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A Thousand Splendid Suns Father Son Relationship Analysis

Decent Essays

The novel A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is split into four sections. In Part I of the novel, it was told from Mariam’s third person point of view. Part II shifts to the perspective of Laila, who is growing up in Kabul not far from Rasheed and Mariam’s house, but who is getting an education thanks to her progressive father, Babi. After a nine-year jump and a shift of perspective, we have left the realm of a husband’s brutality to enter that of a close family relationship. “She was a pari, a stunner, Mammy said. Her beauty was the talk of the valley. It skipped two generations of women in our family, but it sure didn’t bypass you, Laila” (Hosseini 108). In addition, the description of Laila’s physical beauty contrasts with the earlier description of Mariam’s plainness, just as her parents’ educated upbringing contrasts with Mariam’s childhood. But Mammy, her mother, is depressed and …show more content…

We now begin to understand how the relationship between Mammy and Babi has begun to disintegrate over the years. Love had allowed Mammy to see Babi’s bookishness as endearing, just as her grief and anger with him now makes her see the same qualities as irritating.
On the other hand, whereas politics has entered into Mariam’s life sporadically and, up until this point, largely superficially, the communist regime in Afghanistan has a direct impact on Laila’s education. Soviet propaganda is clearly evident in the way Laila’ teacher, Khala Rangmaal teaches. In addition, however, Soviet norms about women’s rights are progressive, even allowing girls to attend school. Here, we’re reminded of when Mariam’s story ended, with both Laila’s birth and a shift in political destiny. When Laila is bullied on the way home, Laila’s mental

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