Examples Of Evil In A Thousand Splendid Suns

Evil is something that affects not only the evil person, but also those around them. The wicked behavior or attitude of an individual is more than often protect onto the individuals peers. This is evident in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Rasheed is a critical character and arguably, his personality is so powerful that it shapes both Mariam and Laila’s character to a significant degree. Rasheed’s exhibition of pure cruelty, his abusive attitude and his desire to have a child are extremely important to the story.

Evil comes from something lacking. In Rasheed’s case, he lacks a child after tragic the death of his son. The introduction of Laila into Mariam and Rasheed’s home is an illustration of the powerful nature of Rasheed’s

Shortly after Liala’s entry into the house, the reader suspects that Rasheed is planning something for Liala. Rasheed’s politeness and his making conversation at the dinner table is uncharacteristic. Speaking to Laila, Rasheed says: “I’m so sorry.” Rasheed said to the girl, taking his bowl of mastawa and meatballs from Mariam without looking at her, “I know you were very close…friends…the two of you. Always together, since you were kids. It’s a terrible thing, what’s happened. Too many young Afghan men are dying this way.” (Hosseini, 211) Mariam recognizes this chatting as an odd occurrence and the author confirms that this is uncharacteristic. The author uses the symbol of a Rasheed using a spoon at dinner in front of Laila. Rasheed normally behaves like an animal at the dinner table. The author describes his eating habits, and says that he doesn’t even look up while eating. With the introduction of the spoon, the author transforms, if only briefly, Rasheed into a charmer, a gentleman. The use of the spoon, and the charming demeanor is of course abandoned once Laila becomes

Rasheed’s sexual advances are recognized at various points during his relationship with Laila. Since Laila is trying to deceive Rasheed, his sexual advances towards her happens almost immediately and she is therefore able to trick him into believing that he is in fact the father of her child. She is early enough in her pregnancy so that he believes that he has made her pregnant. If not for his immediate desire for her, had he waited, the pregnancy would not be attributable to her. Mariam is repulsed by Rasheed and is glad she is no longer intimate with him, proven when the author states “Sex, mercifully, was a closed chapter in her own life. It had been for some time, and now even the thought of those laborious sessions of lying beneath Rasheed made Mariam queasy in the gut.” (Hosseini, 221) Arguably, her disinterest in him sexually and his crude sexual advances leads him to be attracted to Laila in the first instance. Interestingly, Rasheed misunderstands Laila’s eagerness to be intimate with him. She wants the wedding as soon as possible to cover up her pregnancy. He takes her comments to mean that she desires him. This is Rasheed’s largest role in the story. It is very possible that had Rasheed not been attracted to Laila, and had not made her his wife, Laila’s story could have taken a dramatically different turn. If the author’s description of the risk of Laila not staying with Rasheed