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Oppression In A Thousand Splendid Suns

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“A Thousand Splendid Suns” written by Afghan author Khaled Hosseini is an example of the portrayal of the lives of women in Afghanistan. The challenges and oppression in the lives of two Afghan women; Laila and Mariam are shown Throughout the novel, which provided or facilities on the relationship between both these women. This novel is a good representation of the cruelty experienced by the Afghan women in their everyday life. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is a significant piece of text that bring the predicament of the women who have lived under the debilitating shadow of patriarchal oppression on women. Using the vales, the authors comprehension kills and the contributing factors to emphasize key aspects of of this essay.

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Mariam is what people would call and “illegitimate child” who was born out of wedlock. Therefore she brought shame upon her family. But Laila on the other hand was born into a family who were educated and seem to be very professional. Mariam grew up under the care of her mother and he father would visit her once a week just for a few hours. Marian lived in the slums just outside of heart. Mariam being an illegitimate child who didn't live in the big cities seem to have less values and moral. They see her as a bastard child who no one will love. When Mariam asked Nana is she could attend school likes Jalil daughters. Nana replied with this comment “ What's the sense schooling a girl like [Mariam]? It's like shinning a spittoon. And [Mariam] [will] learn nothing of value in those schools. There is only one, only one skill a women like [Mariam] and [Nana] need in life, and they don't teach it in school.” (pg 18). This quotes basically sums up that, since Mariam is considered a burden on her family there is no point in sending her to school because its not like what she learns in school will benefit her. Nana believes that Mariam's only skill should be to cook and clean and be a house wife. In contrast to Mariam, Laila was raised to believe in her own potential to shape her own future and that of her country. Laila is born into a family that is able to send her to school and get education. As Laila matures in a politically-shifting nation, she is advised that “Afganistan is going to need [Laila] as much as its men, maybe even more” (pg 103). Laila “can be anything [she] want[s]” (pg 101). Raised to prioritize education, Laila attends school daily, where she is taught that men and women are equal. In her mind, women are not merely destined for marriage and child-raising, but careers. Her father enforces her

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