The quote “Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman” reveals how oppressed women were (page 7). In regards to the general theme of this novel, this quote exquisitely exhibits the plight of Afghanistan women. During those times, the women were extremely marginalized and at the end of the day, they were always the scapegoats. All blame would collapse upon the shoulders of the Afghanistan women who could not assert themselves or defend themselves. Even when their indignation may impel them to speak up at times, their voices of protest and pleas would not be heard as their voices were like silent snowflakes outside the walls of their houses. The only thing they could do was endure silently and persevere in the face of abject injustice. In addition to being scapegoats, women were also deprived of a basic life: no rights to education, no rights to having a profession, and no rights to dressing how they wanted. Women were compelled to stay at home and during the few times they were allowed to go out, they had to wear a burqa, a symbol of their imprisonment. Men would force their wives to wear a burqa as a form of control and demonstration of ownership.
In addition, another significant quote in this story is “Women like us. We endure. It's all we have” which demonstrates the women of Afghanistan’s remarkable strength of character. Their inner strength is strong beyond belief as they all try to cope in order to survive in an unforgiving time. Mariam Jo fully embodies all these women. After being discarded by Jalil, Nana teachers her daughter, Mariam Jo, her view of life: women can do nothing but endure. Mariam takes this lesson to heart. Later on in the story, Mariam endures degradation by Jalil’s other wives, she endures an arranged marriage, and she endures her domineering and irate husband who constantly berates and attacks her. Despite suffering such a tragic life, Mariam Jo never harboured any thoughts of suicide and tries to cope with her grim life. She is a true paragon of Afghanistan women, exemplifying their ability to persevere, be stoic, and be stout.
The last quote “Mariam could see herself too, reflected in the brown of Jalil's eyes: Her hair billowing, her face blazing excitement with excitement” contributes to another theme of the story: love (page 21). Although A Thousand Splendid Suns may be replete with hardships and pathos, there is a theme of love – maternally, fraternally, friendships, and lovers – expressed throughout the story. This quote reveals how madly devoted Mariam was towards her father. Even though he left them to live in a shack-like home isolated from society, she still loves him and would eagerly await the days he would come to visit. Such an act could only be done by a person who adores their father dearly. During the beginning of the story, it appears that Jalil was very fond of Mariam as well but unfortunately, he is an abject coward who can could not stand up to his wives when they insist that he marry off Mariam.
Hi Johnathan,
ReplyDeleteThe overall message of your post depicts the harsh realities of Afghan women. They are constantly suppressed by their husbands, like how ‘they have to wear a burqa’ to go outside. The burqa to which you are referring is a contrast to the title of your independent novel study: burqas are generally black and hide the women’s appearance while the sun shines brightly and exposes all hidden corners on the planet. The author purposefully compares the Afghan women to the Sun to highlight their hidden lifestyles. In a way, the book itself is the Sun, as it reveals the conditions in which these women live. As well, the title of the book is A Thousand Splendid Suns, with an intended alliteration of ‘splendid suns’. An interpretation of the ‘s’ sound might represent ‘suffering’ and ‘sorrow’. Furthermore, the shape of the letter ‘s’—distorted, squished, compressed—symbolizes how Afghan women have no space to extend themselves or express their opinions. They can’t stand up straight, unlike the letter ‘l’, but instead have to curl up like the letter ‘s’.
Hi Johnathan,
ReplyDeleteYour novel seems to be very powerful because it is giving the women in Afghanistan a voice. I see the burqa that the women are required to wear as a symbol of censorship, because it hides the women's mouths and prevents them from speaking their thoughts. Also, the burqa covers their true identities and makes them feel inferior to the men. I find it interesting how you compared the women's voices to snowflakes. By comparing their voices to snowflakes, it reveals how fragile women were, and how they just blended in or melt away. I too agree that Mariam is a strong individual because she is able to endure so much pain, and still be able to hold her head up high. In fact, I believe that she is stronger than most of the men in Afghanistan. From what you said, when the men encounter trouble, all they do is have the women be their scapegoats. This illustrates their cowardly actions and their lack of responsibility.
Hey Jonathan!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post and the quote, “Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman” is really powerful (p. 7). I do not know if you have read The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, but the book contains similar contents. It talks about a girl named Parvana who pretends to be a boy in order to be the breadwinner of the family.
The title of your book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, contrasts greatly with the Afghan women. The women are constantly being oppressed by men, and their basic rights in life are taken away. In a way they are the living the dark because they are constantly being “overshadowed” by the men. Women are also hidden in their burqas so they are never directly hit by sunlight, thus living in the “shadows”.
I really admire Afghan women for their perseverance. In order to survive in such a society, one must be mentally strong.
Hi Johnathan,
ReplyDeleteI am immediately drawn to the disconnect between the length of the sentences and the literal meaning of the second quote you have chosen. It refers to endurance, the power to last through an extended period of great challenge, as the only thing that keeps many Afghan women alive. In contrast to the longevity of endurance, the sentences that describe this quality are extremely short. This may be an allusion to the great modesty of Afghan women; the speaker of the quote plays down the difficulty of endurance despite the tremendous onus of what she must endure is. Therefore, the disconnect in this quote supports the prevalence of male dominance in Afghanistan which you have mentioned; the frequency in which women are discriminated against makes them think less of their own individual challenges. Adding to the analysis of the title, A Thousand Splendid Suns, the word “suns” may be a pun for “sons.” The title may therefore allude to the issue of the preference of male children over female children, which is so prevalent in Middle Eastern countries; boys are “splendid” and are more common than girls, who may be aborted, killed or sold, hence the word “thousand.” This further supports the dominance of men over women, a key theme in the novel.
Hi Johnathan,
ReplyDeleteThe first two quotes "Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman" and “Women like us. We endure. It's all we have” are really powerful. The two quotes sum up the overall message you have mentioned in your post. I agree that Afghanistan women are mentally strong because they know of the position they are in and they just endure it; it requires more strength to endure. They may not have authority compared to men but they are mentally strong. However the men are powerful yet they are cowards. Jalil marries off Mariam because he could not stand up to his wives. I think that this is ironic because Jalil, as a man, should have more authority than his wives and therefore should not have been pressured to marry off Mariam.
Good post :)
Hi Johnathan,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post, it reminded me of the project I had to do last year in Social Studies, which was a research on the plight of Afghan Women. I still remember how fortunate I felt after finding out the horrible reality in which the Afghan women must endure in their everyday life. It is very much like what you have described, the oppression women face, being the victims in an abusive relationship, being forced to cover themselves with burqa, and having to digest all the injustice and ruthless punishments in silence. Women in Afghanistan are marginalized and deprived of freedom and at the same time having to live in constant fear and accusation from their fathers and husbands. I really like your simile that the voices of women are "like silent snowflakes outside the walls of their houses." I think this quote summarizes the importance of your essay in that Afghan women is left with nothing but endurance.
While reading your essay, I could also make connections to my novel, Jane Eyre. Our novels both share the theme of gender. A particularly important theme in my novel is the depiction of a patriarchal society. Jane attempts to assert her own identity within a male-dominated society and refuses to be in a subordinate position and be prevented of expressing her own thoughts and feelings. Jane is not afraid to announce her feminist views and she fights valiantly to be recognized and to obtain an equal status. This, however, is opposite from what the Afghan women are allowed to do. Living in a society where male has all the authority and can practice them unfairly, Afghan women can not "assert or defend themselves." Another connection I found between our novels is the theme of love. In contrast to your protagonist, Mariam, who still loves her father after he fails to provide her with necessities and fulfil his responsibility as a parent, Jane is not willing to forgive anyone who has mistreated her in the past and believes strongly that one's dignity should never be trampled on. She does not love anyone who does not appreciate her for who she is. Though both of our novels are about females and the obstacles they come across, they differ greatly in that one stands up for her rights and the other being unable to express their plight.