A thousand splendid suns, post 2

In his novel “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, Khaled Hosseini shows a frank and dismal portrayal of the human condition. His portrait of life in Kabul is unflattering at best, and at worst outright terrifying. The amount of cruelty that Hosseini exhibits is a true portrayal of the amount of violence we are capable of subjecting to other human beings.

 

            Hosseini shows how a person is shaped, by their backgrounds and the life they lead. Mariam leads a life of relative misery, growing up in a small hut and living in shame of her heritage. Her life with Rasheed, the amount of abuse she suffers, and the loneliness of her world does form her into a sad and isolated creature. Laila, on the other hand, grows up in a family where she is loved and valued. She has good friends and a lover who support her in her endeavors. The death of her family in the missile attack changes her life drastically. She comes to live with Rasheed and Mariam, bringing with her companionship for Mariam and a joy in life that can only come from having known love in her childhood.

 

            Khaled Hosseini, who is himself and Afghani, was clearly shaped by his times. He knows firsthand the tragedies that can be daily occurrences in Kabul. His novel was inspired by his own times and the plight of the women around him,.

 

            This novel is quite true, in that is has the possibility of being a real story. The events occurring on a national level were all set appropriately with the lives of the characters. The events that befall them are all within the realm of possibility. This simple truth makes the story all the more tragic in its telling.