Examples Of Sexism In A Thousand Splendid Suns

Analyse how an extended written text was structured to develop an important idea.
In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns written by Khaled Hosseini, the significant idea or theme that is portrayed throughout the novel is that sexism has devastating effects by negatively impacting the quality of life lived by “inferior” genders and causes oppression which crushes hope in some individuals and for other individuals, it creates a need to defy and escape this oppression. This is shown to us through the initial contrast of characteristics between Mariam and Laila. Hosseini develops this important idea through key events in the novel such as when Mariam marries Rasheed, Laila marries Rasheed, Tariq’s “resurrection. The novel is structured chronologically to develop this important idea.
When Mariam is informed that she has a suitor, she is extremely
However, she is forced into this arranged marriage because she is an illegitimate child. Her father, Jalil who had three wives decided to have sexual intercourse with Mariam’s mother (who was a housekeeper) and resulting in Mariam and her current illegitimate status. This causes great shame to Jalil which is reinforced by the quote: “She was being sent away because she was the walking breathing embodiment of their shame.” This shows that Mariam is unwanted and unloved because she is being cast away and has to suffer the consequences of her parent’s actions. When she marries Rasheed, she is at first apprehensive and misses her old life, but then she feels a kinship with Rasheed after realising he suffered similar sorrows and losses that she felt. However, when Mariam has seven pregnancies and miscarriages, Rasheed becomes cold and distant and increasingly violent towards Mariam. This violent behaviour escalates and reaches the climax when Mariam cooks rice for Rasheed. Rasheed thinks that the rice is too hard and overreacts by shoving pebbles into her mouth and forcing her to