Khaled Hosseini once said: “When I go to Afghanistan, I realize I’ve been spared, due to a random genetic lottery, by being born to people who had the means to get out. Every time I go to Afghanistan I am haunted by that.”
Khaled Hosseini released ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ in 2007. Based in Afghanistan, the novel follows two Afghani women, Mariam and Laila, who live under Taliban rule. The book follows the lives of these two women for decades, as it navigates the ongoing struggles of their lives and the difficulties and sufferings they have endured.
A little summary
*Skip summary to avoid spoilers*
‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ begins in the 1960s by following the life of Mariam, who is a young girl who lives in Herat, a city in Afghanistan. Hosseini delves into Mariam’s childhood and her upbringing, specifically her relationship with her parents and how that influences her character. Mariam lives with her mother, whom she refers to as Nana, a woman who despises Mariam’s father, Jalil. Mariam’s parents were never married, in fact, Mariam is often referred to as a ‘harami’, which translates to ‘illegitimate child’ in English.
While growing up, Mariam resents her mother and her freedom, which is limited because of where she lives. All she wants is to move away from her seemingly cruel mother and live with her father. But all is not what it seems to be.
She does not know much about her father Jalil- he visits her once a week, he brings her presents, he has three wives, and he owns a cinema. She has never visited him or his family. But then again, her father doesn’t quite allow her to.
For her fifteenth birthday, she asks her father if they can watch Pinocchio together in the cinema. However, he does not show up as he promised. Desperate to visit her father and to see his way of living, she walks to his house, only to find that Jalil is too embarrassed to let her in. Mariam ends up spending the night sleeping on the streets, despite her father cozily sleeping in his house with all his legitimate children. The next morning, Jalil’s driver takes Mariam home, and that’s when she finds her mother’s dead body hanging on the tree.
Eventually, Jalil forces Mariam to marry a much older man, Rasheed. Mariam begs Jalil to not force her to marry Rasheed. Jalil’s wives want nothing to do with Mariam- in their eyes, she’s just an illegitimate child. In their eyes, it was all Mariam’s mother’s fault for conceiving Mariam. In their eyes, Mariam has nothing to do with Jalil- Jalil is not responsible for her. Alas, Mariam is forced to marry a man she has never met before.
The marriage starts off fine, but eventually, Mariam’s multiple miscarriages lead Rasheed to physically and emotionally abuse her. In his eyes, Mariam, and all other women, are just child bearers. To him, it makes no difference that Mariam is his wife. He has no love for her. He just wants a son.
On the other side of the story, Laila is a smart, young girl. Laila likes to read and has been guided and motivated by her father’s progressive views on women’s rights. Her father Babi is a teacher and throughout Laila’s childhood, is continuously encouraging Laila to appreciate the value of education.
She has two loving parents and two brothers, both of whom decide to join the war to fight against the Soviets. Eventually, both her brothers are killed in the war, leading her mother to become depressed. Throughout this time, Laila confides in her best friend, Tariq, who is also her neighbour and her lover. But once the war reaches Kabul, Tariq and his family flee to Pakistan to escape the war. Meanwhile, a rocket crashes into Laila’s house, killing both her parents and injuring her.
From a couple of houses away, Rasheed and Mariam find an injured Laila and take her into their home. They take care of Laila and eventually, she begins to recover. Upon recovery, Abdul Sharif, a stranger, finds Laila and tells her that Tariq is dead. Heartbroken and devastated, Laila discovers that she’s pregnant and decides to marry Rasheed. This new marriage makes Mariam resentful towards Laila- Rasheed’s new, younger and beautiful wife.
Over the next few years, Laila and Mariam grow closer, as they are both suffering from Rasheed’s emotional and physical abuse. Later, Laila finds out that Tariq is still alive when he shows up to her doorstep, and that Abdul only told her Tariq was dead as part of Rasheed’s scheme.
Rasheed’s abuse continues for decades. Long story short, the novel ends with Laila, Tariq and their children finding refuge in Pakistan. The novel concludes with conditions in Kabul improving- Laila and her family move back to Kabul, where Laila decides to share her wisdom and become a schoolteacher, just like her father. As a pregnant woman, Laila concludes that if she has a daughter, her name will be Mariam, symbolizing the love and friendship between the two women.
Final thoughts
‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ is an emotional book and it is not an easy read. The novel explores various themes- love, hope, feminism and equality. One of the main themes of the book is gender inequality. Hosseini dives into the oppression of women in the patriarchal society of Afghanistan.
The novel also portrays different levels of patriarchy based on the woman and her upbringing. For instance, Mariam’s major decision- her marriage to Rasheed- is influenced by a man in her life, her father. Then, the rest of her life is somewhat controlled by a man.
On the other hand, Laila is fortunate enough to grow up with a progressive father who values women and is educated on equality between men and women. Unfortunately, once she marries Rasheed, her life is also controlled by a man. To Rasheed, amongst millions of men around the world who believe in the patriarchal hierarchy, a woman’s sole purpose in life is to serve her husband and to bear his children- specifically sons. This unfortunate view of a woman’s life is still seen today.
Hosseini also sheds light on the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the Taliban seized power again in Afghanistan in 2021 and significantly decreased the living standards. The rates of malnutrition, poverty, and unlawful killings all increased under Taliban rule. According to the United Nations Development Programme, 97% of Afghans were living in poverty, an increase from 47% in 2020.
The Taliban have significantly shattered the human rights of Afghans, corroding all the progress that took place before the Taliban seized power in 2021. Women and young girls are bearing the costs- girls are no longer able to attend secondary school. Women can only finish primary school, they are constantly monitored, and their safety and rights are under threat 24/7.
But what about Afghanistan? Some refer to it as the ‘Forgotten War.’ The war in Afghanistan doesn’t nearly get as much attention as wars in the West. The suffering of the people in Afghanistan has gone unnoticed- pushed aside as though it’s an unimportant region. The people in Afghanistan suffer in silence, while their human rights are constantly punished and diminished.
Fortunately, Khaled Hosseini can shed light on the situation in Afghanistan through his books. He also set up The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide humanitarian aid, healthcare, and relief and support for the people of Afghanistan. For more information on The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, visit: https://www.khaledhosseinifoundation.org/.