Suffering In A Thousand Splendid Suns

The death of a friend, loved-one, or enemy is one of the most difficult hurdles to pass. In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khaled Hosseini, the chance or option of murdering someone causes guilt in the culprit’s life, not always resolved problems, but the atmosphere around may be changed in a more peaceful manner. Gerda Weissmann Klein wrote All But My Life, which showed us the way innocent people were tortured and put through pure suffering for no reason. In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, a terrible incident takes place where a doctor mistakenly kills his patient, and not one person can do anything to fix such a horrific mistake. Death is the most difficult obstacle to overcome; whether a person of significance or not …show more content…
This literature is an extreme lesson in society, faith, and solidarity, “It seemed as though we were alone in a world of the dead” (Klein 6). Ilse and Gerda have been friends since they were just little kids, but as Gerda began losing her family members, Ilse became Gerda’s family. As Gerda and Ilse had to leave Helmbrechts, Ilse did not have the courage or strength to leave with Gerda and the others. Gerda would not leave her best friend behind to suffer and die alone. Ilse knew she had to go with Gerda even if she was dying, “But the knowledge that such strength was within me gave me the courage to go on” (Klein 100). The pain and suffering Ilse went through to move on with Gerda was immense. All of Ilse’s energy was completely gone. These poor girls were being tortured, starved, and beaten, but they never gave up on their lives. While Ilse was dying, Gerda knew she could not just leave. Gerda had to comfort her best friend and be there for her, especially in times like this. As Ilse lay in Gerda’s arms, and both Gerda and Ilse fell asleep, later on Ilse did not wake up. Ilse’s hands cold and eyes half-open, she no longer breathed. Ilse was dead, and Gerda had just lost not only her best friend but also her strength and courage these past few years. Gerda did as much as possible to keep Ilse alive and strong, but the conditions these girls were both in from the Holocaust was impossible, “Survival is both an exalted privilege and a painful burden” (Klein 247). Gerda knew life would be different without Ilse, but she also knew she would be surviving the rest of the Holocaust for her best friend, Ilse, “No manual for survival was ever handed to me, nor were any self-help books available. Yet somehow I made my way, grappling with feelings that would let me reconcile difficult