Mahum Malik
Mrs. Guttadauro
English 10 Honors
30 September, 2015
Independent Reading
1987. Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social or political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such a novel or play and note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the techniques the author uses to influence the reader’s or audience’s views. Avoid plot summary.
In Khaled Hosseini’s eye-opening novel, “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” Hosseini sheds light onto the social and political situations in Afghanistan. He raises awareness on religious extremism of the Taliban, and arouses sympathy for the women facing injustice due to gender inequality. Hosseini condemns the oppression of …show more content…
Most of the male characters hold misogynist views and use religion as an excuse to control and take away their powers. “They [husbands] don’t see they’re spoiling their own nang and namoos, their honor and pride … it embarrasses me, frankly, to see a man who’s lost control of his wife.” (p. 70) Rasheed talks about women as if they are their husbands’ property, and when he forces both his wives to wear burkas, it is for his own honor; he completely disregards what his wives views may be. He may have interest in protecting his own honor, but he has no honor for women, which is evident when Mariam finds a stack of pornographic magazines in his room. Also, towards the end of the novel, at Mariam’s trial, the judge uses religion as an excuse to prosecute her. Because she is a woman, she is not allowed to testify by herself. Mariam admits she killed Rasheed, but only because if she hadn’t, he would’ve strangled Laila. Using God as an excuse, he claims he cannot let her get away with this crime. However, if a man were in Mariam’s place, he would most likely not be prosecuted and be given the death penalty for killing his wife. These examples lead the reader to awareness on the inequality and injustice against women in Afghanistan in the name of …show more content…
The Taliban bans women from stepping outside their houses without being accompanied by a male relative, showing their faces, laughing in public, attending school, and working. They take away the basic rights and right to an education. By reinforcing these laws, women are completely dependant on their male relatives for support and being able to step outside. Because of harsh conditions, Laila sends her daughter, Aziza, to an orphanage as a solution for her household’s poverty. To see her daughter, she went out alone, and risked getting beaten. Hosseini describes Laila’s pitiable condition after getting beaten several times because of her attempts to see her daughter. This sheds some light onto readers minds, because they are made aware of the unjust rules of the Taliban. Because the Taliban does not allow women to work, Laila cannot do anything about the lack of money in her household, which is the reason Aziza is sent to the orphanage. Then, Laila gets flogged and beaten up with wooden clubs and short whips for trying to go out and see her
Mrs. Guttadauro
English 10 Honors
30 September, 2015
Independent Reading
1987. Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social or political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such a novel or play and note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the techniques the author uses to influence the reader’s or audience’s views. Avoid plot summary.
In Khaled Hosseini’s eye-opening novel, “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” Hosseini sheds light onto the social and political situations in Afghanistan. He raises awareness on religious extremism of the Taliban, and arouses sympathy for the women facing injustice due to gender inequality. Hosseini condemns the oppression of …show more content…
Most of the male characters hold misogynist views and use religion as an excuse to control and take away their powers. “They [husbands] don’t see they’re spoiling their own nang and namoos, their honor and pride … it embarrasses me, frankly, to see a man who’s lost control of his wife.” (p. 70) Rasheed talks about women as if they are their husbands’ property, and when he forces both his wives to wear burkas, it is for his own honor; he completely disregards what his wives views may be. He may have interest in protecting his own honor, but he has no honor for women, which is evident when Mariam finds a stack of pornographic magazines in his room. Also, towards the end of the novel, at Mariam’s trial, the judge uses religion as an excuse to prosecute her. Because she is a woman, she is not allowed to testify by herself. Mariam admits she killed Rasheed, but only because if she hadn’t, he would’ve strangled Laila. Using God as an excuse, he claims he cannot let her get away with this crime. However, if a man were in Mariam’s place, he would most likely not be prosecuted and be given the death penalty for killing his wife. These examples lead the reader to awareness on the inequality and injustice against women in Afghanistan in the name of …show more content…
The Taliban bans women from stepping outside their houses without being accompanied by a male relative, showing their faces, laughing in public, attending school, and working. They take away the basic rights and right to an education. By reinforcing these laws, women are completely dependant on their male relatives for support and being able to step outside. Because of harsh conditions, Laila sends her daughter, Aziza, to an orphanage as a solution for her household’s poverty. To see her daughter, she went out alone, and risked getting beaten. Hosseini describes Laila’s pitiable condition after getting beaten several times because of her attempts to see her daughter. This sheds some light onto readers minds, because they are made aware of the unjust rules of the Taliban. Because the Taliban does not allow women to work, Laila cannot do anything about the lack of money in her household, which is the reason Aziza is sent to the orphanage. Then, Laila gets flogged and beaten up with wooden clubs and short whips for trying to go out and see her