Gender Inequality And Patriarchy In A Thousand Splendid Suns

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Questions/Commentary/Analysis

1. “ Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man?s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.” (pg. 7).

· From the beginning of the book Mariam is shown as a young child enthusiastic of life beyond her home in the outskirts away from the town, and an eager learner. Mariam’s character has been written differently from her mother who tries to warn her that life is not all rosy in a man’s world. Patriarchal hegemony is strongly demonstrated in the Hosseini’s weaving of the story and Mariam quickly understands what her mother meant after she flees home to live with her father, Jalil and his three wives.

· The statement proved to be true later in Mariam’s life; she understood the meaning behind her mother’s words. Women always pay the price, whatever the situation and when she married Rasheed, thrice older than her, she entered a life full of abuses and exploitation.

· The author, a man has been successful in bringing out the vulnerability and susceptibility of women’s issues.

· Hosseini has described women’s position in the society through the development of the character Nana, a traditional woman who has faced the wrath of patriarchy, warning her daughter regarding the real façade of the society (Ait Rahmane and Yesli).

· This line brings to mind the relevance of the opinions of Bell Hooks in the essay “Sisterhood: Political Solidarity between Women” where a similar notion about the male ideology of women is described. The essay beautifully pens the notion that male supremacy is all about encouraging women to believing that they have no value unless they are linked or associated with a man (Hooks).

2. “What’s the sense schooling a girl like you? It’s like shining a spittoon. And you’ll learn nothing of value in those schools. There is only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school. Look at me.”… “Only one skill. And it’s this tahamul. Endure.” (pg. 18)

· Mariam wanted to go to a real school and had asked Mullah Faizullah to convince her mother Nana. This line uttered by Nana is a reflection of her and several other women of Afghanistan who were living in a staunch patriarchal society (Joyia and Gull). Nana had tried to curb Mariam’s thirst for knowledge because she knew the world will only dampen her spirits once she gets to know the true world. She had been preparing her daughter, as dozens of women has been doing- strengthening her daughter to face the reality, a reality in which women and girls have no value (Dhakal).

· Hosseini has created a beautiful character called Mullah Faizullah, who being a man contradicts the traditional Afghan society. He acted as a tutor to Mariam and even tried to convince her mother to let her go to a school. In a world where every passage and line indicates that men do not value women’s thirst for knowledge and women’s freedom, Mullah Faizullah is a refreshing character, an old man who believes Nana is too harsh on her daughter.

Did Hosseini subtly indicate through Mullah Faizullah’s character that the true hardship of women can never be comprehended by a man, however wise he may be? There is a subtle hint at the naivety of Mullah Faizullah into believing that girls like Mariam can lead a life different from the women in the past like her mother, or perhaps Mullaz Faizulla is a hopeful character that Hosseini has introduced to let the readers feel that not all men have similar ideologies.

3. “Yes. But I have seen nine-year-old girls given to men twenty years older than your suitor, Mariam. What are you, fifteen? That’s a good, solid marrying age for a girl.” (pg. 47)

·  Jalil’s three wives’ intention was to marry off Mariam and their justification of a marriageable age was, as a matter-of-fact not true. Mariam could understand that clearly since Jalil had two other daughters of the same age who have decided to go to Kabul University to study. This point out that Mariam was not naïve anymore and clearly understood their intentions. Was this when Mariam started to feel the truth behind her mother’s words?  

The wives of Jalil mistreated Mariam and made the brief period of her stay uncomfortable. They fixed her marriage with a man who was thrice her age and Jalil had no say in the matter rather than to just agree with it. Hosseini has brilliantly used these three characters, who despite being women pushed another woman, a mere child to a life full of abuse and torture. I feel that Hosseini tried to nudge the readers to think if the patriarchal society is truly the making of men only. Women sometimes make it hard for other women to live comfortably in their own free way. It can be said that although patriarchal hegemony is the creation of men, some women like the three wives of Jalil perpetrate the violence and abuse by supporting it directly or indirectly for their own pleasure or jealousy. Here jealousy might be the case, since Jalil loved his daughter and the wives feared that Jalil would give his properties and belongings to Mariam.

4. But I’m different breed of man, Mariam where I come from, a wrong look, one improper, and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman’s face is her husband’s business only. I want you to remember that. Do you understand? (Hosseini 2013: 69)

· Rasheed’s character in this novel has been crafted carefully and is depicted as a sum total of what patriarchy means (Neupane). He expects his wife to follow his words and he clearly states his regard for women when he alerts Mariam of what her duties were and what were the limitations as his wife. This sentence that Rasheed utters again brings back memories of Bell Hooks’ essay “Understanding Patriarchy” which describes patriarchy as a political system that puts men in a dominating position and everyone else is regarded as weak, particularly females; and men being endowed with the supremacy and right to dominate the weak, through violence and psychological intimidation” (Hooks).

This is clearly evident in Rasheed’s character and actions throughout the book, and this sentence is only a peak at what it is to become of Mariam.

· The way Rasheed confidently speaks of blood-spilling makes me think if this was normal in that time. To Rasheed a woman is only an object whose private ownership is the solely the husband. This ideology might have been passed from one generation the next and that is what makes is “normal” to the men like Rasheed.

5. “And with that, Mariam brought down the shovel. This time, she gave it everything she had.” (pg. 341)

· The final blow of the shovel brought down not only Rasheed but tested the real sisterhood between Mariam and Laila. Hosseini had created a friendship between the two women, the two wives of Rasheed who faced abuse and torture at his hands every day. The pain had brought the two women closer. Mariam was old enough to be Laila’s mother and she showed motherly affection towards her, something she lacked during her own childhood. Mariam’s action here and her nuances are important to understand. For years she and Laila had struggled in the household and lived in fear of Rasheed’s advancements and abuses. When Rasheed tried to throttle Laila, Mariam could not let him live (Shaikh).

· There is a sense of “letting go” in this sentence. Mariam knows there will be consequences, but she still manages to kill Rasheed. It is probably her way of saying “enough is enough”. One can feel by the lines and her actions that she has no repentance. She did what she had to to save Laila, who has become like a sister to her by then (Rani).

· Mariam showed bravery in the final moments. In the beginning and throughout her marriage she was shown as a docile woman living by her husband’s demands. Mariam and Laila were two different personalities (Hosseini); Mariam had been following the words that her mother taught her and had been enduring the pain and suffering of a woman in a man’s world. On the other hand, Laila was a free-spirited woman. However, both were tied by the same thread of misery (Dhakal). Laila’s entrance in Mariam’s life was refreshing and Mariam found a sister in her. She wanted her to live the life that she could not, and by killing Rasheed she made sure Laila and the children were safe. She took the blame and embraced the execution, while ensuring that Laila and the children had safe passage to Pakistan.

Can it be said that Laila, is Mariam’s “alter ego”?  It can be admitted that either Mariam or Laila resides in every woman, and sometimes both.  

Text

Questions/Commentary/Analysis

1. “ Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man?s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.” (pg. 7).

· From the beginning of the book Mariam is shown as a young child enthusiastic of life beyond her home in the outskirts away from the town, and an eager learner. Mariam’s character has been written differently from her mother who tries to warn her that life is not all rosy in a man’s world. Patriarchal hegemony is strongly demonstrated in the Hosseini’s weaving of the story and Mariam quickly understands what her mother meant after she flees home to live with her father, Jalil and his three wives.

· The statement proved to be true later in Mariam’s life; she understood the meaning behind her mother’s words. Women always pay the price, whatever the situation and when she married Rasheed, thrice older than her, she entered a life full of abuses and exploitation.

· The author, a man has been successful in bringing out the vulnerability and susceptibility of women’s issues.

· Hosseini has described women’s position in the society through the development of the character Nana, a traditional woman who has faced the wrath of patriarchy, warning her daughter regarding the real façade of the society (Ait Rahmane and Yesli).

· This line brings to mind the relevance of the opinions of Bell Hooks in the essay “Sisterhood: Political Solidarity between Women” where a similar notion about the male ideology of women is described. The essay beautifully pens the notion that male supremacy is all about encouraging women to believing that they have no value unless they are linked or associated with a man (Hooks).

2. “What’s the sense schooling a girl like you? It’s like shining a spittoon. And you’ll learn nothing of value in those schools. There is only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school. Look at me.”… “Only one skill. And it’s this tahamul. Endure.” (pg. 18)

· Mariam wanted to go to a real school and had asked Mullah Faizullah to convince her mother Nana. This line uttered by Nana is a reflection of her and several other women of Afghanistan who were living in a staunch patriarchal society (Joyia and Gull). Nana had tried to curb Mariam’s thirst for knowledge because she knew the world will only dampen her spirits once she gets to know the true world. She had been preparing her daughter, as dozens of women has been doing- strengthening her daughter to face the reality, a reality in which women and girls have no value (Dhakal).

· Hosseini has created a beautiful character called Mullah Faizullah, who being a man contradicts the traditional Afghan society. He acted as a tutor to Mariam and even tried to convince her mother to let her go to a school. In a world where every passage and line indicates that men do not value women’s thirst for knowledge and women’s freedom, Mullah Faizullah is a refreshing character, an old man who believes Nana is too harsh on her daughter.

Did Hosseini subtly indicate through Mullah Faizullah’s character that the true hardship of women can never be comprehended by a man, however wise he may be? There is a subtle hint at the naivety of Mullah Faizullah into believing that girls like Mariam can lead a life different from the women in the past like her mother, or perhaps Mullaz Faizulla is a hopeful character that Hosseini has introduced to let the readers feel that not all men have similar ideologies.

3. “Yes. But I have seen nine-year-old girls given to men twenty years older than your suitor, Mariam. What are you, fifteen? That’s a good, solid marrying age for a girl.” (pg. 47)

·  Jalil’s three wives’ intention was to marry off Mariam and their justification of a marriageable age was, as a matter-of-fact not true. Mariam could understand that clearly since Jalil had two other daughters of the same age who have decided to go to Kabul University to study. This point out that Mariam was not naïve anymore and clearly understood their intentions. Was this when Mariam started to feel the truth behind her mother’s words?  

The wives of Jalil mistreated Mariam and made the brief period of her stay uncomfortable. They fixed her marriage with a man who was thrice her age and Jalil had no say in the matter rather than to just agree with it. Hosseini has brilliantly used these three characters, who despite being women pushed another woman, a mere child to a life full of abuse and torture. I feel that Hosseini tried to nudge the readers to think if the patriarchal society is truly the making of men only. Women sometimes make it hard for other women to live comfortably in their own free way. It can be said that although patriarchal hegemony is the creation of men, some women like the three wives of Jalil perpetrate the violence and abuse by supporting it directly or indirectly for their own pleasure or jealousy. Here jealousy might be the case, since Jalil loved his daughter and the wives feared that Jalil would give his properties and belongings to Mariam.

4. But I’m different breed of man, Mariam where I come from, a wrong look, one improper, and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman’s face is her husband’s business only. I want you to remember that. Do you understand? (Hosseini 2013: 69)

· Rasheed’s character in this novel has been crafted carefully and is depicted as a sum total of what patriarchy means (Neupane). He expects his wife to follow his words and he clearly states his regard for women when he alerts Mariam of what her duties were and what were the limitations as his wife. This sentence that Rasheed utters again brings back memories of Bell Hooks’ essay “Understanding Patriarchy” which describes patriarchy as a political system that puts men in a dominating position and everyone else is regarded as weak, particularly females; and men being endowed with the supremacy and right to dominate the weak, through violence and psychological intimidation” (Hooks).

This is clearly evident in Rasheed’s character and actions throughout the book, and this sentence is only a peak at what it is to become of Mariam.

· The way Rasheed confidently speaks of blood-spilling makes me think if this was normal in that time. To Rasheed a woman is only an object whose private ownership is the solely the husband. This ideology might have been passed from one generation the next and that is what makes is “normal” to the men like Rasheed.

5. “And with that, Mariam brought down the shovel. This time, she gave it everything she had.” (pg. 341)

· The final blow of the shovel brought down not only Rasheed but tested the real sisterhood between Mariam and Laila. Hosseini had created a friendship between the two women, the two wives of Rasheed who faced abuse and torture at his hands every day. The pain had brought the two women closer. Mariam was old enough to be Laila’s mother and she showed motherly affection towards her, something she lacked during her own childhood. Mariam’s action here and her nuances are important to understand. For years she and Laila had struggled in the household and lived in fear of Rasheed’s advancements and abuses. When Rasheed tried to throttle Laila, Mariam could not let him live (Shaikh).

· There is a sense of “letting go” in this sentence. Mariam knows there will be consequences, but she still manages to kill Rasheed. It is probably her way of saying “enough is enough”. One can feel by the lines and her actions that she has no repentance. She did what she had to to save Laila, who has become like a sister to her by then (Rani).

· Mariam showed bravery in the final moments. In the beginning and throughout her marriage she was shown as a docile woman living by her husband’s demands. Mariam and Laila were two different personalities (Hosseini); Mariam had been following the words that her mother taught her and had been enduring the pain and suffering of a woman in a man’s world. On the other hand, Laila was a free-spirited woman. However, both were tied by the same thread of misery (Dhakal). Laila’s entrance in Mariam’s life was refreshing and Mariam found a sister in her. She wanted her to live the life that she could not, and by killing Rasheed she made sure Laila and the children were safe. She took the blame and embraced the execution, while ensuring that Laila and the children had safe passage to Pakistan.

Can it be said that Laila, is Mariam’s “alter ego”?  It can be admitted that either Mariam or Laila resides in every woman, and sometimes both.  

Text

Questions/Commentary/Analysis

1. “ Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man?s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.” (pg. 7).

· From the beginning of the book Mariam is shown as a young child enthusiastic of life beyond her home in the outskirts away from the town, and an eager learner. Mariam’s character has been written differently from her mother who tries to warn her that life is not all rosy in a man’s world. Patriarchal hegemony is strongly demonstrated in the Hosseini’s weaving of the story and Mariam quickly understands what her mother meant after she flees home to live with her father, Jalil and his three wives.

· The statement proved to be true later in Mariam’s life; she understood the meaning behind her mother’s words. Women always pay the price, whatever the situation and when she married Rasheed, thrice older than her, she entered a life full of abuses and exploitation.

· The author, a man has been successful in bringing out the vulnerability and susceptibility of women’s issues.

· Hosseini has described women’s position in the society through the development of the character Nana, a traditional woman who has faced the wrath of patriarchy, warning her daughter regarding the real façade of the society (Ait Rahmane and Yesli).

· This line brings to mind the relevance of the opinions of Bell Hooks in the essay “Sisterhood: Political Solidarity between Women” where a similar notion about the male ideology of women is described. The essay beautifully pens the notion that male supremacy is all about encouraging women to believing that they have no value unless they are linked or associated with a man (Hooks).

2. “What’s the sense schooling a girl like you? It’s like shining a spittoon. And you’ll learn nothing of value in those schools. There is only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school. Look at me.”… “Only one skill. And it’s this tahamul. Endure.” (pg. 18)

· Mariam wanted to go to a real school and had asked Mullah Faizullah to convince her mother Nana. This line uttered by Nana is a reflection of her and several other women of Afghanistan who were living in a staunch patriarchal society (Joyia and Gull). Nana had tried to curb Mariam’s thirst for knowledge because she knew the world will only dampen her spirits once she gets to know the true world. She had been preparing her daughter, as dozens of women has been doing- strengthening her daughter to face the reality, a reality in which women and girls have no value (Dhakal).

· Hosseini has created a beautiful character called Mullah Faizullah, who being a man contradicts the traditional Afghan society. He acted as a tutor to Mariam and even tried to convince her mother to let her go to a school. In a world where every passage and line indicates that men do not value women’s thirst for knowledge and women’s freedom, Mullah Faizullah is a refreshing character, an old man who believes Nana is too harsh on her daughter.

Did Hosseini subtly indicate through Mullah Faizullah’s character that the true hardship of women can never be comprehended by a man, however wise he may be? There is a subtle hint at the naivety of Mullah Faizullah into believing that girls like Mariam can lead a life different from the women in the past like her mother, or perhaps Mullaz Faizulla is a hopeful character that Hosseini has introduced to let the readers feel that not all men have similar ideologies.

3. “Yes. But I have seen nine-year-old girls given to men twenty years older than your suitor, Mariam. What are you, fifteen? That’s a good, solid marrying age for a girl.” (pg. 47)

·  Jalil’s three wives’ intention was to marry off Mariam and their justification of a marriageable age was, as a matter-of-fact not true. Mariam could understand that clearly since Jalil had two other daughters of the same age who have decided to go to Kabul University to study. This point out that Mariam was not naïve anymore and clearly understood their intentions. Was this when Mariam started to feel the truth behind her mother’s words?  

The wives of Jalil mistreated Mariam and made the brief period of her stay uncomfortable. They fixed her marriage with a man who was thrice her age and Jalil had no say in the matter rather than to just agree with it. Hosseini has brilliantly used these three characters, who despite being women pushed another woman, a mere child to a life full of abuse and torture. I feel that Hosseini tried to nudge the readers to think if the patriarchal society is truly the making of men only. Women sometimes make it hard for other women to live comfortably in their own free way. It can be said that although patriarchal hegemony is the creation of men, some women like the three wives of Jalil perpetrate the violence and abuse by supporting it directly or indirectly for their own pleasure or jealousy. Here jealousy might be the case, since Jalil loved his daughter and the wives feared that Jalil would give his properties and belongings to Mariam.

4. But I’m different breed of man, Mariam where I come from, a wrong look, one improper, and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman’s face is her husband’s business only. I want you to remember that. Do you understand? (Hosseini 2013: 69)

· Rasheed’s character in this novel has been crafted carefully and is depicted as a sum total of what patriarchy means (Neupane). He expects his wife to follow his words and he clearly states his regard for women when he alerts Mariam of what her duties were and what were the limitations as his wife. This sentence that Rasheed utters again brings back memories of Bell Hooks’ essay “Understanding Patriarchy” which describes patriarchy as a political system that puts men in a dominating position and everyone else is regarded as weak, particularly females; and men being endowed with the supremacy and right to dominate the weak, through violence and psychological intimidation” (Hooks).

This is clearly evident in Rasheed’s character and actions throughout the book, and this sentence is only a peak at what it is to become of Mariam.

· The way Rasheed confidently speaks of blood-spilling makes me think if this was normal in that time. To Rasheed a woman is only an object whose private ownership is the solely the husband. This ideology might have been passed from one generation the next and that is what makes is “normal” to the men like Rasheed.

5. “And with that, Mariam brought down the shovel. This time, she gave it everything she had.” (pg. 341)

· The final blow of the shovel brought down not only Rasheed but tested the real sisterhood between Mariam and Laila. Hosseini had created a friendship between the two women, the two wives of Rasheed who faced abuse and torture at his hands every day. The pain had brought the two women closer. Mariam was old enough to be Laila’s mother and she showed motherly affection towards her, something she lacked during her own childhood. Mariam’s action here and her nuances are important to understand. For years she and Laila had struggled in the household and lived in fear of Rasheed’s advancements and abuses. When Rasheed tried to throttle Laila, Mariam could not let him live (Shaikh).

· There is a sense of “letting go” in this sentence. Mariam knows there will be consequences, but she still manages to kill Rasheed. It is probably her way of saying “enough is enough”. One can feel by the lines and her actions that she has no repentance. She did what she had to to save Laila, who has become like a sister to her by then (Rani).

· Mariam showed bravery in the final moments. In the beginning and throughout her marriage she was shown as a docile woman living by her husband’s demands. Mariam and Laila were two different personalities (Hosseini); Mariam had been following the words that her mother taught her and had been enduring the pain and suffering of a woman in a man’s world. On the other hand, Laila was a free-spirited woman. However, both were tied by the same thread of misery (Dhakal). Laila’s entrance in Mariam’s life was refreshing and Mariam found a sister in her. She wanted her to live the life that she could not, and by killing Rasheed she made sure Laila and the children were safe. She took the blame and embraced the execution, while ensuring that Laila and the children had safe passage to Pakistan.

Can it be said that Laila, is Mariam’s “alter ego”?  It can be admitted that either Mariam or Laila resides in every woman, and sometimes both.