Arranged Marriage In A Thousand Splendid Suns

In many parts of the world, there are different cultures that portray marriage quite differently, especially in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. To have an arranged marriage at a young age is considered the “norm” for many cultures since there is very little freedom for women to choose who they want to wed. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam is definitely hesitant about marrying Rasheed – shaking as she even struggles to say “yes” to Mullah when he asks her if she agrees to take Rasheed as her lawfully wedded husband. As she is rushed into an arranged marriage by her father, Mariam is unaware of what may come in the future. She signs her name on the contract under enormous pressure.
In this excerpt from the novel, the tones are despairing,