Analysis Of A Thousand Splendid Suns

Through “A Thousand Splendid Suns” Khaled Hosseini emphasizes the struggle in Afghanistan’s society between traditional beliefs and progressive changes, specifically as they relate to women’s rights. One aspect of the novel that highlights this struggle is its setting, as it takes place during four time periods each at a different stage in Afghan history. Throughout these unstable decades, the country’s government went through continuous upheavals with each new government advocating different ideals. From the concept of progression against tradition two governments stand out, communism and the Taliban. While the communist regime emphasizes the ideals of progression and modernization in the country, the Taliban obeys the traditional beliefs of Islamic culture. By examining the laws and practices of these two governments, it is apparent that progressive nature presented in the time of
The attempts of promoting progressive changes in this society are contrasted with ruthless laws of traditional Taliban. Despite the fact Afghanistan as a whole saw many progressive changes before and during the communist rule, a desire to return Afghani culture to traditional Islamic values saw the degradation of the rights for many members of society. It is through the setting of the novel and the interactions between its characters, that the reader notices these contrasting viewpoints. Though some people in Afghanistan, such as Laila’s teacher and father, believed that the progressive changes brought about by communist influences were a good thing, there was a majority of society who yearned to return to traditional Afghani values. It was this acceptance of traditional Islamic culture that allowed the Taliban to seize control and pass restrictive laws. Overall through the history of this country, it is evident that strict cultural values and progressive changes cannot