Scarlet Letter Dialectical Journal

Passage 1:
“Nana said, ‘Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam’” (Hosseini 7).

Journal Entry:
(R) This passage is indicative of their misogynistic society, but this is not limited to the novel. The fact that men often blame women is the root of many discrepancies and injustices against women. In Afghanistan, this manifested itself in male dominance, marital abuse, and extreme oppression. Men were seen as superior in every way, so they were expected to be responsible for many aspects of their wives’ and daughters’ lives, such as the way she dresses, the way she conducts herself, her honor, and her sustenance, among

For both pairs, their isolation from society is caused by a child born out of wedlock. For both, also, they had a choice of where to settle. The two, however, chose differing degrees of isolation: Hester lives in a cottage on the outskirts of town, accessible and visible to all, while Nana’s kolba is totally isolated, surrounded by willows and requiring a trek to arrive at. The fact that Nana chose to live in such isolation illustrates her shame in baring a harami, and, when compared to Hester Prynne, suggests that the way Afghan culture regards adultery is more strict and shameful than colonial Boston. No matter their living conditions, the mothers’ connections to their daughters are much alike. When Mariam discusses wanting to leave the kolba to attend school, Nana justifies her refusal with various, possibly imaginary, reasons but also reveals her true intentions when she says, “You’re all I have. I won’t lose you to them.” Nana cannot bear losing her daughter, her only solace in her shame and isolation. This is similar to Hester’s reaction when there are rumors that the villagers plan to take Pearl away from her. These similarities of living conditions and mother-daughter bonds clearly illustrate a connection between Nana and Mariam and Hester and Pearl. Because A Thousand Splendid Suns focuses more on Mariam’s perspective and feelings,

At the kolba, her earliest and only education is on the Koran, taught by Mullah Faizullah. Whenever she encounters hardship, she turns to religion and prayer for comfort, such as after she loses her first baby. It is the only thing that stays consistent throughout her tumultuous life, so she always relies on it for solace and to return to normalcy. In addition, religion allows her to further connect with Aziza, as Mariam teaches her verses from the Koran. Religion, however, would also be her downfall. When on trial, the judge states that he wishes to grant her forgiveness but cannot in good religious conscience because of Shari’a, Islamic law. Thus, her Islamic religion leads to her death, mandating the death penalty. With religion playing such a large role in her life, it is only appropriate that her life closes with religion, praying up to her last breath, as shown in the passage. This reveals the importance she places on religion, that even when facing certain death, she still takes the time and thought power to honor her religion. With her throughout life, from the beginning to the end, religion is the single most significant aspect of Mariam’s life, her “only true possession” (298).

Passage 8: “The Taliban have announced that they won’t relinquish bin Laden because he is a mehman, a guest, who has found sanctuary in Afghanistan and it is against the Pashtunwali code of ethics to turn over a guest. Tariq chuckles bitterly,