ipl-logo

Men And Women In Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns

1520 Words7 Pages

Many people unfairly judge and stereotype others in the Muslim culture based on the actions of certain members in their society. They begin to think that all Muslims are the same, which is not true, which is a message conveyed in A Thousand Splendid Suns. In this novel, the author, Khaled Hosseini, portrays the different Muslim lifestyles by using fictional characters in possible scenarios. Throughout the story, the contrast between the roles of men and women prove that their ways of living and their personal beliefs are not all the same.
The author used the men in the story as devices to prove the differences in their beliefs and actions, contradicting the stereotype that all Muslim men are mean, controlling, or terrorists. Throughout the story, Jalil, Babi, and Rasheed …show more content…

Even though Rasheed was against women’s freedoms and did not mind the Taliban, he still never joined in with them or become a terrorist. By the comparison of these three men, a broader view of Muslim men’s beliefs and lifestyles is created, which supports the fact that not everyone in the Muslim culture is the same.
Fariba, Laila, and Marriam were three Muslim women that Hosseini also used to compare and contrast their qualities and ways of life. Unlike Laila and Marriam, Fariba’s husband did not control or abuse her, in fact, she showed more authority over him than what the stereotypical Muslim wife would. She was unafraid to fight with her husband Babi, and she did not receive any consequences or beatings for lashing out against him. For example, as Fariba would yell at Babi, he would nod obediently and quietly wait for her to stop raging (Page 108). Furthermore, she did not become forced or stuck in a marriage she did not want like Laila and Marriam did. Babi and Fariba’s marriage were consensual, for Fariba had actually

Show More
Related

  • A Thousand Splendid Suns Dialectical Journal

    874 Words  | 4 Pages

    His actions help his wives deepen their belief in the importance of women. To defy Rasheed for once in her life, brought joy to Laila. To her, this seems, worth everything they had gone. The fact that Laila hits Rasheed back shows a different kind of women.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Discrimination In A Thousand Splendid Suns

    1008 Words  | 5 Pages

    Khaled Hosseini not only shows the discrimination of minority groups but introduces the notion that people will discriminate not based on their personal views but upon which they believe as their role in society. In Afghanistan culture “Nang and namoos” defined as "pride" and "honor or dignity" is incredibly valued in the culture with people outwardly going out of their way to maintain their reputation. However, in his two novels Khaled Hosseini presents the idea that this pride inevitably leads to the discrimination of another. This is demonstrated In a Thousand Splendid Suns by the characters Jalil and Rasheed due to the way they treat those closest to them. For instance, Jalil ousts Nana outside of his home upon receiving news that she is expecting his illegitimate child.

    Read More

  • Use Of Judgment In The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

    565 Words  | 3 Pages

    Judgment is a big part of our society, and some people can let this ruin their relationship with others. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini tells the story of a young Pashtun named Amir and his moral journey towards redemption after an unfortunate childhood experience with his best friend, a Hazara named Hassan. Hosseini’s novel uses literary elements to explore the ethical and political divisions of Pashtuns and Hazaras in Afghanistan. Khaled uses his novel to show how these mental divisions affect relationships and how some people treat others because of things they can not control. This makes one think about how minor differences are used against specific groups of people and how it can detach them from the rest of society.

    Read More

  • Women In Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns

    156 Words  | 1 Pages

    In conclusion, the oppression of Mariam and Laila in Khaled Hosseini’s, A Thousand Splendid Suns, subjects their lives to total control by men, however, when they begin to make decisions for themselves, they gain control and are able to pave the paths of their own lives. Mariam and Laila both endured a countless amount of psychological and physical pain throughout their lives because of their culture, men, and the Taliban. Despite the struggles they faced, they were able to show kindness and love. They were able to live happily and be thankful for what they were given. They were also able to finally take control of their own lives and make decisions that would better their own future.

    Read More

  • The Thousand And One Nights: The Roles Of Women

    726 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, their very obstacle was man. Although, the women were often seen as unfaithful and inferior to men, Shahrazed portrays a feminist character by using her sneaky strategy and fearlessness of men to trick the king, save the women of the kingdom and help them overcome discrimination. If the king was to kill every woman after a night with them, this would have caused a population decrease and the kingdom would eventually run out of women for him to marry. This story makes the reader take sides of the women that the king is

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In A Thousand Splendid Suns

    878 Words  | 4 Pages

    Equality of genders is a basic human right that all should posses. However, in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, the reader explores Afghanistan’s true nature of extreme gender inequality towards women and how it affects all the characters within the novel. The novel explores how within a marriage, women have unequal rights, undergo major amounts of physical abuse, and are emotionally and mentally tormented by their very own supposedly beloved husbands. A marriage is defined as a union of two people as partners in a personal relationship.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In A Thousand Splendid Suns

    1539 Words  | 7 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Kite Runner Essay

    2444 Words  | 10 Pages

    In many stories, these societal standards come with the aspects of race and racial discrimination. Such is the case in the novel being discussed in this essay, where the characters and their culture are met with prejudice and mistreatment due to their particular race. One of the most prominent examples of racial discrimination in this novel is regarding the Hazara, to whom Hassan fell victim. This paragraph will discuss how racial discrimination affects one’s place in society, as well as how race and racism are portrayed in the novel as a whole. The first quote, “The Taliban moved into the house,” Rahim Khan said.

    Read More

  • A Thousand Splendid Suns: Gender And Identity

    2920 Words  | 12 Pages

    Gender and identity play a pivotal role throughout both Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. They are the key basis of the novels where both depict the powerlessness and struggles of women: In Sense and Sensibility it is through having to conceal their true selves in order to achieve societal acceptance whereas, in A Thousand Splendid Suns it is through subservience and abuse. There is a huge imbalance of power between women and men causing women to practically be slaves to humankind.

    Read More

  • Rasheed In A Thousand Splendid Suns

    861 Words  | 4 Pages

    The character of Rasheed is an epitome of the male dominated Afghan society. He is an unsympathetic patriarch who treats his wives as pieces of property. He exercises his power over them and uses them for the satisfaction of his physical needs. In the beginning after marrying Mariam, Rasheed treats her well. He takes her out to show around the City of Kabul and also buys a beautiful shawl for her.

    Read More

  • Papers On The Kite Runner

    647 Words  | 3 Pages

    Just like many countries during the time period and even now, Afghanistan – the setting of the novel – was plagued by war and hardship. There were scenes containing rape, murder, and slavery, all things that happen too often in life. So in the eyes of one who has gone through these tough circumstances this book is something that knows of all the horrible things that can happen in life. It offers a means of relief to know that just like Amir and Sohrab, there can be redemption and a chance to have a better life. Because of this strong relatability, the novel is loved

    Read More

  • Feminism In A Thousand Splendid Suns

    1539 Words  | 7 Pages

    A Thousand Splendid Suns’ was written by an Afghan American writer, Khaled Hosseini. The novel narrates the strength and resilience of two women who endure physical and psychological cruelty in an anti-feminist society. It also demonstrates how The Taliban uses fear and violence to control the people of Afghanistan, particularly females. Throughout this story the novel exposes the way customs and laws endorse Rasheed’s violent misogyny and it tells the tale of two women who endure a marriage to a ruthless and brutal man, whose behaviour forces them to kill him. The protagonist Mariam is a poor villager who lives in a remote area in Afghanistan, in contrast to Laila who is a smart, educated daughter of a schoolteacher.

    Read More

  • The Kite Runner Critical Analysis

    829 Words  | 4 Pages

    In his debut novel ´The Kite Runner´ Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan, seems to want to remind us readers around the world that the Afghanistan that we see on the news is not a true portrayal of the culture rich country. The novel follows the life of Amir, an upper-class Afghan who grew up in Afghanistan and who later moved to the United States during the Soviet invasion. Although the narrator and protagonist of the novel, Amir´s life is not the sole aspect of the novel but instead it is his relationship with his servant Hassan and the consequences of that which leads the narrative and the plot. We are shown how Amir and Hassan grew up as the best of friends almost as brothers who “fed from the same breast” (Hosseini, 2005, p.11).

    Read More

  • Woman At Point Zero Analysis

    1028 Words  | 5 Pages

    The literary text Woman at Point Zero by Nawal Al Saadawi, portrays women in a victimized manner corresponding to the social and historical context of Egypt in the 1970s. Through the first-person narrative of Firdaus, Saadawi portrays the social context of Egyptian women in the 1970s. The literary techniques used help define and characterize women in the text. Saadawi uses a variety of themes and motifs in order to further portray the role of women in Egyptian society as well as the use of symbolism. Dialogue throughout novel help highlight the separation between the genders and their roles.

    Read More

  • Desert Royal Summary

    733 Words  | 3 Pages

    She is that writer whose works mainly revolve around the women of the Middle East. This book also speaks about the character of princess Sultans. The woman of this region faced very harsh and stern life. The situations which women faced were related to very horrible reality of that time, they are forced to live life like this and this shows the struggle of Sultana’s who took initiative or struggled to overcome challenges of females.

    Read More

More about Men And Women In Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns

Open Document