Mariam As A Christ Figure In A Thousand Splendid Suns

“The greatest sacrifice is when you sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of someone else”. In the book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, the author Khaled Hosseini writes a story about an Afghan girl name Mariam. Throughout the book it shows her life and growing up in Afghanistan. She learns about her country from events from her personal life and others. As these events grow throughout her life the color black appear more. As it grows it leads to her sacrificing herself for Laila and her children. A Thousand Splendid Suns develops the theme, human nature plays a factor in one who sacrifices themselves for the one they love through the archetypal uses of black, the mother figure, and the villain.

Hakim Laila’s feminist identity was influenced by her father, Hakim. Hakim is mostly referred to as Babi in the novel. Babi was a high school teacher, in other word, an intellectual. Intelligence is devalued by the majority in their society, therefore being a teacher makes Babi an extraordinary person in the novel. Since Fariba, Laila’s mother, was distanced from her, Laila had a special bond with her father.

The Significance of Motherly Sacrifice Many people take the sacrifices that parents make for them for granted. Specifically, many mothers give up important aspects of their lives for their children. Khaled Hosseini, author of A Thousand Splendid Suns demonstrates the significance of motherly sacrifice in several different ways through Nana, Laila, and Mariam.

Mariam longed to place a ruler on a page and draw important-looking lines”(Hosseini ). Mariam is an example of how women are banned from an education and whose life could have been changed by education. Instead of being educated, she is sheltered by her mother and lives the rest of her life without high expectations of herself. Nana teaches her that an Afghan woman has to endure the life that is chosen for her because she does not have a say. Nana even says "There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don't teach it in school.

Mariam is married to Rasheed. Rasheed a controlling shoemaker, who is motivated to replace his dead son. After discovering Mariam cannot conceive a child, Rasheed started to abuse Mariam. Rasheed unhappy that he can’t replace his son, he marries Laila. Laila gives Rasheed the son that he wanted.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a historical fiction novel published by Khaled Hosseini in 2007. In the novel, Khaled Hosseini emphasizes the vicious acts of cruelty and punishment bestowed upon Afghan people, particularly children and the women of the households. This book will change your perspective of life and how you view it and the people around you. In this novel , Hosseini helps the people who are outside of Afghanistan acknowledge and be aware of the treacherous events and despair that takes place inside of Afghanistan. Can you imagine you no longer being an outsider? Once you step inside the life of a “harami”,you’ll never be the same with your new insight.

A Thousand Splendid Suns Forgiveness is often regarded as a big part of society and the relationships that hold it together. In a place like Afghanistan where human rights are limited, life is harsh to the people around the and the ability to forgive can be considered a blessing. In the book A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, three powerful females showcase the ability to forgive and show how amazing of a character traits it can be One of the books main characters is named Mariam. She is introduced as a teenager girl living in inhumane circumstances. She is abused by her mother mentally and physically but shows no hate towards her mother even after all the things she does to her.

Although, Mariam is discouraged to pursue an education, Mariam and Laila knew the possibilities of women. Laila was expected to be something important in her life, her childhood friends and Rasheed made a note on how intelligent, independent and determined she was. While Mariam

When the word love is heard, what comes to mind? Is it that special connection once shared with a long lost lover? Or maybe it wasn’t a lover at all but a friend, who not only loved you for you, but showed you how to love yourself. In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns,author Khaled Hosseini portrays love in many different ways. Three vital themes concerning love outshines many of the themes throughout this novel. Love can cause the happiness of the people who receive it, it strengthens and brings out sides of us that we were too scared to embrace, and it causes people to make sacrifices for the benefit of others.

Maria is trying to grow up too fast and she put her family to the side instead of being grateful. In this story, conflict, characterization, and symbolism all have an effect on the overall theme.

One day, Tariq stopped by Rasheed’s house to see Laila. This came to Laila as a surprise because Rasheed had made everyone believe that he was dead. After learning that Tariq had been there, Rasheed began to beat Laila for being with Tariq. ( Hosseini 182) Mariam had realized that Rasheed’s anger had overcome him and that he was going to kill Laila.

"And Mariam was afraid she lived in fear of his shifting moods, his volatile temperament, his insistence on steering even mundane exchanges down a confrontational path that, on occasion, he would resolve with punches, slaps, kicks, and sometimes try to make amends for with polluted apologies and sometimes not." (Hosseini 97) The fifth phase of the life of Mariam is Laila's Entry and Marriage with Rasheed. Laila, a neighborhood friend's daughter of Rasheed is nearly killed in a bomb blast which takes away the live of both her parents. Rasheed saves her and Mariam helps him to nurse her back to normalcy.

Cruelty in Us Cruelty is an enemy to the morals of people; while purposely inflicting sufferings on others, cruelty is done with no feelings of concern. Cruelty can manifest from anger, irritation, or defeat. Moreover, it is driven by self-interest. Commonly when a person feels threatened, cruelties in the form of aggression are even used to force others to submit.

The readers clearly can identify that his agenda was not to rid Nana of his home but the issue of hiding his child from the world to protect his image as an honorable man. There is evidence that Jalil did indeed have some affections for Mariam which is evident by is visits and the way he lied to please her however his love for her was always outweighed by the fact that he had to maintain his “so called name” to society in the fear of “losing face” thus he could never give Mariam he love she deserved or that he truly wanted leading to Mariam’s discrimination from his other legitimate children. Furthermore, the fact that Jalil visits Mariam years later signifies he did not intend nor take pleasure in this

Rasheed however asks her to wear a burqa before going out. He makes it very clear to Mariam and later on to Laila, that a “woman 's face is her husband 's business only”. However when Mariam fails to bear a child, after several miscarriages, Rasheed begins to torture her both physically and mentally. Rasheed also becomes cross on Laila when she gives birth to a girl child. Later on Laila gives birth to a boy, but this does not improve her status in front of Rasheed.