A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini - Book Report/Review Example

Introduction Khalid Hosseini is the famous novelist best known for his work in the novel, ‘The Kite Runner’. His novel ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ is based on Afghanistan, which is also a birthplace of Hosseini. The novel highlights the lives of Afghani women. On visiting Afghanistan after thirty years, Hosseini moved and got inspired by the lives of women surviving there. The novel covers the real life stories of Afghani women. Women are hardly surviving in Afghanistan, as they go through tough life on daily basis. The story of ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ focuses on the life stories of Laila and Mariam. These two women come from utterly different walks of life. Laila is established in her routine home life. She goes to school, studies hard, and spend her afternoons by dreaming about her lifelong crush. On the other hand, Laila is the daughter of a wealthy businessman. She is illegitimate and endures social stigma from her birth day. Hosseini was moved by his personal experiences while staying in Afghanistan and as an outcome came up with the novel ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, in which he pointed out the Afghani women who are in need of help. Context The novel majorly highlights the three scenarios, political, religion and the ongoing women issues. As per its historical background, the story of the book begins with the 1964 in Herat, Afghanistan and ends in the 2003, Kabul. During this mentioned period there had been distinct manners like, King Zahir Shah era, the conflict of Mujahideen after Soviet troops, Mohammed Daoud Khan’s Repulic, Hamid Karzai presidency, communist rule and the arrival of Taliban. The extent of violence and oppression of the Afghani people, mainly targeting women has always been the outcome Afghani politics. The story of Laila and Mariam in the novel, well explains this dilemma. The incident of 9/11 and its aftermath considering the overall view of Afghani people have also been mentioned in the novel. The religious context of ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ would be incomplete without the discussion of politics and it genre of addressing gender criticism. Religion plays a huge role and holds a great impact on its societal expectations. The transition in political leaders is directly proportional to the effects of religion of its citizen, especially women. Considering the context of women issue in the novel, it explains their personal life, for an example, staying all day at home and wandering in the streets aimlessly, is not proper for women to live in this world. If a woman steps out of her home, she’ll be accompanied by mahram and would be beaten in the streets. Laughing out loud in public isn’t applicable, as they will face the consequences. Attending school, working as a proper employee is forbidden for women, and in case of adultery women would be stoned to death. Mine point This is not just a book. It is a melancholy story on true lives having four parts, which sharply overlaps eventually. It is an emotional rollercoaster, centering the lives and struggle of two women, the cruelty of Taliban towards females. Class, work, religion, education, raising children and sexual roles, each of these issues are well described in the novel that you can sense and feel the characters’ lives. Story takes a slow start with blues, and hits at a peak point where the relationship of Laila and Mariam truly meshed. The end of the story explores the openness of Afghanistan towards modernity. It is a very miserable and good story to come across. Analysis Chapter 1 gives important information on the 3 main characters background, Mariam, her parents, Nana and Jalil. Mariam is described as a loving & thoughtful child, who is happy & never complains about the long absence of her father as Nana does. She is not well treated by Nana, who envies her loving nature. She is being yelled by Nana, on even accidently breaking her favorite sugar bowl. The character of Jalil is hard to analyze, as considered in the eyes of Mariam & Nana. Mariam takes him as a loving father & Nana takes him as coward. The words ‘jinn’ & ‘harami’ are used repeatedly, illustrating ‘jinn’ entering in Mariam’s mother at intervals. Chapter two further develops the characters of Mariam, Nana & Jalil, lining the multiple truths & notions of motherhood & fatherhood. The concept of ‘jinn’ is revealed to be as an epileptic seizure. Nana blames her condition for not getting married & owing legitimate children. Mariam is criticized with her birth story. Meanwhile, Jalil proudly emphasizes the story of Mariam’s birth, which proves his love & gentler side of being a parent. Both side stories leave Mariam in confliction, where she prefers her father’s story instead of mother. The birth stories contradicts the theme of multiple truth, as no hint is provided by the novelist of which story is right/true. Hence the stories depict a full picture of Nana, Jalil & Mariam. Chapter three further digs into Nana’s character, considering her notions of gender. This chapter demonstrates bitterness of Nana, as she throws rocks on Mariam’s half-brother. This point reveals the truth of her bitterness, considering Jalil’s other family. Forbidding Mariam to attend schools describes Nana’s notion of women’s life. Her mind demonstration turns out to be as it was for her, so it’ll be for child either. Hence, Nana’s beliefs restrict Mariam’s options in society. The chapter also enhances Mariam’s visit Jalil to Mullah. Both of these men stories hold the significance on Mariam’s feelings. Mariam escapes from her world into a different one, through these stories, which certainly rejects the life style she’s living with Nana. Chapter four sheds light on the political climate of Afghanistan. It can be evaluated on the basis of prior chapters, how Mariam favors her father which in the other sense utterly neglects her mother. After visiting to Mullah, it’s obvious how Mariam would live a different life by living with her father instead of mother. The news of monarchy’s end impacts the lives of Mariam & her parents, with which Jalil desires to educate Mariam. Mariam put her wish to move to Herat, which shows her notion to unknown changes. Chapter five converts Mariam’s childhood to adulthood, and her desires of Mariam’s reveal to be a public part of her father’s life. Mariam always believed her father’s stories & wanted to her life alike as well. Mariam reveals that her father’s stories are with selective information & he would let her sleep in streets instead of bringing home. This chapter puts Mariam in a position where she learns, how she has misunderstood her parents. To her only the bitterness of Nana & kindness of Jalil was visible, but not the complex feelings beneath their behaviors. Jalil do love Mariam but is ashamed of her, whereas Nana always wanted to protect her daughter. After moving to Herat, Mariam faces her father’s rejection & mother’s suicide, which eventually leaves her own her on. Chapter six brings Mariam on the crossroads, where she happens to understand the social & culture, and she & her half-siblings. She refuses to become the part of her family activities & blames herself for her mother’s death. This guilt brings change in Mariam’s behavior & leaves her isolated. Mullah Faizullah brings out faith in Mariam to overcome his mother’s death through his religious & personal guidance. The visit of Jalil’s wife Afsoon brings changes to Mariam’s life, whether they’ll feel pity or resent her presence. Chapter seven establishes Mariam’s mood in relative to the individual & theme of society. The novelist in detail describes the three wives, working together against Mariam. These three wives are unable to see Mariam as a human being, withholding the only agenda of removing her from her lives. They eventually find a social way to get rid of Mariam, where Mariam is helpless with no social status, & is forced to accept their terms. She’s seen as a burden, with no longer definition of daughter & unwilling to accept herself as a stranger’s wife. Chapter eight provides deeper look on the relationship of Jalil & Mariam. The novelist has used the similes to project the moods of Mariam about her nuptials. Mariam is giving the description of her new husband. Her description & comparison of her husband of having a rotten apple skin & dry leaves voice, evaluates how unappealing is her husband to her. The confliction between Mariam & Jalil takes peak, where Mariam is unable to forgive her father for forcing her into a loveless marriage with Rasheed. Mariam forbids her father to visit her anymore; on the other hand Jalil doesn’t accept it & claims some of her genuine feelings for Mariam. Chapter nine demonstrates new life of Mariam, highlighting the themes of gender roles. Rasheed doesn’t do well financially, and puts less effort for creature comfort. He’s the man of no housekeeping, where Mariam isn’t concerned about Rasheed’s status as she lived in much poorer conditions. Rasheed reaction to Mariam’s loss & weeping is quite disregardful in the novel. He has a little sympathetic corner for her. He allows Mariam to cry after mentioning, how much he hates a women cry, though he understands Mariam’s transitions of life. Mariam well understands his little no power over her husband & also feels her cry & constraints of her gender in such situation. Chapter ten further defines the character of Rasheed. He allows his wife to settle in her new life within a week. Then he wants Mariam to act like a wife & obey the traditional rules. He forced Mariam to present herself in burqa, because a wife belongs to her husband & no one is to see her face & body in public. Burqa signifies religious belief & more of Rasheed’s will, without even considering Mariam’s wish. Mariam refuses to accept Rasheed’s will & understands the strict ideals of her husband & their consequences on her lifestyle. Conclusion ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ is the story set in Afghanistan, covering the years of 1960s & 2000. Hosseini has shown the inner strength of a woman in the darker times through his work. He has taken the help of irony, symbols and similes to project his personal experiences in the novel. The two women, ‘Laila & Mariam’ who are the heart of the novel, face the challenges in their lives & yet pull their strengths together to deal with the facts. Mariam is the character, who comes from the background where the world turns its back to women. She has a father, who is ashamed of her existence and a husband, who continuously abuses her for twenty-five years. Mariam also face the need of murdering her husband, when he attempts to kill her friend Laila. Laila is the female, born and raised in Kabul. She’s intensely close friends with a boy named, Tariq. A romantic relationship develops in these two, without the acknowledgement of boundaries set in Afghanistan society, between a man and a woman. A war comes in Afghanistan, which let both the families of Laila and Tariq to leave the city. An emotional breakdown between Laila and Tariq ends up in making love. While Laila’s family packs to leave Kabul, a rocket blasts at her house, killing Laila’s parents and leaving her severely in injured condition. This incident makes Laila to subsequently taken in by Rasheed and Mariam. Laila finds herself pregnant with Tariq’s child, and after hearing the news of his death she agrees to marry Rasheed. Laila gives birth to a daughter which becomes the occurrence of confliction between her and Rasheed. This let the formation of a strong friendship bond between Laila and Mariam. Later, Laila gives birth to Rasheed’s son. The rise of Taliban imposes harsh rules on Afghan population. The sudden appearance of Tariq brings in the conflictions, where Rasheed begins to harshly beat Laila. Mariam kills Rasheed with a shovel and confesses her crime. The fall of Taliban brings Tariq & Laila back to Kabul, where Laila becomes a Teacher. The only lacking issue in the novel is the use of adverbs by Hosseini. His writing is throughout strong but without their support. In part 3, the connection to Mariam’s character is quite loosening up to the readers. Moreover, an odd cliffhanger is left by Hosseini at the end of few chapters, for an example; chapter 16. On the other hand, this book is beautifully written, underlining the tragic lives of women, as an impact of political and religious culture. Works Cited ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, by Khalid Hosseini Read More