A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
According to Isabel Allende,
the Chilean-American writer, A Thousand Splendid Suns is an ‘unforgettable’ and
‘disturbing’ story and so it is to me. Khaled Hosseini uses his mother country,
Afghanistan as the backdrop of the novel bringing the most relevant topic of
discussion which is the plight of women in Afghanistan.
The novel focuses on two
women, Mariam and Laila, “separated by a generation but united by an
unbreakable bond of friendship.” They survive under the brutality of the
patriarchal society of Afghansitan. The ultimate power passes from one hand to
the other, but the notion and idea of patriarchy reigns supreme in the society.
Under the Soviet occupation (1979) and the rule of Taliban (1996 onwards) the
plight of women remains the same. In the novel, people look forward to the
overthrowing of the Soviet, but under the Taliban the situation becomes worse.
Restrictions, brutality and fears take over upon their arrival.
Khaled Hosseni adopts the
title of his book from a poem about Kabul, written by Sai-e-Tabrizi in the 17th
century.
“One could not count the
moons that shimmer on her roofs
Or the thousand splendid suns
that hide behind her walls.”
These lines show the
greatness and happiness that Afghanistan experienced before the Soviet
invasion. Even though a Thousand Splendid Suns pass over Afghanistan, the
condition of the women remains the same.
The endurance of women is
revealed in Nana’s (Mariam’s mother) words, “How quietly we endure all that
falls upon us”. The novel brings out the brutality suffered by women under the
roofs of their houses and in society too. They are the victims of suppression
and rejection. Their lofty aspirations are dashed by the bond of marriage. It
was not only the physical frame of the woman that was hidden behind the burqa
but also her emotions and desires.
The novel is sequenced in a proper order within
fifty one chapters, though there is passage of time between some chapters. The
novel is of omniscient narration incorporating dialogues of characters. It is a
Buildungsroman novel too. It takes the reader from the childhood of Mariam and
Laila to the point where they live within the walls of the same house. Laila is
introduced when the novel reaches its half. Then the author makes the
unbreakable bond formation of Mariam and Laila to take place. The author also
makes use of figures of speech such as imageries and analogies in the novel.
There are unpredictable twists in the novel. All these show the writing
expertise of the author. There are multiple themes dealt in the novel. True
love between Tariq and Laila is also projected. Rasheed is the representative
of the patriarchal society.
Mu favourite character in the
novel is Mariam. She is an epitome of contentment. “She never burdened others,
never let on that she too had sorrows, disappointments, dreams that have
ridiculed.” What she couldn’t give as a mother to a child she gave to
Laila. “She was a rock in a riverbed,
enduring without complaints, her grace not sullied but shaped by the turbulence
that washed over her.” Mariam is called a ‘harami’ or a bastard even by her
mother. She suffers rejection in her own house too. The word ‘harami’ creeps
into her and clutches her mind that it never loosens its grips. She realizes
herself to be a harami, an unfortunate one. Everyone whom she encounters in
life betrays her except Laila. It’s Laila’s presence that brings a smile on her
face after a long period of sufferings. She turns out to be a blessing for
Laila, she triumphs as a martyr, sacrificing her life for Laila. Laila found in
Mariam “ A face of grievances unspoken, burdens gone unprotested, a destiny
submitted to and endured.” Toward the end of the novel Mariam is compared to a
sun but with the “bursting radiance of a thousand suns”, who shines in Laila’s
heart. She is an illegitimate person who does not have legitimate claim to
things other people have, things such as love, family, home and acceptance.
Mariam gets a legitimate end to her life of illegitimate beginnings.
Rasheed is an epitome of
patriarchy, his demands and judgments rain down on Mariam and Laila “like
rockets on Kabul”. He loves them to satisfy his sensual pleasures. His love was
for a personal gain to get a male child to continue his legacy. The male
chauvinism of patriarchy is seen in words of Nana, “Like a compass needle that
points north a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.”When Rasheed
says “yes” to the union of Mariam with him in marriage, his harsh raspy voice
reminds Mariam of dry autumn leaves crushed underfoot. This is symbolic of her
life going to be crushed under his feet.
The progress of the novel is
melancholic but the book is worth reading. It offers a moment of catharsis in
the reader. It is surely a heart rending novel.
- Aiswarya
