A thousand splendid suns, post 1

A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, is a novel about the condition of Afghanistan over the past 30 years. The story follows the lives of two Afghani women. Mariam, the elder, is the bastard daughter of a housemaid and a Herat dignitary. In order to save face, the dignitary (Jalil) casts out the mother and child, and builds them a small hut in the country outside of Herat. This is where Mariam spends the first 15 years of her life, receiving occasional visits from her father, until one day she ventures into town to try and find her father’s house. He refuses to see her, and Mariam returns to the hut in misery. She finds there that her mother has commit suicide in her absence, leaving Mariam with little hope. Her father briefly takes her in, only to send her to Kabul shortly after to be wed to Rasheed, an older widower. He is initially quite kind and gentle to her, but after several miscarriages, he begins to show his true colours as an abusive, violent, and cruel man. Mariam is often horrendously beaten and cannot go outside, is often forbidden to speak with the other women in her neighborhood.

Laila is just an infant when Mariam arrives in Kabul. She lives with her parents and two brothers a short ways down the street from Rasheed and Mariam. She is a best friend of a young boy named Tariq, who lost one leg to a landmine. Her father is a teacher, and lover of literature. Laila is taught by him from an early age to be passionate about learning and encourages her ambitions. During the communist time in Afghanistan, her father is quite excited by Laila’s prospects. However, the civil war and the inherent impositions on education result in Laila having to abandon her learning. Laila’s brothers are killed in this war, and her mother becomes very depressed. After a long while of withstanding the bombings and disputing warlords, Laila’s family elects to leave Afghanistan, long after several people (including Tariq) have left the country. Just as they are leaving, however, a missile strikes their house. Laila is the only survivor, and Rasheed and Mariam take her in. Laila, who is currently pregnant with Tariq’s child, has to marry Rasheed to keep her dignity. Once again, the cycle of abuse is started, with a new victim as the bearer of Rasheed’s rage.

This story is a stark portrayal of a woman’s life in Afghanistan, set against the backdrop of the Taliban invasion, the civil war, and the communist era. The plight of the main characters is unadulterated and heart wrenching. There is no happy ending for them, no joy other than that brought by Laila’s children.

As a girl, I cannot imagine living a life like this, with such rampant inequality. I cannot imagine living in a society that will not employ women, which will not let them leave an abusive spouse, take care of their own children. I sympathize with them in complete befuddlement, for there is no parallel between our lives aside from our common sex.