Discussion Topic A

In the powerful novel A thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini chooses to address both physical and psychological abuse not only in Afghan woman but throughout the whole world. Although highlighting and addressing mostly the abuse passed in their culture. HIs able to do so by the use of diction and imagery throughout the novel.

Miriam as well as Lilia are suppressed by their husbands continual abuse not only physical but psychological. Rashad states that he is a "different breed of man" (70) Which happens to be a man who doesn’t believe in a woman's capability of becoming someone important in the working field or society much less in the world. Rashads temperament first becomes visible after Miriam is unable to bare him a child. After she loses her first child to a miscarriage he suddenly find it difficult to even be around her. When before her questions used to amuse him suddenly they became irritable and annoying to him. He begins to treat her like a nobody. Everyday acquiring more and more rage towards Miriam for being unable to give him a child. "his powerful hand clasped her jaw. He shoved two fingers into her mouth and pried it open...." this image shows how cruel a man can be to their wife hurting her and humiliating her. As known a parson cannot eat pebbles without being physically hurt in the process. Both psychological and physical. The vulnerability of the woman as they cant do anything but take the beating. To man there a woman is like an object, bought and their to do as they wish with them.

Hosseini uses images like the one mention above throughout his hwole novel always demostrating and paiting a vivid picture of the suppression of most afghan women by the men in their lives.

Discussion Topic C

In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns the author Khaled Hosseini describes Miriams past life as a burden for her to find her true self in her present life both as a wife and as a woman. Describing and revealing the events and reasons in Miriams past life that take her in the path of becoming the person she ends up to be.

Hosseini first takes the reader through Miriams life as a young girl. Her growing up without her father and Nana's, Miriam's mother, constant accusations towards Jalil, her father. Nana helps Miriam grow up with the thought that her father doesn't really love her life Miriam believes he does stating that even before she was born "To Jalil and his wives, i was a pokeroot.  Amugwort. You too" (pg 8) As Miriam grew up she went through events that lead her to believe that Nana had always been right about Jalil's accusations. Beginning from her looking for her father after he stood up for her 15th birthday leading up to Nana's death and her father getting "rid of her" by finding her a suitor. Stating that her being 15th was a "good solid marrying age for a girl" (pg47). Although Jalil's other daughters were close to her age but instead of thinking of finding her a suitor they were making plans to sending her to school and a university. As Miriam's life continues she begins to truly believe that she is nothing to her father or her husband she still blames her self for Nanas death and her being unable to bare Rashad, her husband, a child after so many miscarriages she finds her self as a faliure as a wife and as a woman.

Hosseini is able to portray how someones past can impact your future in many ways. That certain events can lead a person to belive to be worthless and shameful to their own selfs even others.