Mariam And Laila Character Analysis

Throughout the story Mariam and Laila have humble beginnings but tough lives. Mariam was just an ordinary girl in unordinary conditions. Living a life of lies and hurt. Being used and broken bit by bit. But through it all, she ended her life satisfied. At the end of the brutal marriage to her time at the prison, she found her purpose accomplished. Saving Laila's life, and Aziza’s and Zalmai’s. Laila grew up with an unloving mother and the turning point in her life was seeing the mutilated body of her beloved father. Soon crossing paths with Mariam and becoming Rasheed’s slave too. Referring to earlier in the passage, a taxi driver describes the crumbling fortress of Shahr-e-Zohak as “the story of our country, one invader after another...we're like those walls up there.
Some key points are one invader after another. This represents pain after pain and the constant struggles that Mariam and Laila have encountered in their lives. They represent the walls. Still standing. Though all this pain, they find their way to survive and keep a positive outlook on life. This attitude attributes to their overall outcome. “...Mariam, is in Laila’s own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.”(Hosseini 414) This quote shows how strong their connection was. A connection that represented the country of Afghanistan. A wall amidst attempts of being broken down. Invasions that the country cannot take, yet the people survive, with much casualty. But throughout these attacks, people prosper and this leads to a period of prosperity in the country. Much like Mariam's end where she was practically at peace, and the new life Laila loves to