In Khalad Hosseini's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'

A Thousand Splendid Suns is written by author Khaled Hosseini, who is famously known for being the author of the book The Kite Runner. He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, where the majority of the book takes place, and features many of the same issues the author faced growing up. After Khaled Hosseini wrote A Thousand Splendid Suns, it went on to be published by Riverhead books in May of 2007 with a total of 415 pages. The book is a fiction novel, even though the author sets the book where he was born and raised for the first eleven years of his life. A Thousand Splendid Suns is thrilling, and shows the struggle between love and loss, and how the lives of the Kabul were greatly affected.

It was once said, “The art of the storyteller is to hold the attention of the readers.” If a novelist is able to grab the attention of the readers, they can easily convey ideas and themes represented in the story successfully to its’ readers. For instance, Zora Neale Hurston is considered to be a brilliant writer, who has the ability to form a storytelling chain within her novels and to “render a world complete with its codes and disciplines within a few sentences” (Danticat). This is shown in her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston uses various literary elements such as foreshadowing, point of view, imagery, and metaphor in order to capture the attention of the readers.

Hosseini's use of imagery in A Thousand Splendid Suns gives the reader a clear picture of the abuse that Mariam and Laila have experience

Growing up and living in Afghanistan as a woman has its challenges. Parents choose who can marry you and they choose everything for you. In this book, Laila and Mariam both show the struggles it is to be a girl, and how much disrespect they get in Afghanistan. Both Mariam and Laila are married to the same man, and he is abusive to both of them. They also live under Taliban rule, and the rules that they set are very unfair for women. In Khaled Hosseni’s novel, he has many different themes but the most prevalent one is of woman inequality, and that is shown through multiple accounts of abuse, disrespect, and unfairness.

A typical novel, flooded with the complexities of the author’s creative mind, conveys the plot amidst vivid descriptions of the setting and

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is a beautiful tale of two women in Afghanistan during the Taliban uprising. They grow up on complete opposite sides of Afghan culture. The main character, Mariam, grows up in a more traditional way caused by her forced marriage to Rasheed. Laila on the other hand, grows up with a supportive father who encourages gender equality and education. There are many cultural differences such as, women’s rights, public executions, and the Taliban. The two main characters, Mariam and Laila, develop greatly throughout the novel. They push each other to be better and to stand up for equality. This plays into the themes of the novel. Women’s strength and loyalty are the two most important themes. They

Beautiful imagery laced amidst a wondrous storyline, accompanied by memorable and lovable characters are all elements pertaining to enjoyable works of fiction. Tales that keep one up late into the night forever reading just “one more page” forever propelling the intrinsic imagination for a novel enthusiast. Yet, at times there are deeper meanings hidden between the lines. Symbols, analogies, and latent parallels all connecting to real life events and situations being portrayed by the author. Using literary theory can bring a more profound understanding of the reading material at hand, as well as unique insight as to what the author was feeling or intending to portray at the time of writing.

The writing style of Khaled Hosseini in A Thousand Splendid Suns is both sympathetic and disgusted. He feels pity on those that bear the burden of the war. He shows this mostly through the use of two major literary devices: Symbolism and Imagery. These two literary devices impact the reader because it gives a deeper insight and understanding of the pain and fear these characters were forced into dealing with every day.

In Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns, many characters are forced to overcome obstacles in their personal lives. Laila and Mariam, the two main characters, find themselves married to the same man, Rasheed. Both had a good relationship with Rasheed at the beginning of their marriages. Soon they found that they were both being abused by Rasheed. Mariam and Laila overcome the abuse by taking matters into their own hands. Khaled Hosseini introduces the reader to the ways many Muslim men and women believe that marriages should be private and that how the man treats his wife or wives is his business. Many relationships find themselves trying to overcome an abusive marriage.

“Joseph shall return to Canaan, grieve not, Hovels shall turn to rose gardens, grieve not. If a flood should arrive, to drown all that’s alive, Noah is your guide in the typhoon’s eye, grieve not (Hosseini 365).” A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khaled Hosseini, is a story that is set place in modern-day Afghanistan. It is one depicting the lives of two particular women who live under the control of a persecuting husband and the infamous rule of the Taliban. And through these two women (Laila and Mariam), Hosseini creates a mind-blowing, awe-inspiring adventure of regret, despair, tragedy, and more importantly, redemption. The book begins with separate perspectives of each woman, and how they consequently come together in the same

Explosions, Death, Loss, Fear- all are great symbols for war in A Thousand Splendid Suns. In this novel, Khaled Hosseini uses tumultuous environments to bring up some of the most interesting characters in the 21st century. The three strongest examples are Laila, Tariq, and Aziza. From losing your parents, to losing your leg, Hosseini uses these types of characters to almost make a connection with them. Because we see weakness in them it truly makes their triumph that much greater. War is a raging bull charging through the lives of many, but for some, it makes them stronger.

Hosseini draws on his own personal childhood for the setting of the story, which includes fictional characters. Throughout the novel, it is evident that there is historical realism. Amir, who narrates the novel, is a Pashtun and Sunni Muslim, and is shown

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini takes a solid focus on the lives of two young women, Mariam and Laila, who grow up in a struggling and turbulent Afghanistan. This book emulates the lives of those who have actually been affected by the extreme changes of power within their culture. From the Soviets to the Taliban, these people are caught in a war they cannot win but must deal with the consequences of. The lives of Mariam and Laila are consumed and silenced by those with power over them, namely males with traditional values. The book conveys the idea that even with an immense amount of destruction and terror wrought throughout Afghanistan, underneath lies a beauty that has been muted but it still provides hope for the future.

Hosseini utilizes outside environmental factors to contribute to the preeminating assumption of Amir's character. The actions taken in response to external stimuli convey the true nature of not only the protagonist Amir but his genuine friend and unknown half-brother Hassan. The two juvenile Afghani boys face many challenges growing up in Kabul; bullies taunt and threaten them routinely. Assef, the leader among the tormentors, inadvertently plays a key role in determining the measures taken by Amir in order to gain the acceptance of his father. Under repetitive harassment and criticism, Amir rarely fights against his subjugation. Baba discerns his son’s predominant flaw: cowardice. In his mentality, Baba believes that “a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who

By introducing Mariam to the Muslim religion, Mullah Faizullah brings another form of wisdom; one that can be "summon[ed]... in... time of need" (Hosseini 17). Through acts of guidance and granting insight to Mariam, Hosseini cements Mullah Faizullah as a teacher. Contributing to the mentor character type, Hossenini creates the close relationship between Mariam and Mullah Faizullah. Hosseini explains how "Mariam 's favorite, other than Jalil of course, was Mullah Faizullah", which directly states Mariam 's fondness for Mullah Faizullah. Hosseini also provides a visual of their relationship as, "sometimes they went for walks among the bronze fallen leaves and alder bushes, along the stream and toward the mountains" (Hosseini 16). Hosseini describes a calming and beautiful setting which reflects their relationship. The mountains also resemble the strong and towering bond the two have and how their relationship continues to grow. Continuing with the uncanny similarities, when their relationship is threatened, Mariam frantically shrieks, "I 'll live with Mullah Faizullah... He 'll take me in. I know he will" (Hosseini 48). Mariam fears leaving her best friend and mentor behind. However, Hosseini separates the two and Mariam states, "You didn 't even have the decency to give me the time to say good-bye to Mullah Faizullah"