Resiliency is a well-executed and profound trait that many authors use to describe their protagonists. It should be admired and valued by all who are around them. A character who is subject to constant terror and discrimination throughout their lives often has resilience. Khaled Hazeini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns portrays Mariam as one protagonist. She is content with the life that she has lived, despite all the cultural stigmatization and ongoing tragedy. Mariam is a typical protagonist because she faces numerous trials of belittlement and assault throughout the novel. Mariam witness the life-shattering remains of Nana’s death and is forever changed by this. Mariam had seven miscarriages before she turned nineteen. Rasheed, her married, starts to treat her with inhumane cruelty. He eventually decimates all Mariam’s hopes for a loving, close family and a sense belonging. Mariam saves Laila (and her children) by defeating Rasheed, their single most fearsome enemy. This courageous act of her motherliness to protect her children is a highlight and transforms her emotionally from living in fear all her life to living fearlessly. There is no thing that will stop her from living the life she dreams of. And there were many things against her. Mariam forms a bond with Nana (Nana’s mother) in the novel. Their relationship is very weak. Nana and Mariam do not have the normal mother-daughter relationship. Nana treats Mariam very poorly and expects that she will return much of her respect. “Mariam feels oppressed as a child.” (Shapiro 32). Nana verbally abuses Mariam by calling her a “harami” and making her feel worthless. Mariam was stunned to see the overturned straight-backed chair underneath the tree. The rope fell from the top of a tree. Nana, hanging at its end. Mariam sees the traumatizing event of her mother’s death and is immediately familiarized with it. Mariam feels guilty and sorry for her mother because she was exposed to Jalil, her father just before this terrible event. Mariam believed her mother was a perfect father throughout Mariam’s childhood. Nana would not accept this belief. Mariam believed her father could never do wrong. After he met her at the cinema, Mariam stood up for her. He refused to let her in after searching for him overnight. Mariam is deeply affected after the shock events that happen following her mother’s passing. Mariam has only ever known her Nana, Jalil and the Kolba. Mariam’s life is suddenly changed. She must adjust to the trauma and mental anguish that her mother’s death brings. Mariam’s mother dies and she is left without any familiar things. She is left with Jalil, his many families, and Mariam is treated as an inferior, and made to feel like she is not welcome.
Mariam feels shame when her mother dies. Mariam cannot hope to be accepted by her father or be included in their family. Mariam is left with no choice but to get married as soon as she can and be forgotten. Mariam spends most of her time in isolation and has limited social interaction.
Mariam arrives at Jalil’s home after Nana is gone. Jalil arrives shortly after.
Mariam was taken from the wives by Rasheed and they arranged to marry Rasheed. Rasheed is a financially stable shoemaker and older man. Hosseini 48. “She had to be sent away as she was the walking, breathing embodiment for their shame.” Jalil’s wife Mariam was a harami to Jalil. This caused tension between them. Hosseini says Mariam is Jalil’s frivolous and careless behaviour. It was this that the wives made arrangements to have Rasheed wed her -they didn’t want their children to be exposed to the living reminder of their husband’s illegal relations with Nana. Mariam comes to terms with the loss her mother brings on. She realizes that Nana, despite her resentment towards her, was preparing Mariam for her journey to happiness.
Mariam, a young girl of fifteen, marries Rasheed, her father. While this marriage is difficult for innocent Mariam, Rasheed, a widower who has also lost a child, is well-versed in the customs. Rasheed takes no time to get married to Mariam. Rasheed wants to have a boy and Mariam is just that, a means of obtaining what he seeks: someone who will bear his name. Mariam is unable to have a full-term pregnancy, despite her best efforts. This frustrates Rasheed.
He would always find something to be furious about. He would not accept her return. In the most fundamental way, she had disappointed him seven times. Now she was a burden to him.
Rasheed’s temper flares when Mariam has miscarriages. He soon begins to abuse Mariam and his inhumane mistreatment. Rasheed oppresses Mariam constantly and when she fails to give birth to the child he desires, he treats her as a useless harami she was raised to be. As soon as she marries Rasheed, her civil husband-wife relationship rapidly changes. Mariam becomes stronger because she has lost the affection and interaction that Rasheed used to provide.
Mariam feels that Rasheed did not give him a son and harbors resentment against her. Rasheed puts Mariam under the greatest pressure to become fertile. Rasheed’s horrendous mistreatment Mariam resulted from society’s pattern of male offspring.
Rasheed is quite clear about his preference for boys. He insists on Mariam’s unborn baby being a boy because he is truly happy about it. He only will give a baby’s name if it is a male… This preference for boys continues the devaluation of women and the prohibition on women being equals in society.
Mariam needs to be cautious around Rasheed. Sometimes, it seems that Rasheed’s violent intentions make harassment seem insignificant. Mariam and Laila become closer when they learn of Mariam’s heartbreaking loss. Mariam views Laila, her daughter figure, as her granddaughter and Laila her children as her grandchildren. These events all work together to positively impact Mariam and fulfill her long-held dream of feeling connected to her family.
Mariam is a mother in A Thousand Splendid Suns. She has never been pregnant but feels a maternal instinct and a strong desire to protect Laila’s life and those around her from Rasheed. Mariam gets overwhelmed with this instinct when Laila’s safety was at stake. The Afghan court is not known for favoring the female gender in cases. She was strangled.” (Hosseini 324)
Mariam is guilty of a crime of self-defence. It is not considered that there is a witness. Laila is the witness. Mariam is fully aware that she committed an imprudent act. However, she believes it was probable. She can then show the judge her fierceness and passion with confidence. Mariam is now a confident and honest woman. After Rasheed’s death, she finds peace. It’s strange for the reader to see that Laila can now live the Mariam-fought life after Rasheed’s suicide.
Mariam is a remarkable Afghan woman. She overcomes all odds with great success. “Most women accept patriarchy’s treatment regardless of what it gives them. Hosseini presents, intelligently, alongside the tragic picture of women accepting the treatment they receive from patriarchy. (Istikomah 41). Mariam has lived a life of struggle and only when Rasheed is retaliated against does she win. Hosseini’s depiction Mariam during this event allows you to see how she changes from her initial feelings of constant fear, ambivalence, alarm, and anxiety. Mariam leaves the world feeling happier and more secure than ever. This gives her a “legitimate conclusion to an illegitimate starting”. Mariam, a woman of innovation, overcomes her unjustified birth as a Harami to achieve a legal end.
Khaled Hazeini’s beautifully composed A Thousand Splendid Moons shows Mariam that, no matter what horror-stricken situations strike her, she never ceases to practice the one skill Nana instilled: endurance. Mariam endures some of life’s most difficult experiences, but she triumphs over Rasheed, the constant source of evil in her own life. Mariam leaves earth feeling that she made a significant impact in the lives, and even happier, when she reflects back on her life. Mariam survived the suicide of her mother, seven miscarriages, cutting Rasheed’s line to this world and many other hardships. Mariam continues to show total love and strength, even in the face of her greatest fears. “I discovered an inner strength to fight on my own.” It was evident that no one would do it.
