Examples Of Cultural Differences In A Thousand Splendid Suns

Culture is the attitudes and customs that characterize one group from another. It is very important to take time to read about and experience cultures that are different than your own. It can help you appreciate that there are more than one way to do things. In the book A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini there were many instances of a culture differences, which shocked me. In the book, Mariam and Laila are two women from Afghanistan that are married to same man, Rasheed. They are bound together by their similar yet different pasts. Unique characteristics of this book can be shown through the culture, characters, and a theme. One predominate aspect of this book is the cultural differences. One cultural trait in this book is polygamy. …show more content…
The main character in this book is Mariam. The book follows Mariam over a long period of her life. She changes throughout the book from an isolated girl from a small village to being a part of Laila and Aziza’s family. Mariam in the end is shown to stand up for herself by putting an end to the abuse from her husband and killing him. Something that is very important to Mariam is family. When she was little she dreamed of meeting the rest her dad’s family so she could have siblings. Later she makes Laila and her kids, her family. She resents her father for how he just sent her off to get married and mistreated her. She carries a lot of guilt over the death of her mother. Another leading character is Laila. Laila grew up with more “modern” parents than most in Afghanistan. They encouraged her to go to school and get a good education. She fell in love with Tariq at a young age; however, when she could be with him she married Rasheed. Marrying Rasheed meant a place to stay and someone to explain the existence of her baby. Mariam and Laila bond with each other because their pasts are very similar. Mariam and Laila connected when Laila braided her hair: “Laila began to laugh, and Mariam joined in. They laughed like this, at each other’s reflection in the mirror, their eyes tearing, and the moment was so natural, so effortless” (Hosseini 228). After they were able to relate to each other Mariam told her …show more content…
Mariam and her mother were distant, and Mariam felt like a burden to her. When Mariam’s mom killed herself Mariam felt like it was her fault. Laila also did not have a very healthy relationship with her mother. Her mother made it obvious her older sons were the focus of her life. Laila’s mom would forget to pick her up from school and did not want to flee from Afghanistan until it was absolutely necessary. Laila and Mariam both felt closer to their fathers as children compared to their mothers. When Mariam found out that she was pregnant, she was truly excited and hopeful for her future family. She thought that becoming a mother would be a way to move forward in her life: “When Mariam thought of this baby, her heart swelled inside of her. It swelled and swelled until all the loss, all the grief, all the loneliness and self-abasement of her life washed away.” (Hosseini 80). This could fulfill her want for a family that she has had since she named pebbles after her half-siblings when she was younger. When she lost her baby it was devastating for both Mariam and Rasheed and caused a lot of tension between them. When Laila first moved in with Mariam, Mariam nursed her back to health just like a mother would. After their difference were resolved when Laila married Rasheed. Mariam acted like a mother figure to Laila. They were able to bond over their past experiences and grew to be very close allies. When Laila has