A Thousand Splendid Sunss

In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini displays the lives of two women living in war-torn Afghanistan, where status means everything and freedom is not an option. Their lives were changed due to The Battle of Kabul, a war fought between the Mujahideens and the Taliban. The two militia groups were both fighting for power, destroying Kabul as the war progresses. Creating new laws and regulations for the people of Kabul. Women were striped of their rights, but two stood out. Mariam and Laila, victims of the ongoing war, figured the only source of strength they have is inner power and that their way to freedom isn’t without sacrifices and hostility. There are many people from different walks of life, inhabiting Afghanistan. Of the many ethnic groups, many don't get along. They are contesting for power. “To me, it's nonsense and very dangerous nonsense at that-all this talk of Im Tajik and you’re Pashtun and he's Hazara and she's Uzbek. Were all Afghans and that's all that should matter” (130). Babi sees Afghanistan as a powerful nation in whole rather than divisions of ethnic groups controlling and exploiting the people of their country. Similar to a tyrant or a ruthless warlord, the Mujahideen roamed …show more content…
...killing everybody in between-that's what” (274). Thats what happens when cities are being taken over by Taliban. Rules and regulations/laws were put in place. Taking away women’s rights. Rasheed is in favor of, he makes Mariam wear a burqa because he believes the husband should be the only one who can see their wife's face. Power and control, Rasheed has both, Mariam has been dehumanized and treated as if she were a slave. She is forced to have intercourse every night and if Rasheed has mood swings, she ends up injured. Rasheed’s household reign soon ends when he takes Laila. And at that point, hope shines through, Mariam starts to see a way out of this miserable life she’s been living for what seem to be