Gender Roles In A Thousand Splendid Suns

Given the oppressive rule of the Taliban, how could women survive without men in their family? The book The Other Side of the Sky by Farah Ahmedi and Tamim Ansary, answers that question by the journey of Farah and her mother. Their journey goes from Afghanistan all the way to America. On this trip, Farah and her mom face many hardships, including their physical injuries and losing their family. In Afghanistan and Pakistan women lacked various rights under Taliban rule that limited their freedoms, but conditions have improved since the Taliban relinquished their power, which shows that given the opportunity women can become independent.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a beautiful story of the struggles of Afghan women. Two of the character, Mariam and Laila, both have a different beginnings to their lives, but both lives entangles themselves and makes for an interesting story with its own rollercoaster of emotions. On page 250 of the novel, the “unguarded, knowing look” that passes between Mariam and Laila is enough to show that their adventures have just started and that the relationship has much to flourish. Throughout the book, you will see Mariam and Laila prosper and grow as characters and ladies in general. To know the details of their struggles, inner turmoil, and honest victories you will just have to read the book.

Today there are about 1.45 million stay-at-home dads according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Latshaw). The United States Department of Labor states that 57% of women currently participate in the workforce (“Data & Statistics”). Although these numbers are not quite perfect, they exemplify how society is changing from its sexist and stereotypical ways. Many people today are still fighting for gender equality, but there has been a significant change recently. Although it has become acceptable for women to work and men to take care of the kids, men and women were subjected to different roles in the 1920’s. Men worked to pay the bills, while the wife stayed at home to take care of the house and the kids. Women were seen as inferior to men

For many years women have been oppressed and have been deemed not as important as men in many societies. The Afghani culture has received a reputation of not giving women equal rights. Women are not allowed to drive cars, go out in public alone, and sometimes not even able to

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. Babi’s doctrine of the importance of education was implanted into Laila. “I know you’re still young, but I want you to understand and learn this now. Marriage can wait, education cannot. You’re a very, very bright girl. Truly, you are. You can be anything you want, Laila. I know this about you. And I also know that when this

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. 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. He is also partial in his

Introduction It is true that many countries in the world are known for chauvinistic practices and Afghanistan is one among them. Khalid Hosseini, in his work, A Thousand Splendid Suns, portrays with gripping words to underscore the chauvinism against women therein. To quote, “ Like a compass needle that points north,

All women are forced to endure. Throughout their lives, women go through pain and suffering.

The birth of a child is a blessing for many families, however in third world countries this could be desaturase depending on the gender of the child. If the child is a male the entire community congratulates the family not so if the child is female. Commencing from

The story of these two women began in the time of conflict in Kabul. In the summer of 1973, King Zahir Shah was overthrown by a coup after ruling Kabul for almost 40 years. This was replaced by a soviet regime. This caused a war between the soviets and the

The novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, depicts the hardships and suffering women in Afghanistan are forced to face everyday. Throughout her life, Mariam dealt with many struggles, yet, she was able to endure all the pain and eventually found happiness. The beginning and end of her troubles were represented by legal documents Mariam signed. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam’s action of signing her name on a legal document signifies death, both literally and figuratively, while also representing Mariam’s growth as a character from the beginning to the end of the novel. This is shown through Khaled Hosseini’s use of symbolism.

In regards to the historiography of gender politics in the Victorian era, the social position of women and femininity had become a problematic issue. Similarly, the gender apartheid instilled prior to the civil war in Afghanistan. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, initially published in 2007, is set in Afghanistan from the early 1960s to the early 2000s. In this, it explores the story of Mariam and Laila as the protagonists, who teach the reader the reality of life as a woman in a backward Islamic country. The story covers three decades of anti-Soviet jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny seen from the perspectives of these two women and observes how they become to create a bond, despite having come from previously living in very different backgrounds. The dual narration of these characters demonstrate the juxtaposition of Mariam who is scorned and isolated by society and is aware of the social stigma for being an illegitimate child, or “harami”, (which is the Farsi term for ‘bastard’) and Laila, a well educated and strong-willed girl who rejects the social norms and values of a women in their society. However, their lives come to a halt, when forced to marry the abusive antagonist Rasheed whose violence is endorsed by societal customs and the law of the land. Conversely, The Yellow Wallpaper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is a semi-autobiographical short story published in 1892. Exploring the idea of a women’s right to express themselves, that were hindered

War. The brutalities of war bring to every man woman and child an element of terror. War. It forces the human being into a method of survival. War. It brings harsh consequences to others, due to one 's own need to benefit oneself. Among war, it’s harsh penalties, it’s history, and its reality; women face specific consequence of life within war.The novel, Two Women( La Ciociara) by Alberto Moravia examines the effects of war on a women’s lifestyle-particularly two women Cesica and Rosetta- through examination of the these women on an instinctual and survival-esk level, the presence of rape culture and depravation of morals within their own lives.

This study seeks to understand international law and domestic violence with focus on the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Domestic violence is very prevalent in Afghanistan with majority of targets being women and children. However the main focus in this research would be the women. Domestic Violence against women can be called domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering and family violence, furthermore it is a serious concern because not only is it a violent act committed against women, it also violates their human rights.

This thesis consists of Hanif’s portrait of women and their marginalized positions in the society and economic, social and religious pride and prejudices towards women in Pakistani society which is an important theme of his novels. He belongs to those who are proof of that some people can tell the truth more comprehensively and authentically with fiction than facts. In his second novel Our Lady of Alice Bhatti (2012), he discusses the battle and determination of a woman fitting in with minority goes out in a patriarchal society and endures accordingly.