Afghanistan creates adverse conditions for women throughout Hosseini’s novel. Multiple instances can be seen from the girls’ perspective, including when Mariam “caught a glimpse of what was beneath the tree”, (p. 36) and discovered her recently deceased mother. Here showcases a striking moment in Mariam’s life, her mind diverging from hope and prosperity to guilt and bitterness. Tragic, life-changing moments similar to these are …show more content…
Mariam and Laila are forced, by punishment up to execution, to remain loyal and patient to their husband and while in public. Even while the alternative was cruel, “Mariam chewed. Something in the back of her mouth cracked”, while Rasheed left her to “spit out pebbles, blood, and the fragments of two broken molars”. (p. 104) Enduring injustices like this are nothing short of common for women in developing countries. Men control women through manipulation and fear, powerful, ugly tools that spawn from greed and selfishness. When a person is pushed past fear of death, their only option becomes to