Discussion Topic (C)

Prompt

In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present actions, attitudes or values of a character. Select a character from A Thousand Splendid Suns who must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Analyze how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose.

Khaled Hosseini's thought-provoking novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, tells a story of two women's struggle to survive under the stringent, gender-biased regulation of a traditional Afghan society. As a young girl, the second of the protagonists, Laila, is raised in an untraditional, more modern Afghan household. Her father made it a point that she receive a good education—especially being female, even though many parents in their culture had the desire to marry off their daughters as soon as possible. Laila's father, however, stresses, "Marriage can wait, education cannot... You can be anything you want, Laila. I know this about you. And I also know... society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated..." (114)  Because of Laila’s upbringing, she is characterized as being an intelligent, outspoken young woman. Hosseini’s establishment of Laila’s background gives the reader insight as to why she acts the way that she does when she finds herself in an unfamiliar environment. The hostile living quarters Laila becomes subject to lends no compassion to the freedoms she enjoyed in her old life. Hosseini continues the development of the protagonist’s background story by making good use of the element of flashback. As Laila contemplates the previous liberties of her life, she remembers a conversation she once had with her friends in which they told her, “You’re going to be somebody. I know one day I’ll pick up a newspaper and find your picture on the front page.” (166) It is developments such as this that provoke Laila’s true nature when she feels she is being treated unjustly.  Of all the years Mariam had endured Rasheed’s senseless beatings and constant ridicule, she would not have dared attempted to defend herself against him. But Laila’s history had molded her into an ambitious, courageous young woman. Her bold spirit is what leads to her defensive instinct—the idea that she did not deserve to be treated like an incompetent canine. And so when, “The slap made a loud smacking sound, the palm of his thick-fingered hand connecting squarely with the meat of Laila’s neck… Laila punched him. It was the first time she’d struck anybody…” (299) Laila’s past is what ultimately propels her ambitious nature, which is an example of how one’s history can positively affect their life. Laila’s willingness to defend herself and fight back with her conflict instead of just accepting it, though it almost got her killed, was a direct result of learned behaviors and attitudes taught to her at a young age. Hosseini’s purpose comes across as the idea that you can take the girl out of the home, but you can never take the home out of the girl.