In the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini embodies himself in the role of a woman living in Afghanistan in a time of political oppression and war. He writes the gripping tale of Afghan women with the journey taken by two; Lalia and Mariam. Hosseini starts first with a young girl named Mariam, the first protagonist of the story, who lives in a small shack with her mother, Nana, outside the city of Herat. From there, the book transitions to Lalia, the second protagonist of the story who is also very young and the only daughter in her family of five. Both these women live difficult lives together, married to the same husband, Rasheed, and are forced to follow the Taliban rules. These strict rules include women no longer being allowed in public without a male relative, always wearing burqas when traveling, being able to attend school, and more. However, Hosseini uses vivid and recurring imagery to highlight the intersection between gender and social hierarchy. The author not only goes into depth about the lives of these women during this time, but he also talks about the enduring effects of a general public that qualities strict gender roles. He unveils the tyranny and threatening vibe that the Taliban upholds on women in light of their sex and sexual orientation. Throughout the novel, Hosseini emphasizes a woman’s reality through the Taliban rules, wearing burqas, and the power of men, placing women at the bottom of society. In particular, women having to conform to the social norms of this society demonstrate the motif of imprisonment and represents how the social hierarchy determines the fate of women, centering around male dominance and erasing the identity of females.
During the late twentieth century, preceding the ascent of the Taliban, women in Afghanistan were making progress toward equity as they delighted in the privilege of freedom and opportunity. Kabul was the key point for women’s progression in Afghanistan, preceding the Civil War. However, after the Civil War, the Taliban took control and initiated an arrangement of social class and gender segregation, leaving women disconnected from society. The Taliban’s rules act as a symbol of confinement and shed light on the idea that women are secluded in society due to the intersection between gender and social status. In the beginning of chapter nine, Mariam is in a hospital, because Lalia was going into labor, and gets told to leave since the hospital was not meant for women. She soon recalls the Taliban’s new law separating women and men in emergency clinics, where every independent hospital would be for men only and women would be permitted to just one single medical clinic. Hosseini implies these strict norms by writing, “Mariam had heard about the announcement, in January of that year, that men and women would be seen in different hospitals, that all female staff would be discharged from Kabul’s hospitals and sent to work in one central facility (Hosseini 285-286). Women are being forced to only attend one hospital, with very minimal supplies too. This insignificant rule created by the Taliban incorporates the Taliban’s abuse of power and how men in this society overrule women. The Taliban are so fixated on using their power over women that they are blinded by the fact that they have created a mess, causing commotions to break out and women left suffering. Hosseini implies through this quote that women are left with no power in this society, and instead are forced to follow a set of rules that corrupts the society even more. With this lack of power, women are put at the bottom of the social rank and are left with nothing other than pain and despair.
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Throughout the novel, Hosseini centers around the predicament of women in a dull time of Afghan culture. During this time, the Taliban takes control and sets down several rules women must follow. One major rule includes that women must wear a burqa at all times, no matter the place, time, or temperature. It is in this society that the burqa acts as a symbol for the contradiction of freedom in a trapped and restricted society and sheds light on the idea that this is a male-dominated society, in which men overrule what women say, discouraging them from having a voice in this world. In the novel, Rasheed is in the room with Mariam showing her a burqa, a long and dark garment used to fully cover the body from head to toe, he got her. He discusses the importance of hiding her identity with a burqa and why it is key in their relationship for her to show she truly loves him. Hosseini uses vivid imagery by going into depth about why men think burqas are necessary for women saying, “Where I come from, one wrong look, one improper word, and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman’s face is her husband’s business only. I want you to remember that. Do you understand?” (Hosseini 63). Burqas are utilized to make women accommodating to their spouses, which is why men force women to wear them. Mariam rapidly gains insight into the fact that her husband wants and will uphold this unfair prejudice. Women are to be completely covered by their burqas at all times unless otherwise said. Isolated and disconnected from the outside world, women are hushed by this slim and dark piece of fabric that encompasses their bodies and imprisoned them. They are knocked to the bottom of society, making not only their body but their actions too secluded from the rest of society. This quote shows the intersection between gender and social hierarchy, demonstrating how men are at the top, dominating over any power women have. Hosseini suggests through this quote that a simple label, men, can determine the fate of any woman, preventing them from freedom and opportunity.
The character tension between Laila and Mammy creates a mood of negativity because Mammy's depression, due to her sons going off to war, acts as a barrier between her and her daughter's growing relationship. Hosseini uses this tension to highlight the male-dominated society, showing that even though Mammy is a female, she has accepted the idea that the men in her life are more important, and therefore men are ranked higher than women. At the beginning of chapter 17, Lalia expresses her emotions based on the way she feels about Mammy since she is always prioritized after her brothers. Hosseini expresses her emotions by writing, “Sometimes Laila wondered why Mammy had even bothered having her. People, she believed now, shouldn’t be allowed to have new children if they’d already given away all their love to their old ones” (Hosseini 119). This shows character tension between Mammy and her daughter because Lalia is frustrated with the way her mother constantly neglects her. Men in this society determine women’s fate and determine what is important for them in their lives, men. The way Lalia feels about her mother giving away all her love to her two sons and having little to none for her shows how men in this society are seen as superior to women. Although Mammy is a woman, it is obvious that she gives into the male-dominated society, and that is why she cares less about Lalia. This quote emphasizes the idea of gender roles and social hierarchy because it shows how the two brothers, even though they are away, are still valued more than someone who is there and with her, and can affect the people, including women, view the world, as male male-dominated.
The reasoning of this novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was to demonstrate the reality of the hardships of women and uncover the shameful acts of an unjust society. The novel monitors women through maltreatment, catastrophe, and a corrupt society, and records what they deal with in their everyday lives. With vivid and recurring imagery, Hosseini was able to highlight the way women were portrayed during this time, going into depth about their lives and showing the effects of a society when the general public revolves around gender roles. Both of these women, Laila and Mariam, lived difficult lives together, being married to the same husband and having to conform to the social norms of society. The Taliban rules prevented women, like Mariam and Laila, during this time from being able to accomplish anything, disconnecting them from the real world and enforcing strict rules, putting them at the bottom of society. Furthermore, Laila and Mariam went through an obstacle of bullets that not only attempted to dodge but hit them too, giving them the power to endure strength over these injustices. Even though Laila’s childhood enabled her to be more grounded in the two women, both Mariam and Laila overcame a difficult time, achieving what they both wanted the most, freedom.
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