an individual’s overall development and Having these traits provides an individual with the ability to value themselves and further in their overall development. Growing up Mariam lacked those close family connections and educational experiences which further forced her into submission.

Mariam constant exposure to Nana’s abuse molds her into believing that she has no worth, this is revealed when Mariam states, “She understood then what Nana meant, that a harami was an unwanted thing; that she, Mariam, was an illegitimate person who would never have a legitimate claim to the things other people had, things such as love, family, home, acceptance” (Hosseini 4). From the beginning of the novel, Mariam has always felt unwanted, and illegitimate, this view has led her to believe that she would never be loved, or cherished. Furthermore, as Mariam progresses through the chapters the thought of never being loved restricts her abilities to fully develop. Mariam constantly submits to everything and everyone forces her to be weak and powerless, she lets people walk all over her and deprive her of basic rights.

Meeting Laila turns her life around, allowing her to be confident and mature. Laila’s positive childhood experiences allowed her to develop an overall strong character, which further enabled her to become independent, resilient, and persistent in a search to free herself from Rasheed. The friends and family that surround Laila are extremely proud of her and believe that she can do anything. Having people there for you, and always encouraging helps Laila push through the hardships she encounters, this is displayed when Laila recalls when her friend, Hasina, says ”By the time we’re twenty, Hasina used to say, Giti and I, we’ll have pushed out four, five kids each. But you, Laila, you’ll make us two dummies proud. You’re going to be somebody. I know one day I’ll pick up a newspaper and find your picture on the front page” (Hosseini 166). This encouragement guides Laila into a state of confidence which enables her to stand up for herself, Mariam, and her children. Laila’s friends, Giti and Hasina, are persecuted by the patriarchal society they live in and conform to fit the stereotypes. Though, Laila’s character allows her to stand out and be brave. Further in the novel, it is evident that Laila has strong character and confidence as she can stand up to Rasheed. Laila’s strong sense of self-confidence is illustrated throughout the novel compared to Mariam who lacks this trait and as a result, her development is negatively affected. The distinct contrast between Mariam and Laila’s upbringing can give the reader a sense of who the character will become and what direction they’re headed in towards the end of the story. Throughout the novel, a parallel can be distinguished, ultimately illustrating Laila and Mariam’s situations, and proving how important determinants are in our overall development. These factors such as close family relationships, education, and self-confidence have a strong effect on an individual’s development.  

There are all kinds of oppression affecting our society today. Most of these problems occur when one person exercises authority or power over another. An example is exploitation, which falls under the category of social oppression. I chose this type of oppression because it is a problem that isn’t often talked about so through this report I want to raise awareness about it.

The exploitation of labor is the act of using people’s labor to earn profit without fairly compensating them.

In the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam experiences exploitation from her husband, Rasheed. As the wife, Mariam has done all her chores without asking anything for it but a happy marriage. You can see how hard Mariam tries to keep Rasheed happy. She tries to cook the best meals. And every time she hopes that Rasheed likes them. But Rasheed doesn’t compensate Mariam fairly. He uses rude language and treats Mariam poorly. Just like an employer who isn’t happy with the work his slave has done. In effect, Mariam feels a huge amount of pressure to do it right the next time. This shows how bad Rasheed is in compensating Mariam’s work

Mariam was forced into child marriage, this prevents her from going to school and causes her to have a lack of education which makes her even more vulnerable to exploitation. Rasheed has a very strong opinion on things such as politics and how a household works. Rasheed makes a judgment of Mariam’s intelligence as if she is stupid and irrelevant. This leaves Mariam scared to speak up as she fears saying something, in Rasheed’s eyes, ‘unintelligent’.

Rasheed uses violence to express the dominance and power that he has over Mariam. This creates an unsafe environment that doesn’t support the sense of comfort that a household should have and also creates a household that has negative effects on living conditions. Rasheed rudely points out Mariam’s mistakes. Rasheed is very abusive if something does not go as he wishes. He thinks this is the best way to point out Mariam’s mistakes. Mariam is never rewarded for the work she does. It is never good enough for Rasheed. It is like an employer who is never satisfied with the work of his slave. There is no doubt that Rasheed is a bad husband to his wife. Is there a way to solve this type of oppression and exploitation?

I think the only way to solve exploitation is to make sure that children have a good education. Education gives us knowledge. It helps us create points of view which also helps us with perspective. And even more importantly it helps us build opinions. Education is not just from textbooks and lessons, it is about the experiences and the life lessons. I don’t think that exploitation can be fully solved but I think a good education can help us a long way.