A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
The book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, by the renowned author Khaled Hosseini, published in 2007 in Great Britain, offers a poignant view of the socio-political situations of women in war-torn Afghanistan. Though fictional, it highlights the clashes and the emotional trajectory of Afghan nationals, putting forth a commentary on the intersection of power, violence, and gender in the constant regime shifts that took place during the years 1992-2001, during which the book is mainly set. This review of the 2013 published paperback edition by Bloomsbury of this book, ISBN 978 1 4088 4444 1, costing Rs. 599, aims to critically engage with the female resistance, agency, and suffering in Afghanistan during those tumultuous times, while also focusing on India’s regional interests in Afghanistan against their gradually increasing gender apartheid and unstable governments, which are a political reality even now with the Taliban re-takeover in 2021.
PART ONE: A Child Called Harami: Foundations of Patriarchy
“Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman.” – Khaled Hosseini in A Thousand Splendid Suns
A girl named Mariam has always been labeled Harami because of her birth outside of formal wedlock. Hosseini illustrates the deeply ingrained patriarchal system through Mariam’s story, where she struggles to find her place in society as she is deemed worthless from birth. This section depicts the trials of a single mother raising her daughter and her acceptance of their inability to obtain luxuries such as education or proper clothing. Mariam is married off to a stranger, approximately 40 years her senior, by her father after her mother’s death, who offers her only abuse in return for marriage.
Hosseini critiques the patriarchal system by showcasing how social stigma (being called a “harami”) and gender play a related role in denying women like Mariam their personal dignity and social status. Her lack of social status set by her husband parallels many real-life systems where patriarchy is deeply embedded in the familial and religious aspects, provoking us to question the cultural importance of deciding on the hierarchy. Similar issues exist in India, such as child marriages, which India has been striving to address. India’s support for Afghan women stems from a genuine concern about these injustices, as evidenced by statements from India’s UN representative, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, following the Taliban takeover in 2021. (Kamboj, 2023) For instance, NGOs like Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation and Sahar Education have flourished in India, which fight for Afghan girls’ education. The Sahar foundation’s official website reports providing educational support and digital literacy to as far as 250,000 girls as of 2024.
PART TWO: The Collapse of Modernity and the Rise of War
“She would grab it, hold it against her chest like a talisman, and pray for the safety of her father, her brothers, her country.” – Khaled Hosseini in A Thousand Splendid Suns
Hosseini highlights the various emotional impacts of war on individuals’ lives. This section tells the story of Laila, focusing on her survival and losses. Laila, depicted by Hosseini, coming from a liberal and progressive household, falls victim to the repressive control imposed by the conflict between the Soviets and the Mujahideen. The war destroys both familial ties and physical structures. Her character goes through significant losses, including the loss of her brothers and parents.
This section emphasizes how militarized ideologies and foreign-influenced conflicts crush personal aspirations along with generational dreams. Laila’s contrast between her liberal upbringing and forcefully imposed domesticity shows how modernity is unstable with changing geopolitical currents. This work situates itself at a time when Afghanistan has become a pawn and battleground for larger ideological struggles, compromising civilian peace and leading to substantial migration. For instance, India alone hosts 15,000-50,000+ Afghan nationals as of late 2023 to early 2024. (Inzamam & Qadri, 2022) Laila’s emotional trauma of her loss coexists with her loss of autonomy, which remains the reality in most war-torn countries. India’s humanitarian posture aligns with its geopolitical interests in countering radical extremism from Afghanistan has been vocal about these issues on global platforms, as indicated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statements in October 2021 at the G20 extraordinary summit on Afghanistan. (Roche, 2021)
PART THREE: The Taliban Takeover
“The Taliban are here now. This is their world. You just live in it, and you’d better get used to it.”- Khaled Hosseini in A Thousand Splendid Suns
Rasheed, in his sixties, proposes marriage to Laila, a 16-year-old, with hopes of children and without permission from Mariam, his first wife. For complex reasons, Laila is forced to accept, which gives Rasheed leeway to intimidate both women. Hosseini portrays him as a household tyrant who fully supports the Taliban’s oppressive laws against women in Afghanistan, restricting them from going out alone, working, receiving an education, or even laughing out loud.
This portrayal of Rasheed stood true for many households back then and also today in Afghanistan, which acted as a micro form of state control with extremist ideas internalized. Hosseini highlights how regimes portray themselves in everyday gender relations, which go hand in hand with Judith Butler’s idea of gender as something performative, yet imposed here in this context through violence.
PART FOUR: Rebirth, Sacrifice, and Future
“She was a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was a friend. A companion. A guardian. A mother. A sacrifice.”- Khaled Hosseini in A Thousand Splendid Suns
In this next part of the story, Mariam makes the ultimate sacrifice against patriarchy, allowing Laila to experience a new beginning with her loved ones—a life filled with peace. However, the yearning depicted by Hosseini in Laila to return to the place where she has lost so much underscores the deep love that Afghanistan’s people hold for their country. Although the Taliban have departed, peace among the people is gradually returning. This sacrifice, showcased by Mariam, raises questions about the cultural romanticization of female sacrifice. Does Hosseini unintentionally reinforce the trope of “self-sacrificing women”, or does he show it as an ultimate choice of a woman against a coercive environment?
CONCLUSION
This work by Khaled Hosseini was published in 2009, after the Taliban had left Afghanistan in 2001. Though the book ends with peace and a sense of tentative hope, the present takeover of the Taliban in 2021 shows the cyclic nature of political rule in Afghanistan. The claims made by the Russian, Mujahideen, and Taliban forces, both then and now, about their efforts for the people’s betterment have proven ineffective in the past. As the story illustrates, the security of women’s freedom is again at stake with the Taliban. It is everyone’s responsibility to advocate for women’s rights, and for Afghanistan’s leaders to acknowledge their past mistakes and govern accordingly.
While this perspective is vital, it is also essential to consider Rasheed’s viewpoint, which reflects extremist male sentiment, creating a caricature of Afghan masculinity and posing a risk of a one-dimensional view of Afghan men. It is up to us to always examine stories from different angles and determine our values and responses.
This book is compelling and unputdownable with its gripping narration. It showcases an emotional journey filled with sacrifices where death in every family seems inevitable, and peace feels distant. The novel’s emotional power lies in its ability to collapse historical timelines into the present, making it relevant even today. This is a recommended read for anyone who wants to experience a roller coaster of emotions and wants to understand what Afghanistan faced and is likely still facing.
Hitesh Kumar Meena
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