A Thousand Splendid Suns
高二乙 02號
王莘荃
Afghanistan In Depth
Review of “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini
Afghanistan, to many, is either the mysterious country in One Thousand and One Nights or “that dangerous cradle of terrorists one must never near.” However, through the eyes of two women, Hosseini pulls back the burqa and shows us the real Afghanistan—the political instability, the religious fanaticism of the Taliban, the sexism, and most importantly, how innocent citizens struggle to cope, taking us deep into the culture. A Thousand Splendid Suns tells of love, friendship, difficulty, and endurance in Afghanistan in dark times.
The book begins with two separate stories which later intertwine to present the book’s strongest values. Mariam, an illegitimate child leading a traditional Afghan life, after her emotionally unstable mother dies, is married off to Rasheem, a shoemaker who becomes abusive after Mariam miscarriages multiple times. Laila, a much younger, modern, and educated city girl, is badly injured after a rocket kills both her parents. While recovering at Rasheem’s home, Laila agrees to marry him after she is lied to about her sweetheart’s death and discovers she is pregnant. Initially, Mariam is jealous of Laila, but they eventually bond together to defend themselves from Rasheed and later kill him out of desperation.
Hosseini’s enlivens the text with vivid descriptions of terror and destruction. As a reader I could feel the Afghans’ tension and dread—constant fear of the Taliban tearing apart a family, a rocket sinking the house, more fights among local factions. However, besides the troubles of the outside world, women must also bear problems from their households. Through their eyes, Hosseini gives voice to these otherwise voiceless people, showing their unmoving strength and endurance despite poor conditions of poverty, disregard and undervaluation. Laila, out of love, endures Rasheem’s verbal abuse and the Taliban’s vicious beatings to visit her
王莘荃
Afghanistan In Depth
Review of “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini
Afghanistan, to many, is either the mysterious country in One Thousand and One Nights or “that dangerous cradle of terrorists one must never near.” However, through the eyes of two women, Hosseini pulls back the burqa and shows us the real Afghanistan—the political instability, the religious fanaticism of the Taliban, the sexism, and most importantly, how innocent citizens struggle to cope, taking us deep into the culture. A Thousand Splendid Suns tells of love, friendship, difficulty, and endurance in Afghanistan in dark times.
The book begins with two separate stories which later intertwine to present the book’s strongest values. Mariam, an illegitimate child leading a traditional Afghan life, after her emotionally unstable mother dies, is married off to Rasheem, a shoemaker who becomes abusive after Mariam miscarriages multiple times. Laila, a much younger, modern, and educated city girl, is badly injured after a rocket kills both her parents. While recovering at Rasheem’s home, Laila agrees to marry him after she is lied to about her sweetheart’s death and discovers she is pregnant. Initially, Mariam is jealous of Laila, but they eventually bond together to defend themselves from Rasheed and later kill him out of desperation.
Hosseini’s enlivens the text with vivid descriptions of terror and destruction. As a reader I could feel the Afghans’ tension and dread—constant fear of the Taliban tearing apart a family, a rocket sinking the house, more fights among local factions. However, besides the troubles of the outside world, women must also bear problems from their households. Through their eyes, Hosseini gives voice to these otherwise voiceless people, showing their unmoving strength and endurance despite poor conditions of poverty, disregard and undervaluation. Laila, out of love, endures Rasheem’s verbal abuse and the Taliban’s vicious beatings to visit her