In a culture such as Afghanistan where women are constantly being degraded and treated as property, one can imagine their emotional stability is far from being strong. The women of the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, are continually faced with a whirlwind of abuse and death and are constantly rejected the emotional support they seek in their times of desperation. Although, in time of war, when physical shelter is vital in their survival, it is emotional shelter that drives the difficult decisions the main characters face and the novels key plot in the heart retching story that shatters the hearts of many readers.
Mariam was a young girl who adored both her mother and her father. Unfortunately, Jalil, Mariams father, was a rich man who did not play a big part in Mariam’s life as a child. Mariam praised her father when he came over with presents for her. Later in the novel, Mariam makes a request to watch a movie in her fathers’ cinema with all her brothers and sisters for her birthday; her fathers’ vow ultimately fails. When her father never shows to pick Mariam up for the movie, Mariam takes matters into her own hands.
Mariam sets on a adventure later that afternoon to not only find her father, but the cold conscience stricken expression of Jalil when he denies his daughter from his mansion. Mariam is not only perturbed by the actions of her father, but seeks comfort from her mother as she is taken back to her home. Within a quick second, her emotions change from puzzled to apprehension as her mother was dangling from a branch, dead. Consequently, not only did Mariam witness her mother dead and her dads embarrassment for her, but also Nana saying “I’ll die if you go, just die.
The Essay on Mothers Father Mother Fathers
Mothers make better parents then fathers Ladies and gentlemen the subject under discussion today is that mothers make better parents then fathers. I firmly counter the motion. Honorable judges I would like to point out that my identity is by my father and even this gentlemen sitting here has his last name after his father's. for that matter nobody here is recognized by their mother; s name. It is ...
Now at Mariam’s roughest time in her life, she has nobody to seek emotional shelter to. Mariam is eventually forced to marry Rasheed and moves into a house with an abuser as a husband and still has not overcome the death of Nana. Mariam blames the death and the embarrassment all on herself, which causes her to be an emotional wreck throughout the Mariam finally seeks a small ambit of lightheartedness when she conceives a baby with Rasheed.
Unfortunately, during a fatal happening Mariam lost her baby in a miscarriage. Before the incident, Rasheed showed Mariam fondness and benevolence and was passionate about the newborn being apart of his life. After the abominable occurrence, Rasheed refused to show sorrow for the miscarriage. “I’ve been thinking, that maybe we should have a proper burial. For the baby, I mean. Just us, a few prayers, nothing more. ” (Hosseini, pg. 95) Rasheeds response is not only bitter but also merciless, “What for? It’s Idiotic. ” (Hosseini,
When in the time of tribulation, Rasheeds corrupted behavior quickly resumes after the death of his son, while Mariam suffers trauma of her sons mortality and is still stuck incriminating herself for her unlucky reoccurrences. Mariam, yet again shows to be another example of being abandoned when in need of emotional shelter. After a bomb blows Laila’s house to ruins along with her family, Rasheed found her in an assortment of debris. Laila was still astounded by the circumstance that changed her whole life, “I shouldn’t be here. ” (Hosseini, pg. 203) Rasheed took Laila in to be apart of their family.
When Rasheed thinks that it would ruin their reputation if they had a young girl staying inside their house without being married. Rasheed, proposes to marry Laila. Laila knows that if she does leave the bloodthirsty men that were nothing but a threat, would kill her without second thought. Laila also jumped the gun when Rasheed proposes to her. Laila aspired to have relations with Rasheed soon, considering it would be the only way to mask her pregnancy of Tariq’s baby. Laila was aware of her doings and that it would be inhumane to undertake in such deceitful behavior.
The Coursework on Mariam and Laila
Les miserables by Victor Hugo and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossieni both have tragic themes. Les miserables is a story set during 1815 in Digne, France (Hugo, 1994) about the struggles and quest for freedom of a convicted man by the name of Jean-Valijean. During the course of the story, his encounters and connection to two of the most important characters in his life – Fantine and ...
“But even though the baby inside her was no bigger than a Mulberry, Laila already saw the sacrifices a mother had to make. Virtue was only the first. ” (Hosseini, pg. 219) The sacrifices that Laila had to make were tormenting. Rasheed made it clear that Laila was not allowed to leave the house without him nor without a burqa to hide her face. Laila did anything and everything to keep the secret about her baby that was not Rasheeds. Laila had emotional support from Rasheed for only a small amount of time, until the baby was born and his unhappiness was made known.
Earlier in the morning of 1993, Rasheed led Laila out of the house because she was going into labor. Rasheed softly told Laila “Watch your step now, my flower, my gul. ” (Hosseini, Pg. 235) After the birth of the baby, Rasheeds attitude towards Laila did a complete 360. “.. He let the gate go prematurely, it almost hit the girl on the face.. ” (Hosseini, Pg. 235) Laila needed a husband to emotionally support her through the times of a newborn baby; also she needed help, which he failed to provide.
When a financial crisis strikes the family, Rasheed refuses to go out and get a job to maintain a steady income for his wife and children. Laila watched as her son and daughter suffered from starvation before her eyes. “Aziza ribs began to push through the skin…Zalami lay around the house, eyes dulled and half closed, or on his fathers lap, limp as a rag. ” (Hosseini, Pg. 306) Laila is forced to make the decision that her eldest child Aziza will be sent to an orphanage because of their lack of money to support two children.
Laila assures Aziza that it is not an orphanage, but a special school. She makes the promise to Aziza that no matter what she will visit Aziza, “.. I’ll come and see you. I’m your mother. If it kills me, I’ll come and see you. ” (Hosseini, pg. 315) Even though this is shown as an example of physical shelter, Laila is giving up a part of her to ensure that her child will be well fed. Laila and Aziza both seek emotional shelter within eachother. While Laila is back home, Rasheed still abuses her both physically and emotionally.
The Essay on Pre Natal Testing Child Baby Diagnosis
Adrienne Asch makes a valid point about prenatal diagnosis in Potok's book, "A Matter of Dignity: Changing the World of the Disabled." She states, "I dislike prenatal diagnosis because disability is only one characteristic of a person's life, infant or not (169)." Although I agree with her, I still believe that this one characteristic is so time consuming, costly and emotionally draining that many ...
Aziza begins a life in a place where she is oblivious to her aberrant surroundings. A mother figure is also absent in Aziza childhood years. With the downgrading of women in Afghanistan and the ruthless times women had to endure, Young females were constantly being terrorized by either older or superior male figures. Ultimately, it had Laila and Marium being emotionally and physically defamed, and it caused for women to search for not only physical but emotional shelter in their child or in a close friend like Laila and Marium.
