When women are put into positions of struggle, they often relinquish their own needs in order to help others. In Charles Darwin’s, The Descent of Man, he claims that “Women seem to differ from man in mental disposition, chiefly in her greater tenderness and less selfishness...Man... delights in competition, and leads to ambition which passes too easily into selfishness”(Darwin p. 586). In Khaled Hosseini’s, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and Barbara Kingsolver’s, The Bean Trees, women must meet ever-increasing demands and make sacrifices to maintain ties with their children, provide for their husbands, and support each other.
The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. Darwin states, “a young and timid mother urged by the maternal instinct …show more content…
Later in the novel, Laila becomes pregnant and is sent to the only women’s hospital in Kabul where there is a severe lack of medicinal supplies. She goes through surgery without anesthesia, subjecting herself to extreme pain and risk in order to give birth to her child. When the nurse explains the risks of the operation, Laila exclaims, “Cut me open! Cut me open and give me my baby” (291). Laila wholeheartedly agrees to go through with the procedure because she would rather go through the immense suffering than lose her baby. This act is significant because it demonstrates Laila’s strong sense of courage; a drastic shift in character that occurs once she becomes a mother. Hosseini continues to illustrate Laila’s selfless efforts as a mother when she sends Aziza to the orphanage. Laila cannot afford to keep two children at one time, so she believes she must send Aziza away to an orphanage in order to ensure her well-being. While Laila speaks to the orphanage director, she confesses she is “ashamed” (318). She doubts herself when she asks, “What kind of mother abandons her own child?” (318). …show more content…
According to Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics, “femininity is defined as compliance, subordination, and oriented to accommodating the interest and desires of men" (Connel p.183). Mariam sacrifices her relationship with Rasheed when Laila comes to live with them. She does not want to have to do this but she knows that her role as a woman in the Afghan society prevents her from speaking out against her husband. It is this sacrifice that leads to her unhappiness at first, but she does not argue because her husband’s wishes must always be fulfilled. In this situation, it is not only Mariam who must meet the demands of Rasheed. Laila marries him even though she young and does not wish to have a husband. Rasheed warns her that “People will talk. It looks dishonorable, an unmarried young woman living here. It’s bad for my reputation.” (214). This establishes that the husband’s reputation is more important than Laila’s happiness and her life itself. Both Mariam and Laila’s identity is sacrificed again when Rasheed tells them they must wear Burqas. “You will not, under any circumstances show your face,” Rasheed says, “You will cover with the burqa when outside. If you do not, you will be severely beaten” (278). The women claim to feel trapped, but they wear it anyway because it is what their husband wants. This domination illustrates how little voice women have in
The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. Darwin states, “a young and timid mother urged by the maternal instinct …show more content…
Later in the novel, Laila becomes pregnant and is sent to the only women’s hospital in Kabul where there is a severe lack of medicinal supplies. She goes through surgery without anesthesia, subjecting herself to extreme pain and risk in order to give birth to her child. When the nurse explains the risks of the operation, Laila exclaims, “Cut me open! Cut me open and give me my baby” (291). Laila wholeheartedly agrees to go through with the procedure because she would rather go through the immense suffering than lose her baby. This act is significant because it demonstrates Laila’s strong sense of courage; a drastic shift in character that occurs once she becomes a mother. Hosseini continues to illustrate Laila’s selfless efforts as a mother when she sends Aziza to the orphanage. Laila cannot afford to keep two children at one time, so she believes she must send Aziza away to an orphanage in order to ensure her well-being. While Laila speaks to the orphanage director, she confesses she is “ashamed” (318). She doubts herself when she asks, “What kind of mother abandons her own child?” (318). …show more content…
According to Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics, “femininity is defined as compliance, subordination, and oriented to accommodating the interest and desires of men" (Connel p.183). Mariam sacrifices her relationship with Rasheed when Laila comes to live with them. She does not want to have to do this but she knows that her role as a woman in the Afghan society prevents her from speaking out against her husband. It is this sacrifice that leads to her unhappiness at first, but she does not argue because her husband’s wishes must always be fulfilled. In this situation, it is not only Mariam who must meet the demands of Rasheed. Laila marries him even though she young and does not wish to have a husband. Rasheed warns her that “People will talk. It looks dishonorable, an unmarried young woman living here. It’s bad for my reputation.” (214). This establishes that the husband’s reputation is more important than Laila’s happiness and her life itself. Both Mariam and Laila’s identity is sacrificed again when Rasheed tells them they must wear Burqas. “You will not, under any circumstances show your face,” Rasheed says, “You will cover with the burqa when outside. If you do not, you will be severely beaten” (278). The women claim to feel trapped, but they wear it anyway because it is what their husband wants. This domination illustrates how little voice women have in