Together with members of your group and students in other sections, you’ll be reading A Thousand Splendid Suns over the next several weeks. Although you're not required to take notes while you read, it would be wise to keep track of important events and characters for your own clarification. You are, however, expected to participate regularly and thoughtfully in an online discussion of seven essential questions.
Here's how it works:
Divide your book into two roughly equal halves. You need to have read and blogged about your book by the due dates below.
- There are two kinds of posts in this discussion: responses and comments.
- Post at least SIX responses altogether: at least THREE for the 1st half of reading and at least THREE for the 2nd half.
- You must respond to at least five essential questions over the course of your reading.
- You may respond to only two questions more than once.
- One of your six responses can be a "free response" post.
- Post at at least TEN comments altogether: at least FIVE for the 1st half of reading and at least FIVE for the 2nd half.
- In addition, you will post at least ONE response to the essential question about The Whipping Man (production at the Portland Stage Company on March 4) and ONE comment on someone else's response by March 4. [Note: If you do not attend this production, you will need to post an additional comment and response to the book questions.]
Due dates:
- Post your response to the essential question about The Whipping Man and your comment on someone else's response by TUESDAY, MARCH 10.
- Post your first three responses to the book and five comments by THURSDAY, MARCH 12.
- Post your final three responses to the book and five comments by THURSDAY, MARCH 26.
- How do the characters assert their individuality within a repressive society?
- Where do the characters find sources of inspiration in their lives?
- How are the characters affected by events/changes in society?
- How is the practice of veiling (or restrictions on dress in general) reflective of cultural attitudes toward gender roles? How do these attitudes affect characters’ lives?
- How does our cultural background shape our perception of women and the practice of veiling (or wearing a head scarf) in other countries?
- How do the characters’ personal stories expand your understanding of the societies in which they live?
- Should there be one standard for gender equality throughout the world? Why or why not?
Essential Question for The Whipping Man:
Why might a play like The Whipping Man be important and relevant for contemporary society? What current issues in politics, ethics, and international relations are paralleled or echoed by events and themes in The Whipping Man?
Assessment: To earn maximum credit, post thoughtful responses that are at least a short paragraph in length—and carefully proofread! Do not misspell characters' or authors’ names! Also, be sure to include specific references to the text (either details or short quotations).
I think The Whipping Man holds great relevance inside current day society because the play reminds us about the terrible morals of slavery. Modern day America has moved on from the days of slavery but often times we need to be reminded of the mistakes we have made in the past in order for us to not make them again. I personally think that when Simon shows the lashes on his back from the whippings that he received it resonates with us that what happened to these people was truly horrific. When we see the markings on his back it pushes us further away from the age of slavery because we are assured that what happened was morally wrong.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there still is racial tension in the world today. Many of the tense discussions between the actors in The Whipping Man coincide with ethnic problems that are occurring right now. One issue that is brought up a lot inside The Whipping Man is the idea of superiority of the white man over the black man and how white men abuse their power towards black men. Although most people do not think in a racist mindset today, there are still conflicts within society between the races. One example of this is the shooting of Michael Brown. Many people claim that a cop shot Michael because he was black and he had the option to shoot him. This caused large amounts of tension inside Ferguson, Missouri because the police officer who shot Michael was white. We see this same kind of topic come up inside the whipping man between all three actors. When John, Simon and Caleb are talking, John brings up the time that Caleb decided to whip him just because he could. This is the same type of thing the Ferguson people are talking about when they say the officer shot Michael just because he had the power too. With this comparison, it is rather obvious that many off the same types of accusations come up today between the races, just as they did back then. Also that many of the events in the play have a similar idea to them as problems that are occurring today.
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DeleteI agree with what you had to say about the superiority of one race over another. I was wondering if you had given any thought to other events where superiority is shown besides race? For example when I think of superiority what immediately jumps to mind is the superiority men have over women in the middle east.
DeleteThe Whipping Man is important and relevant for contemporary society because the theme of every action has it’s own consequences is seen in the play and all through real life today. In The Whipping Man every persons actions results with consequences, for instance Caleb as a little boy, whipped his brother John and because of that their friendship broke apart. Another instance is that both Caleb and John were running away from something and that resulted in them seeking refuge in their old home. In life today, these actions and consequences act the same way. If you break the law you go to jail, if you lie to your friend, chances are you could lose them. Another theme is that in one point of your life, you can become “the whipping man” yourself, meaning that if you have the upper hand it’s very likely that you will miss use it. This is shown in the play when Caleb has the power to whip John and ultimately does. Its also shown with John and Simon when John grabs the whip and ends up whipping the “ Whipping Man,” and when Simon verbally whips Caleb and John when he finds out they lied. In real life this can happen too, wether it’s a higher position with a job, or even more responsibility, anyone can be blinded by power and do things they know are wrong.
ReplyDeleteThere are many current issues that are being echoed by events and themes in The Whipping Man such as enslavement, unequal rights, and racism. In the play, slavery plays a big part because the slaves have just been set free, and the play talks about life as a slave. Although slavery has been abolished, people today are enslaved by many other things such as alcohol, drugs, work, or money problems. People don’t have to be black to be a slave, individuals all over the world can feel trapped by the little things that are hard to control. Another issue is unequal rights, it’s not just the blacks, Jews, or the women that get unequal rights, its Homosexuals as well. Lately laws have to passed to give gays the right to marriage, however in some states it’s still not allowed. Just like the slaves were fighting for their freedom, the gays are trying to fight for theirs. The last issue is racism. Although the issue of racism is not as big today, it does not mean that it is still not out there. For some people they feel less safe around someone of a different race, and many think that blacks are more capable of a crime compared to whites. These issues have not gone away, they existed back then, and still exist today.
I like how you added the part about having to own up to your own consequences! I also agree with your statement about how you don't have to be black to be a slave, and I can totally see how many people are being oppressed. What do you think the reason could be behind all of this equality among the people? I think it has always been here and just become more clear through the years. What do you think?
DeleteI think it was a good addition to write about consequences in their lives relating to ours. Consequences will never go away as inequality hasn't gone away either. I completely agree with you about when power is put in peoples hands they tend to miss-use it. Look at John, who had suffered from being whipped himself, taking his first opportunity when he had the power to whip the whipping man to death. I also agree that there are many inequalities today. However, do you think these inequalities are just as drastic as the inequalities back then?
DeleteEmily, I think that inequality does range from drastic to not so drastic because some causes wars and violence when others just bring up unhappiness. However inequality, even if it's not a huge deal, does still matter and can get more drastic if not changed or taken in to consideration. So I would say that maybe the inequalities today are not as drastic due to the way that the issues are handled.
DeleteEmily, your insight here is keen. Power is often abused, in large and small ways. But the fundamental dynamic is the same, and it's a slippery slope. The appetite for power is insidious and escalates quickly.
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ReplyDeleteThe Whipping Man is relevant and important to contemporary society because the play is a reminder of how far America has come and that the issues of unequal rights and the problems of superiority are still present in current day society. Throughout the play the relationships between Caleb, Simon and John demonstrated the tensions and unequal rights of one race over another that went on back during the Civil War. One particular scene in the play seems to demonstrate the harshness of superiority and the gap of rights between the races was shown when John mentioned how one day he was being whipped by Caleb’s father and Caleb walked in and asked if he could do the whipping himself just because he had the power to. John sharing that past event really shows how superior the white man thought he was to the black man and how unequal the rights were just because skin colors are different. The Whipping Man is a reminder that we should never go back to those terrible times and that we should learn from the mistakes made.
The current issue of unequal rights and superiority were paralleled in the Whipping Man. Sadly today there are still unequal rights whether it is unequal rights between races as it was in The Whipping Man or unequal rights between the genders. In The Whipping Man there was superiority shown of the white man over the black man which was demonstrated by the relationships between Caleb, Simon and John. Caleb showed his superiority over John and Simon by having the power to whip them just because he had the means to do so. In modern day society superiority and unequal rights are shown between genders because in many countries men are superior to women. Fortunately for the most part in America, men and women are viewed as equals and are given the same rights but unfortunately in other countries, the middle east for example the genders are not equal and the men are viewed as superior to the women. In middle east countries the majority of the women are not given the right to choose their spouse, it is arranged by the females parents and the male parents which shows little respect in my opinion for the women because they are denying the female the right to make her own choices. Men are given the chance to vote for what they believe in Middle East countries but the women’s thoughts are often discarded and they do not have the opportunity to vote. Women also in some cases must wear hijabs, burqas or other head and facial coverings against their will because their spouses force them to. The men being able to control the government, who they marry and also what they wear is a sign of the men having superiority and indicates the unequal rights that are still going on today.
Porter, I really liked how you brought up the scene with John and Caleb, it was a very powerful scene and did really show the power the whites had over the blacks. I also liked how you talked about the Middle East because many people think that everyones life is like ours in America when really people over there still have a lot of restrictions. Good job (:
DeleteI agree with you Emily. What do you guys think about the mental impacts seen from the idea or action of superiority. It is rather clear that in both the book and play superiority is a negative aspect. But can't it also sometimes be good. I think there is a balance of power that has to be met. In the end I think this is seen in the whipping man when Caleb and John are drinking together. This shows mutualism. What do you guys think?
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DeleteNick, I think that superiority in general and in the Whipping Man causes tension which can take a physical and emotional toll on a person. In my opinion, John most likely would not have whipped Caleb's Dad if he was not put in the situation where Caleb’s Dad thought John was less than he was. John whipping Caleb's Dad definitely took a mental toll on him as he was drinking a lot, which is one of the many negatives of superiority. As for the positives of superiority it did seem to bring Caleb and John together and help them find common ground, but they were not brought together under the best of circumstances it was almost by default because all they had left was one another. For the most part I think superiority will have and has had more negative effects than positive. Can you think of any other positive effects of superiority in the play or in contemporary society?
Yes porter, positive superiority is all around us and it is not only based on gender and race. Our government is a perfect example of superiority having a positive effect on society and people. If we did not give any special powers to our government we would not have public sanitation, roadways or public schooling systems. The list goes on from there, by giving government officials power we benefit from public works that they create by collecting money. Although in my opinion tax layout is unfair, it also helps us. The only way they can collect taxes is by having authority. Without special authority they would not be able to collect taxes and perform services for our peope. So in this case superiority is good. Basically, if there were no superiority or inequality in the world of any kind, it would be anarchy.
DeleteGovernment is a good example of positive effects superiority has but we also had a say in who was running our government. Contrastingly, black people had no say in who had power over them as we do with our governement. You did make a good point of how superiority can have positive effects but with anything there also comes negative effects.
DeleteA play like The Whipping Man is important and relevant for contemporary society because I think that people often forget how the slavery was, and how awful the civil war was for America. I really had a connection to the play when Simon was expressing Caleb's love for Sara as someones love for a dog. They weren't equal, and this is just an example of the unequal rights between the races. In todays society there is always talk about a "rape mentality", and if you look back through the ages, rape has always been there, weather it was to make more slaves for yourself or just for pleasure. I think that this is important to understand because this isn't a new concept. Not meaning that it isn't bad, rape is awful but it has been around for a long, long time. Backpacking off of Emily's post earlier, I also agree that every one of their actions has a consequence and that sooner or later you need to face up to what you did and pay the price. I think that young people don't always think everything through and aren't aware of the possible consequences to their actions.
ReplyDeleteA huge international relation through themes in The Whipping Man is shown in all of the books we are reading, and it is inequality among men and women in the Middle East. These men just prance around making their wives do whatever they want them to do, and the wives cannot say no to them! These women are literally slaves to their husbands. Most of them didn't even know their husbands before their wedding day. The men force them to cover from head to toe in burqas, and other coverings that completely take away any sort of personal style or even ideas. If you look at a picture from over there, two women could switch lives for a day and no one would know because they always have their faces covered. However, in some households the male figure allows the female to wear regular clothes as long as it is paired with a hijab. I think it is pretty easy to see how twisted this society is to think that men are so much better than the women. Not only are women being oppressed in todays society, but so many other ethnic or religious groups are, especially with ISIS. There is really no explanation for this, and I wish that other people could see how much easier it would be if we all just lived together in peace.
That is a very interesting connection you made with slavery to marriage in the Middle East. After the U.S. experienced the awful effects of slavery, you would think the rest of the world would learn from our mistakes.
DeleteI also like your insight on rape today and rape in history and it is true that its always been there. Today, why do you think the overall awareness of rape is as strong as it is? Why didn't the awareness seem as important to the public a few centuries ago?
Katelyn, I know you directed the question towards Ashley but I really liked the point you brought up. In my opinion the awareness of rape is stronger today than it was centuries ago because the women today are standing up for themselves and have more of a voice in society. The women today are not as afraid to share their rape experience and get their story out there in order to prevent rape from happening to other individuals. A few centuries ago I don't think the awareness of rape was as strong because women were afraid to stand up for themselves and share their stories, as most likely the blame would be put on them and not the rapist.
DeletePlays like "The Whipping Man" are important and relevant to modern societies because it reminds us of how unequal different races in society used to be, shows us that we have come far in our fight for equality, and encourages us to keep pushing for equality. It relates to certain recent events that involve racism, such as the shooting of unarmed black men by police. I think it's important to know about slavery, but I don't think it should be used as a argument to say that all white people today owe something to all black people, just because of something their ancestors did. Many people who rant about slavery say things like, "You white people kept us as slaves," and I question their use of pronouns, because as a white person, I had nothing to do with slavery, and neither did any of the black people who say things like that. And anyway, how is saying things like "you white people" helpful? If you look at things without a bias, then you'll see that racism is on both sides, and so is sexism. We're aiming for equality, not a change in which group is superior.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I agree with how far society has come. I believe equality between the races has improved. Also, I like your evidence of the shooting of the unarmed black men by police because I recently saw this on the news. Lastly, I find it interesting how you talk about African American's use of pronouns, because in your example I think this is effective. We were not there so it's unfair for them to blame us for slavery. Their ancestors may have been alive back then, but they weren't so I feel like they can't really talk about it so much as in pointing fingers.
DeleteEmily I think you are spot on about your view on black men thinking we owe them something because of what happened inside the 19th century. What happened is over now and we cannot change what occurred. The majority of white Americans today think that slavery is a a terrible act. Yet, many black men accuse americans of being racist. This is a stereotypical comment about white people and society thinks that it is completely acceptable for them to say. Ironically, a white man might say a stereotypical joke about a black man and then that is frowned upon. So where is the balance. As Americans we talk about ethnic equality, so why is it okay for an African man to insult a white man, but not vice versa. If there is going to be racial "equality" then people need to let go of there grudges they have from 150 years ago and start from scratch. Or else society will keep on beating a dead horse.
DeleteA play like The Whipping Man is important and relevant for contemporary society because the people alive today never experienced slavery. It’s important to remind everyone of the terrible actions that took place in America so we do not make the same mistakes and repeat history. The Whipping Man is a play about the end of the Civil War and the celebration of Passover where people of the Jewish belief were freed from bondage. Not only were the Jewish celebrating their freedom from bondage but the African Americans were now celebrating their freedom from the bondage of slavery. The slaves were humans too and this is what everyone should be reminded of. We are all equal and this shouldn’t be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteThere are current issues that are echoed by the theme of inequality in the play of The Whipping Man. Recently on the News I saw an issue about a white police officer, Kenny, that shot and killed an African American teen in Madison. The teen, Robinson, was unarmed but the call was that the teen was yelling and jumping in front of cars. Robinson was followed by police to a house where they went inside and the African American tried to strangle the police officer. The cop shot him in self defense. Now, the African American neighborhoods gather to protest saying “Black lives matter.” I also heard of another story where some students from the University of Oklahoma that were in the fraternity of Sigma Alpha Epsilon sang a racial song about African American’s. Somebody posted a video of it and it spiraled out of control with protests. The fraternity was shut down and the kids were forced out of their house. They are awaiting punishment from the school. As can be seen, there are still issues in society nowadays about racism. Like in The Whipping Man the African American’s were not treated equally and were called names such as “nigger” and the kids in college were singing about African American’s in this way. Also, there’s controversy over whether it was necessary to use lethalness on the African American teen who was unarmed. It’s specifically pointed out the races of the teen and the police officer. This is a sign of how there is still an inequality between the races. The station could have said “teen shot and killed by police officer” instead of “black teen shot and killed by white officer.” The protesters believe the cop used his gun just because Robinson was black. In the play there is a scene where Caleb (a white man) whipped John (a black man) “just because he could.” Could this be the same for the white police officer who shot the black man, just because he could?
A play like The Whipping Man is very important to contemporary society. The play demonstrates many issues that are problems now in general society as well as in politics and international relations. The general issue of slavery is still very prevalent in American Society. We like to think our country is completely perfect yet we refrain from addressing the past issues we’ve had such as this one. Morally as a country the issue of slavery in the past still can bring us down. Racism is still prevalent in today’s society whether we want to admit it or not. As long as racism is talked about it will still be an issue. Americans don’t look at some ethnicities the same as they do others. In the play this is really shown between Caleb, Simon and John. Caleb takes power over John for example by whipping him just because he had a sense of power and control to do so. This shows the diversion between the two races and how the negroes were indeed looked at as three-fifths a person. While watching the play I had to ask myself, “Would Caleb be doing this if there was such a thing as enslaving a white man?” The empathy whites had for negroes was very limited to none in the time of the play, and it has come a long way, but the play stands as a reminder that it is still there.
ReplyDeleteThis unequal establishment of rights can be translated between more common things in todays society such as gender. For instance, women’s sports are looking to be more supported like mens sports are. We see these differences subtly in America but in the Middle East the power and control men have over women is extreme. Women are not expected to be well educated and their duties consist of taking care of children and working around the house in most cases. The bottom line is, like Simon and John, the Women in the Middle East usually have no opportunity or freedom.
Although the play The Whipping Man is set many years in the past, a surprising amount of the conflicts and issues are still present in today’s society one hundred and fifty years later. Consequences for your actions has always been an issue that has been present in everyday life. One important lesson that all children learn sometime in their childhood is that their actions come with consequences. Both Caleb and John in The Whipping Man are in the middle of realizing their wrongs through the duration of the play. Unfortunately for them, both characters are just now seeing the awful consequences of their past actions. Without consequences today and in history, peace would be impossible. I’m afraid everyone would do what they wish because it would not come back the haunt them. This production really made me realize that without the looming fear of consequences, corruption would thrive, diminishing the world’s peace.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the action of rape is a common concern in today’s world, and often comes with a serious consequence. However, the awareness of rape was not always present, as portrayed in the play. You could almost guarantee that Caleb raped Sarah. Although he said they loved each other, Caleb’s love for Sarah could have easily been masked by his power over her, or fantasized while he was away at war. It is unknown if Sarah loved Caleb back, but one could easily conquer that she truly did not because she was considered his slave. Sarah could have been too frightened of what might have happened if she had protested and gone against her master’s wants. In this case, Caleb raped Sarah. Today in the news, many colleges are experiencing reports of rapes. Thankfully, these people have resources in which they can reach out to for help after they’ve been raped. However, the case for Sarah and other enslaved humans a couple centuries ago is very different. Slaves did not have the power to report their masters for rape. They had to live with the despicable thoughts that come with rape inside their heads. Even though times have changed and society’s thoughts towards rape have become more aware and concerned, the scarring emotional effects of rape are forever present in any victim, today, or one hundred and fifty years ago.
Katelyn, I really liked how you brought the issue of rape into your response! I think that back then rape was ignored in a way, and even if people thought it was wrong no one did anything about it. I liked how you talked about Caleb and Sarah because it really shows the power that the white men had over the slaves! Do you think that there is any possibility that Caleb could have actually loved her? I remember the actor saying that he believed that Caleb did love her for real.
DeleteOur cultural background shapes our perception of women and the practice of veiling by affecting whether or not we as a society see veiling practices to be moral. Because we have grown up in a first world country, with a considerably small amount of people in our country who practice veiling, we are not accustomed to seeing women covering their heads like some of the characters in the books. This causes us to think that veiling is excessive and discriminates against women. Though, in the book, there are some women who do not cover their heads and even encourage others to go without the coverings, like Laila's teacher, and there are some women who are forced to cover their heads and wish that they didn't have to, like Miriam, some women who practice veiling do so because it makes them more comfortable. As a society, we usually don't consider that a woman is wearing a hijab because it suits her style, and not because she is being oppressed. These particular women could also be veiling because it's culturally relevant where they live, so it's completely natural to them. We should not be too quick to judge what a women's head covering means, or what anything she's wearing means.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about how women cover themselves for different reasons. Some women only veil because they are forced to and others veil because of religious reasons. I do feel as though Mariam does not mind wearing the full facial covering. Even though it might not be her first choice as a covering, I do recall she felt comfort that she could see out but no other people could see in. It is a one way window.
DeleteThe characters in A Thousand Splendid Suns draw inspiration from different people in their lives, however I've found that the main two characters both draw from a parental figure in their lives. Laila obviously draws from her father, Babi. He is a very intelligent man, and though he is not as masculine as Laila's mother would like, he is very tolerant of her mother's strange behavior, and is never hateful towards her.
ReplyDeleteMiriam, on the other hand, does not have the same type of relationship with her parents. I believe that from the start of the book, she was inspired by Jalil, but that changed once she had reached the age of fifteen and saw exactly how much he cared for her. Miriam doesn't have a lot of people to draw inspiration from, but one person she looks up to is Mullah Faizullah because of how faithful he is and because he never treated her like she was less than others simply because of her past. I also think she draws inspiration from Nana, in spite of what a bad mother she was, because she still looks back on what Nana had told her and takes one important lesson from her: endure. Miriam has a new appreciation for what her mother endured because she herself has to face a similar endurance test with her husband.
I completely agree. Laila's inspiration seems to be stemmed to Babi. I like how you brought up how Babi isn't as masculine as Laila's mother would like. This seems weird to me in a sense because since Babi is so tolerant of Laila's mother you would think she would appreciate his kindness. Babi is so different from the typical man in their culture. In a way, it almost seems as if Laila's mother and Babi have switched roles. What do you think?
DeleteI think there definitely should be one standard of equality because there is only one way to have equality: when everyone is EQUAL. Or, at least, when everyone is equal by default. There are some things that define a person as superior to another, such as moral character and achievement, so it shouldn't be said that every person is equal no matter what. It'd probably be hard to get anything done if every person was on the same level, regardless of how much responsibility they should be given.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with this, and I think that the women in the middle east are kind of like the homosexuals in America. Both of these groups should have equal rights as everybody else, but because they're different people think that they are inferior. The women in the middle east should be treated like humans, and not slaves. Why do you think that these different groups are oppressed or given the short part of the stick?
DeleteI think these specific groups are oppressed for a couple different reasons, one being ancient religious texts suggest that they are inferior to other groups of people. And the other reason I see is that it is convenient for the people who are considered to be superior to those specific groups, so they'll do everything in their power to keep it that way. Well, some of them will. Not all men are against women's rights, by any means.
DeleteI believe there should be one standard gender equality throughout the world. Before I started reading this book I would not have thought this answer so strongly but now I really believe in a standard gender equality. Gender equality is still talked about in America mostly as far as sports. However, we don’t realize how much gender inequality is taking place in the Middle East. The men have so much power over the women in the Middle East and it isn’t just unfair, but inhumane for women to be living under that kind of scrutiny. The wives are expected to make their husbands dinner and do everything they ask without even a simple “Thank you.” For instance, when Mariam makes Rasheed Sabzi, he tells her it isn’t good enough although she boiled it for five minutes longer. Rasheed then proceeds to force Mariam to chew on rocks and claims that is what the rice tastes like. This could be one of countless examples of men mistreating their wives or women in general when the women don't mistreat the men.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Emily that the treatment of women in the Middle East is inhumane and unfair. The way that women like Mariam are treated by their men should be illegal. No person has the right to make another person chew on rocks no matter what the circumstance. With that being said, complete gender equality is not neccessarily a beneficial concept. Women need to be given more respect, but in some cases having gender roles is helpful. For example: many feminists believe that all women should just work the same as men do, and having a women as a stay at home mom is an unfair circumstance. Yet we have seen in current society that by having both parents working, kids have more free time with no supervision. As a result more kids are making poor decisions such as taking drugs. Where a stay at home mom would have prevented this from happening. Just look at the difference between our young generation and 2 generations back. Our grandparent almost all had a stereotypical stay at home mom and a lot less kids got in trouble. Then look at today... It's self explanatory. With this being said, I feel that women should be respected and they have the right to do what they want, but some gender roles or "inequality" as you call it, are beneficial to society. What do you think?
DeleteThe characters are affected by changes in society in mostly a negative way. In the beginning of the book Mariam was always hopeful and interested to find out what was going on in the news when Rasheed would turn on the radio. Mariam was interested to hear if Kabul being in control of the people was good or bad. Later on in the book during Laila’s life, the events of the war aren’t as hopeful and they don’t spark interest for her. The war makes Laila scared and sad because of all of her friends deaths and Tariq moving away. The changes in society affect the characters but in general they keep their daily lives the same. The only large change they made to their lives was going out on the street the least as possible. The women still carry on with their duties around the household and maintain their original habits.
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought up how the changes affect the characters, but they have to keep their daily lives the same. Why do you think this is? I would think that part of it is to try to move on, and the other half would be because they still need to keep providing for themselves and taking care of Rasheed when he comes home at night. The ladies need to put everything bad that has happened to them behind them and focus on keeping him happy, which seems like a hard thing to do!
DeleteI agree, and it seems like the women going about their duties among the chaos just goes back to what Nana told Miriam: that the most important skill in life is the ability to endure.
DeleteMariam’s personal story of growing up with Nana struck me and expanded my understanding the most of the society she lived in. The bitterness Nana would hold while talking to her daughter just riveted me. I found it hard to believe that Nana was right about everything yet she was so bitter. I feel if Nana had had a better way of expressing her feelings towards men and teaching Mariam what her father was really like in a different way Mariam would have actually believed her and ended up better than she is now. That in itself widened my view of their society. It made me understand that the empathy and compassion seems to be limited or only to a certain extent when it comes to family. For instance, Jalil was an idol to Mariam yet he didn’t let her into his house, leaving her on the street for the night.
ReplyDeleteThe society’s oppression was also brought to my attention when Jalil would come visit Mariam once a week. Nana, who hated him would act respectful to him and dress nicely and cook for him. That to me showed how much power the men had over the women if the women couldn’t act themselves around them.
This struck me as well! Seeing how the mothers treated their daughters was just heart breaking. How Nana called Mariam a curse word was just horrible. Do you think there is a reason or connection why both Nana and Fariba were not the most motherly like figures? I thought it was strange how at first it seemed as though the fathers for both Mariam and Laila had to play the "role" of the mother to the children.
DeleteI agree both Emily's, it is so weird how the social structure works inside these middle eastern countries. I especially feel bad for Mariam when she feels guilty for Nana hanging herself. What a terrible thing. The most unusual thing to me is how Jalil has more than one wife! what do you guys think about one man having multiple wives?
DeleteJust wondering, does anyone else think that Jalil was lying about his version of events and that Nana was telling the truth?
DeleteEmily, that's a really good question! I honestly don't know, in a way I think that Jalil was telling the truth and Nana was just spiteful due to how she was treated by Jalil, however since Jalil did back out on Mariam I think he could have been lying. What do you think?
DeleteI'd like to think that she was telling the truth, but just went about it wrong. Jalil proved himself to be distrustful, but Nana didn't.
DeleteThese are very rich conversations you all are having. Thanks!
DeleteI feel that our cultural background greatly alters our perception of a veiled middle eastern woman. We come from a place that does not believe in veiling and I think that when we see a women wearing a veil we assume bad things about them because of the religion they associate with. Whether you want to admit it or not, many American's associate head coverings with middle eastern terrorism. Although some of us have grown past this as we have matured with age, we grow up in a society that has been deeply scared by the extremist muslims who performed 9-11, and just last year the Boston bombing . I feel that we now make negative assumptions about these women even when they had nothing to do with the attacks. This also goes for assumptions about middle eastern men. To my point, we do not first think about how poor the lives of women are when we see a women with a veil on, we think of the terrible acts that people from there religion have executed on us and the political stress that is currently happening in those countries. We also have to take into consideration that the veil a woman wears inside a middle eastern country is out of respect to the muslim religion. Women are not forced to wear veils by men just because the men want to abuse their power. It is out of respect to religion. I personally think that the veil does not really represent women inequality for this reason. Rather, women inequality branches from other morals such as the ego that is placed around men inside their culture. Notice how the men are told from a young age that they are better than woman. Many of their adult actions come from what they were told as a child. With all this being said I don't think that americans think much about the unequal social structure of the muslim religion when they see a veiled women. What do you guys think?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about how we make rude assumptions in our society based on the recent terrorist attacks in our country, but I would also have to add in that personally I think about their culture when I see the women wearing their head coverings. I always wonder if their home lives are like the women who live in the middle east, or if in America they are actually treated well. I like how you added the part about how they cover their heads out of respect for their religion, and I think that a lot of people misunderstand that and think that it is just another way for the men to have control over the women.
DeleteOur cultural background shapes our perception of women and the practice of veiling (or wearing a head scarf) in other countries because we were brought up in a not so diverse culture which makes us unfamiliar with the practice, and can make us jump to conclusions. Since we don’t see many people in veils we jump to say that they are bad and degrading to women in other countries and that it shows the power that the men have over women. This may be true, seen in the book when Marium was hesitant to put on the veil that Rasheed gave to her. Rasheed thought that his wife should only be shown to him as a sigh of how precious she was to him, however Marium wasn’t comfortable wearing something over her face all the time that blurred her vision. Later on in town, however, Marium got used to wearing the veil and she said that it gave her a little more confidence and helped her blend in. To conclude, I think that depending on who you are and what your situation is a veil can be either degrading or comforting. Due to our lack of knowledge for the culture I think that our perceptions can be blurred.
ReplyDeleteMariam***
DeleteI like how you identified how Mariam was hesitant at first then became used to the veil. I don't know about you, but this leads me to believe that by Rasheed forcing her to wear the veil, he changed her. Mariam used to know exactly what she thought, for instance, when Rasheed slept with her she knew she didn't want that. Do you think Mariam's opinions wilt under the control of her husband even though she keeps them to herself?
DeleteThere should not be world wide absolute gender equality or else the world would not be able to function. Its sounds nice to have "world equality" but with how humans act today at the slightest things it is not a good idea. Also inside some ways, like I already mentioned in my comment to Emily W's post, gender roles are good. Without gender roles society would be in trouble. It is also a proven fact that men are better at some things than women, and women are better at some things than men. For example, men are better at doing physical labor than women because they are physically stronger. Women are also better at teaching little kids than men because they are more emotional and understanding. Each gender has its upside and downfalls. So why not have them work where they are best. Overall, it is not the rights of women that need to be improved, it is the respect level. Inside the book, Mariam is not complaining about having to stay home and cook. She is complaining about the way that she is treated by Rasheed. So this means that if Rasheed was just nicer to her, she would be happy. This really has nothing to do with gender inequality but rather just an abusive relationship. So if anyone is arguing that gender equality is needed for the lives of these women to improve, its not accurate because they aren't upset about what they can't do. They are upset about the way they are treated.
ReplyDeleteNick, I like how you brought this up! Though I may not agree with women being better at childcare, I do think that there are certain things that men can do that women can't. Saying this, I do agree that the general population of men are physically built to do more vigorous labor than women, however there are of course exceptions. I also agree with the fact that if the women were treated with the same respect as men than they wouldn't question the equality aspect as much.
DeleteYes there are ups and downs to having gender equality. Ultimately though women and men should be given equal opportunities and with that they can choose to do what they wish. I do agree that men and women have different strong points than one another but the ones you mention seem to be conventionalized as I know some women who are physically stronger than some men and I know some men who are more emotional than some women. The rights of the women do need to improve as does the respect men have for them. Women should not have to get married if they don't want to nor should they have to have sex when they don't want to. Gender equality may not be the answer for the lives of these women to improve but it would be helpful and most likely help them gain more respect which would end up resulting in more respect. I do have one question for you Nick, how would you feel if you were put in Mariam's shoes?
DeleteEven though I don't agree with this, I think you made a good argument for it! These women are in very abusive relationships but the majority of that abuse comes from the men always wanting power or control over the women. If the women had more rights and the men actually got punished for their actions, I think that this book would be very different, and the women would have the courage to stick up for what they deserve.
DeleteI like how you brought up how women and men have different strengths and weaknesses. I don't understand exactly how this could be a good reason to argue gender inequality though. Obviously our society is not going to have women doing all of the same things men do or men not doing the same things women do. However, we can't generalize a situation like this. What if a man liked to do household chores and stay quiet instead of a woman? He should have his right to this as a woman should have her right to speak up to a man if she wishes or do his work if she wants. In the book, Babi and Fariba's situation seems almost reversed. Fariba seems to have the most consent in the relationship being the woman. Is this not right?
DeleteI am not saying that Gender inequality is a good thing to have. I am saying that based on their culture, giving women more rights is not going to change how men treat them. This idea of men being superior to women is so ingrained in their culture that if we tried to give women the right do what they want, it would escalade the religious wars in their region. It actually says in their bible (qua-ran) that men are superior to women. So by trying to give women's rights in these countries would cause more harm than good, and it would not change mens' attitude towards women. I do think that they should have more rights, but the consequences far outweigh the war. Telling middle eastern men they they cannot choose who they marry is like telling a dog that it cannot eat a cookie sitting on the floor right in front of it. It doesn't work.
DeleteJust sayin' — this is a terrific discussion! I admire how you're all addressing each other's viewpoints with respect and open minds, even as you may disagree.
DeleteThe personal stories expand my understanding of the societies in which they live because it makes everything more real and personal. Hearing about the lives of these two girls, from their prospective puts a face on everything that is happening. It’s one thing to just hear about people who had to go through rough times in their society, but it’s another to actually go through it. Having the prospective of the “victims” help make you understand their feelings and actions. For example in the book you feel the happiness of Marium when Jalil comes to visit and tells her stories, you can feel the heartache when her mother dies. For Laila you can see the struggle she has when her mom is depressed, and the excitement when Tariq comes home from war.
ReplyDeleteMariam* Auto correct
DeleteI agree with you, and I would also add on to the end how she gets so happy when Abdul Sharif is telling her about Tariq coming home, and within moments her entire world comes crashing down when she learns about his death, and how she felt like she had nothing left. I really like how you mentioned the part about them being "victims"! Good job!
DeleteThe characters' personal stories really open up how society actually is in the middle east. For example, my jaw literally dropped when Rasheed made Miriam eat those rocks to model what he thought the rice tasted like. I didn't understand why he took advantage of her like that, and how in other situations, he really had no respect for her. On page 76, Miriam made it quite clear that she didn't want to have sex with him, but he pretty much forced her into it. In America today, if either of those things happened, the man would be looking at some serious jail time. I can also understand why these men from the middle east aren't being tried like men in America, because it is their tradition and that is the way that it has always been. When the girl was 15 or 16, she was ready to marry and after she got old, he would look for more wives and become a polygamist family. Having the insight of what their lives are really like for these ladies changes my perspective on things, because I didn't actually know how awful their home lives were. I knew that their husbands were usually controlling and such, but not to this extent.
ReplyDeleteMy jaw dropped too! That was just completely outrageous! Rasheed disregarded all thoughts of her pain and her wishes and forced her to eat the rocks. I liked how you brought up the scene with them sleeping together because Mariam really didn't want to have sex and he forced it upon her. I think often times we think that we know how bad people have it out there when really we have no idea. Getting this insight from the personal stories really helps us see what the women were forced to do and what they had to encounter!
DeleteI agree about the sex scene. However, I wouldn't say that if he were in America he would definitely be looking at some serious jail time for doing what he did. In fact, statistics say that he would have a 3% chance of going to jail, because only 3% of rapists spend a day in jail. I know that's a grim thing to bring up, but I figured it relates to the idea of equality, or at least to the idea of justice.
DeleteI think that there should be one standard for gender equality throughout the world. I do understand that men and women are better at doing things, but in the sense of relationships and rights, I think everybody should be equal. Ever since the beginning of time, men have had the control over women, and that is even true today even though it might not be so prominent in some parts of the world, but it is certainly evident in the middle east. Women are not inferior to men, and I think that women should have a chance at the same rights as a man. I really don't like in the book how Rasheed made Miriam wear a burqa in public, even thought I understand it is the culture. But why is that? In World Religions class last year, I learned that most practicing Islam women wear hijabs because Mary also covered her head, and the burqa is just the extremist version of that. Rasheed treats Miriam like his personal servant, and I really don't believe that is right; it is everything my morals go against. He makes her stay at home to cook and clean, yet he is always complaining about how his "food isn't warm enough" or other things like that. He made Miriam feel like she was useless. So all in all, that is why I think that there SHOULD be one standard for gender equality throughout the world, because women deserve to be treated with respect and not treated like servants.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Ashley, women should be treated equally in relationships! Rasheed does treat Mariam like a servant. She should be allowed to pursue an education and not just be at home to cook, clean, and try to make babies. Sure she was happy when she was pregnant but I believe she could be happy if he loved her like a wife and let her go to school like she wanted to when she was younger. I think it should be Mariam's choice whether or not to wear a burqa, hijab, or nothing on her head. It is her body after all and not his. Mariam and Rasheed should be equal partners in their relationship and that's not really how it is. I think everything you said are good examples for this question!
DeleteThe characters are drastically affected by changes in their society. For instance, both of the women in this story have experienced great loss. For Miriam it was her mother, and for Laila it was both of her parents, and the man she loved. With each of these losses, I think that the characters lost a piece of themselves also. Miriam literally saw her mother hanging from the tree, and that must have taken a huge toll on her mental state. I think that is why she felt so pressured to marry Rasheed in the first place. Not just because thats what her father wanted, but I think she felt guilty for her mothers death. Laila on the other hand had the three most important people taken from her at about the same time. She was taken into a strangers home to be taken care of after the war started to happen and she got injured. I don't feel as bad for Laila when she marries Rasheed as I feel for Miriam, because I think that Miriam feels like she has lost everything. Her husband no longer wants her, so she literally has nobody. At least Laila has Rasheed (for now). I think both of the characters have grown stronger and have a built in shield around them, because they have experienced so many bad things in their lifetime that the little things don't affect them anymore. I have lots of pity for both of these characters.
ReplyDeleteAshley, I like how you talked about each of the character's losses. I agree that I think they lost a piece of themselves when they lost their loved ones. By losing them they also gained their shield of hiding what they really want to say. Like Mariam when she is so scared of Rasheed after the miscarriages that she hides in her room and rarely talks to him because she's afraid to be yelled or beaten. She has learned to keep her mouth shut. Although I respectfully disagree with the little things not affect them, I believe that they do, I just think they don't show it as much as when something big happens. I agree with having pity for Laila and Mariam, they have suffered through a lot!
Delete*affecting
DeleteI completely agree with you. I have the same pity for both characters as well. I like how you mentioned that Mariam now has no one. I agree Rasheed really doesn't want her around and she must feel so rejected. Laila I also pity for the same reasons as you but also because she could have been happy with Tariq for at least a little while since he asked her to run away with him. Do you think Laila would have rather had that and possibly died than her situation now?
DeleteI think that there should be gender equality for respect throughout the world! I say this because it is hard to have equality for both men and women when both genders are built in different ways. However, the respect for the other gender shouldn’t matter based on your sex. Yes, men are built differently than women, making it “easier” or more natural to do hard and vigorous labor. In saying this, I know that there are exceptions, not every man is capable of lifting great weights and not every women is incapable of doing so either. The issue comes down to respect. In the book, Mariam is treated horribly by Rasheed, he says that her food doesn’t taste good, he makes her eat stones, and treats her less like a wife and more as a burden. In doing this, Mariam is unhappy with her life and her “job” as a house wife. If men, like Rasheed, would have treated women or Marium with more respect, then the issue of equality may not have escalated into something more.
ReplyDeleteGender equality in my opinion means giving women and men equal opportunities whether it is for a job or the ability to vote. Bottom line no one should be discriminated against based on gender. I do agree that respect is a major issue in the book and yes if women were treated with more respect the issue of equality would most likely not have escalated into something as big. :)
DeleteI agree with you that there should be gender equality in that they should be treated with the same amount of respect. It's scientifically proven that the average man is typically stronger then the average women so they should be treated differently when it comes to various labor when this is true. It's just like that women are built differently in able to carry babies, men aren't built this way. I think you brought up a good point with this males and females being built differently. Ultimately, I agree that it comes down to respect and the sexes being treated equally with this.
DeleteI didn't really get the impression that Miriam did not like her "job." I think it was more the way she was treated at her job that made her unhappy. And I think that's an important part of feminism that people sometimes forget. The point is to have equal respect and equal opportunity, not that all women should strive to do what the men typically do. Being a housewife is nothing to be ashamed of.
DeleteOur cultural background shapes our perception of women and the practice of veiling in other countries. To me and probably many others, we jump to conclusions and consider veiling as unjust and strange. As most of us do not come from third world countries or are of the Islamic belief, we are not very accustomed to this form of covering of our bodies or face. In America we have the freedom to wear what we want and can express ourselves. We believe the women who practice veiling or wear head scarfs that they are forced by their husbands to wear this clothing. From the book A Thousand Splendid Suns another side of the story is shown where some females actually like the burqa. “And the burqa she learned to her surprise, was also comforting. It was like a one-way window. Inside it, she was an observer, buffered from the scrutinizing eyes of strangers. She no longer worried that people knew, with a single glance, all the shameful secrets of her past” (73). Mariam, who has never worn a burqa before but is forced to by her new husband, learns that she likes it because to her the burqa is a form of protection. Nowadays women have the choice to wear burqa’s or other forms of head scarfs such as a hijab. So most of the times when we see a women wearing one of these it’s actually out of choice rather than force unless they are scared of their husbands like Mariam was here. To prove my point of women being able to wear what they want, page 75 shows an example. “Yes, modern Afghan women married to modern Afghan men did not mind that their wives walked among strangers with makeup on their faces and nothing on their heads. Mariam watched them cantering uninhibited down the street, sometimes with a man, sometimes alone...” In my personal life, I have seen teenage girls run track and play soccer with hijabs. They may be influenced by their parents to wear them, by their belief, or maybe they just like them. I honestly would find them very hot and stuffy and probably wouldn’t wear one, but maybe if I was from this culture I would. We shouldn’t judge a person by what they wear, because there is always another side of the story like we see in this book.
ReplyDeleteThis is very true. Some people become very uncomfortable when they are exposed to things they are not accustomed too. Do you think our thoughts and judgements of veiling relate to America's history with the 9-11 attacks? I personally think that this is tied to our society's uncomfortableness with head coverings. I don't see how our society could make an extremely broad assumption that people wearing head covers are dangerous. We are all humans here in this world, and we all have different beliefs. We just need to become more accepting and understanding about unfamiliar customs or practices.
DeleteI believe that there should be one standard for gender throughout the world. This book has opened my eyes to how unequal the genders can be in certain parts of the world. Fortunately for us we live in the USA where men and women are given the same opportunities and looked at as equals, for the most part. As for the Middle East gender equality is completely different. Women in my opinion at times are looked upon by the men as objects who are there to do the cooking and cleaning, not as people who have feelings and emotions just as they do. Rasheed even told Mariam that he expected her to act like a wife and start cooking and cleaning, in America not all women do the cooking and cleaning usually men help out. Males in the Middle East are also given more opportunities than females . For example, Mariam could not choose who she wanted to marry but Rasheed was given the opportunity to. The men can even control what their wives wear and the wives are obligated to obey with fear that if they don’t they will be punished. Despite the differences in capabilities that men and women have they should both be given the same opportunities, what they do with the opportunities is up to the individual.
ReplyDeleteI think you nailed this prompt. I agree with every statement you made. Its ironic and sickening that two people of the same species here on earth can be treated so differently.
DeleteAlso, how does this make you feel about your life here growing up in America? To me, I feel spoiled and extremely lucky and grateful. What do you think causes different societies to treat different genders with different levels of respect?
I feel very grateful and spoiled because unlike Mariam we can express our opinions and wear the clothing we wish to. It is very sickening how women are treated in the Middle East despite their efforts to please the men who are never happy with everything their wives do.
DeleteAs for your question about what causes societies to treat genders with different respect, I think it has to do with how individuals are brought up and what is demonstrated in the society around them. In this case the society Mariam and Rasheed are surrounded in is one where males can be disrespectful to women with little consequences. What do you think causes the different levels of respect?
ReplyDeleteThe personal stories that Mariam has shared have expanded my understanding of the society they live in. My understanding of the society was deepened a few weeks after Rasheed and Mariam became married. Rasheed entered Mariam’s room one night and with no hesitation violated her personal space. Mariam requested that Rasheed stop but he did not listen which brought to my attention how little respect Rasheed must have towards her. If Mariam had this experience with her husband I can only imagine how many more females have gone through the same thing. The undercooking of the rice which led to Rasheed forcing Mariam to chew on stones is another example of mistreatment of women that widened my perspective on what really happens in Middle Eastern marriages. Through Mariam’s view point and personal stories I gained insight on how some of the Middle Eastern marriages work, meaning that the women must respect the men but the men do not have to respect the women.
I like how you explained at the end how men don't need to respect the women but the women must respect the men. It's interesting how this happens since really, the men have more reason to respect the women (for cooking and taking care of them), then the women have reason for the men. Although the men make money and put a roof over their heads, the men don't let the women feel like they have any value other than for taking care of them. It was upsetting when Mariam tried so hard to please Rasheed by taking extra care in making the rice, and he refused a thank you and instead made her chew on rocks.
DeleteAs a culture I feel as though we are very quick to judge things that we are not accustomed to seeing. Veiling is not common to see in the state of Maine so I feel as though most jump to the conclusion that women are veiling despite their wishes. That is not always the case women veil for many reasons whether they are forced to or they want to. Mariam although she was uncomfortable with wearing a burqa at first she found comfort and being able to see out and others not being able to see in. “It was like a one-way window. Inside it, she was an observer, buffered from the scrutinizing eyes of strangers.” We tend to view veiling as strange but it is not uncommon it is just unfamiliar territory for most Americans because we are not surrounded by a culture who veils regularly.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we are very quick to judge things we are not accustomed to. No matter what people say, they judge everything. When I see something I'm not accustomed to like different clothing I judge them. It's just the way our society is. I think your choice of quote works well to support your statement! The quote shows a different way of looking at something different to us!
DeleteI certainly agree with you claim. Its extremely accurate of the society we live in. Do you think instant judging is a natural human instinct that happens all around the world or just here in America? Do you think it is possible for our society to overcome this habit somehow?
DeleteSadly I believe judgement is a natural human instinct that happens all around the world not just in America. For example if we were to go to a different country that has a different standard of living we would stand out and be judged because we do not look, dress, talk etc the same as they do. The citizens of other countries would judge us because we are different than them just as we in America judge those who are different than us. In the future it could be possible for society to overcome the habit but I think it would be very hard.
DeleteThe characters find sources of inspiration in their lives from the people they enjoy most. Before Mariam’s mother died, Nana, Mariam used to find inspiration in her father, Jalil. Her father who visited her every Thursday for an hour or more. Mariam worshiped him and longed for Thursday to come. She would be nervous that he wouldn’t show up and Wednesday night she would almost be sick with fear. But when she saw him coming down the path it took everything she had to not run out the door and into his arms. He made her life exciting. Mariam also found inspiration from Mullah Faizullah who taught her lines from the Koran, how to read, and would bring her little treats for special occasions. He was always the one she could tell anything to. She could tell Mullah Faizullah about what she and her father did when he came to visit. Mariam knew she couldn’t talk to her mother about Jalil. Mullah Faizullah gave her attention and did not belittle her like her mother did. He stood up for her when she wanted to go to school and he came to visit her when her mother died. Lastly, for Mariam, her other source of inspiration came from Nana after she died. Nana talked down to Mariam, tried to make her scared of the outside world, told her how awful her father was, and called her a harami meaning she shouldn’t have been born and that she was unwanted. But Nana taught her valuable lessons in life too. She taught her to cook and clean, told her what a husband does to his wife in bed, and because of all the hatred from her mother she learned to be brave and to put on a mask when she is called names or abused.
ReplyDeleteLaila drew her inspiration from her father, Babi. Babi was not big and agressive, he was actually quite the opposite, he’s timid and keeps to himself. She admires his form of intellect and how he loves her and dosesn’t forget about her like her mother does. When Babi speaks of how lovely and lively Laila’s mother used to be, she is happy. Even though Babi rarely shows physical forms of love to Laila, he shows his love by talking and helping her with homework and teaching her new lessons.
There's certainly a pattern of respect to ones elders. Do you suppose the author made this an aspect to reflect real culture in Afghanistan which shows the elders are respected?
DeleteI think characters inside the book are dramatically impacted by the current events in society. This can be seen when Laila is forced to take up homeschooling because of bombs in the street from the war at hand. The political wars are what cause her to have to stay home instead of pursuing a career. Mariam is not affected as much as Laila by outside events but her marriage was a result of her societies social norms. Which is a pretty big impact on her life. Without the social and political implications in these girls lives, they would have life is so hard.
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DeleteNick, I like your example about how Laila had to start being homeschooled by her father because this was definitely an impact from the fight. When Giti was struck by the bomb, I think this impacted Laila too. One of her best friends died, and Laila could have been right next to her if her father hadn't pulled her out of school! She didn't cry at her brother's funeral because she never really knew them. But Laila experienced real loss for the first time because of the current event of the fighting in her town! I also agree that Mariam was affected by society because she was forced to marry Rasheed!
DeleteI completely agree with what you're saying Nick. The conflict between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan proved violent, killing and injuring many people including friends and family of the characters in this book. I think the death of Giti, Laila's friend, and Laila's parents were most devastating. Especially now that she has her own injuries to deal with. It's also a shame that people needed to change their lives the way they did, just as you stated.
DeleteI believe there should be gender equality throughout the world. When I think of what it means to have gender equality I think that men and women should be given the same opportunities. Take America for example, In 1869 the Fifteenth Amendment was passed and this showed that the government couldn’t take away a citizen's right to vote because of race, color, or since they had been a slave. This was for African American men. During the time of the proposal suffrage leaders protested to the proposed amendment because it gave African American men the right to vote but yet the same privilege to American women of any skin color was not allowed. Women didn’t get the right to vote until the 19th amendment in 1920. The right for women to vote shows gender inequality and how both genders were not given equal opportunities, until after a very long fight from the females. From the book, we see that Babi talks about school a lot. Women of Afghanistan were not given the same opportunity as men to go to school and pursue an education until quite a long time after. Once again this shows gender inequality and how men and women were not given equal opportunities. I know that men and women are built differently and I agree with others that men and women should be treated differently when it comes to specific situations such as physical labor, but depriving women of an education to stay home to cook, clean, and watch the kids is just wrong. We are given a view of modern Afghanistan life in the book where women are allowed to go to school and can be the same professions as men. Women are allowed to wear makeup, show their feet to men other than their husbands, and wear skirts that don’t cover their legs fully. Before this modern Afghanistan women were hid under burquas, hijabs, and other scarfs while men can show their faces in public. Ladies were not allowed to show their feet or wear makeup. This freedom of self style and an education are what many women are deprived of. In other places around the world today, this is not possible and it’s quite a shame. Women and men should have gender equality throughout the world in the way that everyone is given the same opportunities. Women should not be held back by men to stay home and to hide themselves from the world, they should have the chance to do the same things as men.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that if women should be allowed to do everything men can do, they should be judged by the same standards, or do you think that they should have their own special standards created?
DeleteIn the book “A Thousand Splendid Sons” by Khaled Hossenini the characters have found inspiration in their religious beliefs. When Mariam was in shock after her mother’s death, Mullah Faizullah comforted her by quoting the Koran, the sacred book of the Islamic Religion. “But remember, my girl, what the koran says, ‘Blessed is…He who has power over all things, Who created death and life that He may try you” (38). In other words, the Koran provided some hope for Mariam by telling that God has a reason for everything, a reason behind every difficulty and grief. In this depressing, seemingly hopeless time in Mariam’s life, her belief that everything happens for a reason provides some optimistic hope for what lies down the road for her. As Mariam experienced her happiness during her first pregnancy after all the suffering and sorrow she endured, she discovered her pregnancy was the reason Allah has brought her across the country away from everything she knew. After reading further into the chapter, we learn that this pregnancy ended with one of her many miscarriages, but in the moment, the Koran’s words about Allah were a crucial inspiration to Mariam to keep hoping and praying that everything would end up alright.
ReplyDeleteWho would you say taught Miriam most of her lessons and beliefs about men that she would learn and carry with her the rest of her life? I also like how you tied the Koran in with everything.
DeleteHer mother certainly cautioned her about the injustice for women. Nana warned Marian about the awful things the woman were required to endure from the males in society and how women were treated so low compared to the men. Marian finds truth in her mother's warnings soon after she settles in with Rasheed, where she experiences firsthand the lowliness of a female in society.
DeleteIn our culture, Women have been able to express their individuality for hundreds of years now. Therefore, we are astounded when we see in other countries the same behavior that we abandoned a while back. In my opinion, there shouldn't be one standard for gender equality throughout the world. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. There are some professions where women might not be able to perform as well as a man, and vice versa. Miriam finds her inspiration from Mullah Faizullah, drawing strength from his Koran teachings and songs. Laila gets her inspiration from her memories of her childhood, with her father and tariq especially.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not agree, you argue a fair point. I do however feel that there is always an exception to some professions being better suited for one sex than the other. There will always be somebody capable of a job that society thinks is for one sex only. So why not give them the opportunity?
DeleteI believe there should be a standard for gender equality around the world. Ethically, it is extremely unfortunate and unfair to a woman born in a country where there is gender inequality. People obviously do not have control over where they are born and if they are able to escape from their situation. While reading this book, I am considering myself extremely lucky to have been born and raised in America where females have power to open opinions and expression, just as men do. I believe that everyone in this world should have the opportunity to success and happiness, however this is clearly not true. The scene where Rasheed presented Marian with the sky blue burqa really hit home for me. Rasheed treats her like a possession, which most wives were considered as in Afghanistan. “Where I come from, a woman’s face is her husband’s business only” (70). I find it disgusting how Rasheed forces this new burqa on Marian when males are not expected to even cover their heads. I don’t see the justice. One should be given the option to wear the burqa and make the decision based on their own morals and beliefs because they are the one who has to wear the burqa in public. Here in America, I would never think that my future husband would force me to do something I wasn’t familiar with. I wouldn’t allow it after being raised with as many rights as males. I believe all humans should be given the opportunity to experience gender equality to realize we are all the same. Everyone should have the right to decide their own actions. Male or female, we are all human beings on this earth. Why treat one of your kind at such a low level?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely. No one should be forced to where something they do not want to or should be in the situation where they are viewed as a possession. It is sad to think about how people can go about living their lives without an ounce of respect or freedom.
DeleteDo you think most women would be open for change in the middle east or do you think having freedom would be so unfamiliar to them that they would not know how to provide for themselves or what to do with the new lifestyle?
You raise an interesting question, Porter. Isn't freedom, and autonomy, ideal for most everyone? I read something recently about prisoners who were in jail for a long time struggling with integrating themselves back into the world. I wonder if that would be the same for women in the Middle East. Some would take to it, while others would struggle.
DeleteThe characters in “A Thousand Splendid Suns” have grown up in a world much different than the one I know. In the past, I’ve learned that women in Afghanistan struggle with gender inequality, but I never realized the issue was this extreme until I started reading this book. The scene where Rasheed forces Marian to chew the pebbles to resemble the rice she cooks turned my stomach upside down. “ ‘CHEW!’ he bellowed…Mariam chewed. Something in the back of her mouth cracked. ‘Good,’ Rasheed said…’Now you know what your rice tastes like” (104). The women were expected to please, and if not they were tortured. It makes me feel extremely grateful for the life and freedoms I have because I cannot imagine the horror Mariam goes through every day in her marriage to Rasheed.
ReplyDeleteLaila’s account on living in a war zone is unimaginable to me too, simply because I have thankfully never experienced anything as terrifying as this. When her older brothers were killed in combat, she didn’t really see the sorrow because she was too young to really know her brothers. However, when rockets began flying over Kabul and aimed at civilians, it changed Laila’s whole life. It became too dangerous for her to go to school, even when Laila was extremely invested in her studies. She was separated from her friends; Hasina’s family moved away to safety and Giti was hit with a rocket and killed. Laila, her family, and the rest of the people living in Kabul never knew when a rocket might hit their houses, ultimately ending their lives. This book puts me into Laila’s shoes and helps me understand the sheer terror the citizens living in a war zone go through day and night. I wouldn’t nearly understand the extent of the horror without a book to place me into the shoes of Laila’s character.
In the first part of A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam finds inspiration from those around her and from her religious beliefs. In the first few chapters of the book, it’s apparent that Mariam is inspired by her father, Jalil, and her tutor, Mullah Faizullah. Her father is a well-to-do, wealthy man, whom Mariam waits anxiously for every Thursday. At one point, Jalil gifts a pendant to Mariam, in which she admires very much unlike her mother. Mariam loved her dad so much in fact, she wished to leave Nana to start living with Jalil. Mariam’s tutor, Mullah Faizullah, teaches Mariam how to read; specifically the religious text, the Koran. Mariam likes to discuss her life with Mullah, mostly about her father and mother. Mullah listens attentively to Mariam, unlike her mother who ignores her thoughts and belittles her. When Mariam is upset, Mullah tries to comfort her by reading religious texts from the Koran. When Mariam and Rasheed find out they’re having a baby, Rasheed is excited to have a boy; but Mariam is excited for just being pregnant. In excitement, she prays to Allah. Likewise, Mariam prays to Allah when she finds out about her Miscarriage.
ReplyDeleteDuring the time A Thousand Splendid Suns takes place, the Soviet Union is attempting to push communism into Afghanistan. In return, lots of violence takes place. Bombings occur day and night, in which take the lives of many, injuring others. Many of these lives include friends and family of Mariam and Laila. Mariam tries to listen in on Rasheed’s radio news, in hope of making out the situation. In part two, the violence continues, despite the Soviet Union leaving. Laila soon finds out her two brothers, Noor and Ahmed are dead. However, Laila knows very little about these two brothers, and is not bothered by the news. Laila is however very upset by her friends death, Giti, who was killed by a rocket when walking through town. Laila cries at the funeral, in realization that her friends are all dying at a very young age. Laila and her family decide it’s best if they fled Kabul and its violence, but they are hit by a rocket during their attempt. Laila’s parents are killed in the explosion.
ReplyDeleteA Thousand Splendid Suns is the perfect example of why there should be gender equality throughout the world. Woman like Mariam are treated poorly, nothing more than a “house-wife” who is there to cook and clean, and to do nothing else. America for the most part, has come a long way in gender equality. However, lots of inequality still exists, and it’ll never completely vanish. However, equal opportunity does exist, and that’s important in this world. Sure some tasks are easier for a man to do, than a woman, and vice-versa. However there will always be an exception, and so why limit that opportunity?
ReplyDeleteI agree that equal opportunities should be given to both men and women. Do you think countries in the middle east will be able to move away from having one gender be dominant or do you think the countries will stay stuck in their ways?
DeleteI find the way Rasheed criticizes Mariam when she is upset about Jalil very interesting. Not because of how cruel Rasheed is to Mariam, but the fact that he says " like father like daughter" as an insult to Mariam. Considering the culture that they live in, this line does not really fit. We find throughout the book that men are considered to be far superior to women, and men and women have no similarities. So why would Rasheed say this comment when he is mad,when it is sort of a compliment to a women like Mariam. I think any women living in Afghanistan would like to be compared to a man because that is saying they have some similarities with the " superior" gender. Also, what Rasheed said would be very offending to Jalil if he was still alive because of how he crosses the gender boundaries. in my opinion this is one of the most radical things that a character has said in the book so far. We simply have not seen any comparison between the genders until this point. Do you guys have any thought to why Rasheed would say something that goes against their gender values?
ReplyDeletePerhaps Rasheed is insinuating the Jalil is less of a man for having a child out of wedlock?
DeleteThe way that Rasheed is raising zalmai is very alarming. Very soon zalmai will be another man just like Rasheed, who abuses his wives and thinks he is better than everyone. He is already treated like a god at the dinner table and he is allowed to insult the women in Rasheed's house. I think That the way zalmai is being raised is the main cause for the gender problems occurring in the Middle East. When little boys are given special priveledges and are positively reinforced when they criticize women. Bigger problems will arise when they get older because their entire childhood boys were taught that they are superior. This is exactly what is happening to Zalmai, he is literally treated like a king by Rasheed. Due to the child rearing practices that are being strictly reinforced at such a young age, I feel it would be very hard to change the gender roles in middle eastern society
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! The problem with men acting the way they do in the Middle East is completely from the way the boys are being raised. I really noticed Zalmai was really treated as the second head of the house when Laila said she knew when she spoke to Zalmai to stop doing something, he probably wouldn't listen since he knew he had the power at such a young age. Also when Rasheed comes home with toys and even a TV for Zalmai and buys him new clothes.
DeleteThe practice of veiling shows how Islam views the different genders, and how they want to keep them very different. The burquas that the women are forced to wear in public give off the idea that women are objects. I do not think it is okay to objectify anybody is very wrong and should not happen. When wearing a burqua, you cannot be identified. There is a blue mesh covering over the eyes. The rest of the blue fabric runs to the floor. This to me creates the illusion of robots. You cannot tell anybody apart from one or another. This affects Miriam and Laila's lives because they have to wear these whenever they go out. Laila made a good point and said that the women of Kabul used to be the most educated women in their country. Now the women have to be escorted by a male family member and have to wear the body coverings.
ReplyDeleteI like how you made the comparison of a middle eastern women being like an object. This is a good way to put it because the men act like the wife's they have married are a possession of them. This idea of a person being like an object relates to slavery as well. Often times in the 1800s slaves were auctioned off like material goods. Ashley, Do you see any similarities between this slavery auction and how middle eastern women are married?
DeleteI think the whole possession thing doesn't just exist in Middle Eastern countries. We do it all the time. For instance, when guys try to insult each other by saying that they had sex with one of the other guy's female relatives, it is an insult because they see women's sexuality as a shameful thing to not only the women, but to the men because the men own them in their minds. People should call this stuff out more.
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DeleteEmily, I agree that it's important to remember how our own culture objectifies women, in sexist language and, more pervasively, in commercial advertisement. Just think of how often images of women are used to sell products (beer, cars, underwear, luxury goods, etc.).
DeleteLaila is an awesome example of how the characters assert their individuality, because she is never afraid to give Rasheed a piece of her mind. Even though she lives in a repressive society, she never gives up her morals. She defends her daughter when he pushes her around, and stands up for Miriam, blocking a few of the blows coming from Rasheed and she evens tells him off for Miriam. They both stick up for each other because they know that Rasheed is just another man overtaken by the society. Also, Miriam stood up for her morals when she let Laila take her two children and go live with Tariq while she went to the prison and took the blame for Rasheed’s murder. Miriam knew what she was doing to herself, but she knew that it was the right thing to do. These women are really good at showing their individuality in a repressive society.
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DeleteLaila's courage never falters and she's willing to speak her mind, even when she knows the consequences will follow. Where do you think Laila get this courage?
DeleteLaila isn't like most women in the Middle East- she was educated for a short time, is intellectual, and has had life experiences unlike most women in the city. She has a very good moral compass, especially when it comes to the people she loves and cares deeply about.
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ReplyDeleteLaila finds inspiration in Aziza. Even through the hardships, like when Aziza had to go live at the orphanage, Laila still fought to go see her as much as she could. She found the will to live through going to see her daughter. Even with Rasheed refused to walk with her, she still went. She would risk her life to see her daughter, and if that doesn’t show love, then I don’t know what does. Even before that happens, when Rasheed would smack the little girl around, Laila always had wide open arms for her to run to. When Rasheed scolded Aziza for touching Zalamai’s TV, Aziza ran to her mother. They have an unbreakable bond and quite honestly I don’t think either of them could live without the other.
ReplyDeleteAshley, I agree with you! This special bond that Laila and Aziza have is very special, I think that their relationship really shows the connection mothers had with their daughters back then. The fact that Laila would sacrifice not just a beating for Rasheed, but also suffer the consequences of the police, just to go see her daughter is so heart warming. Do you think that Laila would still have this kind of relationship with her daughter if Rasheed was kinder to her or treated her like he treated Zalmai?
DeleteI totally agree with you! Your examples are great. Laila going to see Aziza even though it threatens her life is a sign of unconditional love for her daughter. I feel like Laila has always stood up for Laila too, like when Rasheed wanted to make her a street beggar and Laila deliberately said no. What do you think?
DeleteAshley, I feel you nailed this prompt! The bond between Laila and Aziza is incredibly strong. Do you think Laila sees Aziza as her purpose in her horrible life?
DeleteDo you think that part of her intense devotion and attachment to Aziza is due to the fact that she's Tariq's daughter—that she's her only connection to the love of her life?
DeleteLaila and Miriam are affected by the changes in their society by becoming more oppressed, and therefore more hardened their personalities. This is not as evident with Lalia, but it definitely is with Miriam. For example, at the beginning of the book, she is very hurt by the way that Nana spoke to her and how she was blamed for things that were out of her control, but she does the exact same thing to Laila when Laila accepted Rasheed's proposal. She said that Laila should be sorry, but Laila had no where else to turn. She would have been out on the streets if she didn't marry Rasheed. I am glad that near the end, Miriam realized the sacrifices her mother had made, even if she was cruel sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI can totally see this! Throughout the book, they mature so much and grow with each other. I like the examples you used!
DeleteYes, they both grow with the help of each other. The solidarity & compassion between these two women, and across time with their respective mothers, represents the heart of this novel for me. Miriam's journey from bitter victim to heroic martyr is a story of love. Love is first her undoing, then her salvation. Interesting to consider how the title relates to the story of female bonding....
DeleteThe practice of veiling is representative of a culture's views on gender roles. Specifically, it represents that there is a big difference between genders, instead of suggesting that the two genders are very much the same, which is harmful, but not totally wrong. There will always be differences and things that the other gender just doesn't understand, which makes them unable to be entirely understanding. But the idea that the genders are so very different just makes them unable to see each other as human. And our culture thinks that we don't do any of that anymore, but we'd be surprised if we looked into how much genders in our society view each other as complete opposites. For example, I'm sure we've all heard this one: "women are from Venus and men are from Mars." We give into this idea all the time, which makes communicating with the other gender seem very difficult, and sometimes even awkward.
ReplyDeleteI liked your reference to Venus and Mars, I think that even today we use gender to separate our selfs and make excuses which makes things awkward. I agree with you when you say that our society thinks all the issues of gender have been solved, but truly they haven't and I honestly don't think they ever will. What do you think? Do you think that there will always be separation between genders?
DeleteI like how you mentioned both genders won't be able to understand each other. I never really thought of it that way but it's very true. This probably contributes a lot to why gender roles are so different. However, the culture of the Middle East contributes to this greatly because the men do have all of the power. This reminds me of the Whipping Man in a way. Do you think the men control the women because they have the power? Like how Caleb had the power to whip John, so he did.
DeleteI think it's possible that the men control the women out of fear that the women could one day be telling them what to do, but I also think it's possible that the reason the men feel like they can control the women is because they see women as nothing but incubators for babies. Look at how much Rasheed changed toward Miriam after all the failed attempts at having children.
DeleteEmily Welch's connection to the play is illuminating here. I'd agree that men in conservative Muslim societies control women because they have the power to do so by virtue of tradition. No wonder the Taliban was intent on enforcing Sharia law, which among other things sanctifies patriarchal power structures. I'm reminded of the saying, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
DeleteIt bothers me that the judges who sentenced Miriam for murder didn't see her killing Rasheed as a form of defense. He was going to kill Laila, so why would it even be a bad thing for him to be killed? It's better that the guilty die (Rasheed) than the innocent (Laila). And the fact that the men didn't believe her when she told them something that was very believable just speaks volume! In most cultures, men don't trust that women are capable or honest, which means that they might not trust them to give an accurate description of an event. This attitude exists in our own culture, even if just in small ways. You might think that that isn't true, but let me put it in perspective for you. Men: if you say that you've never looked at a woman in distress and thought that she was overreacting to the situation just because you noticed that she was a woman, then you're probably lying. Not that I mean to say that you did it on purpose, or that you don't like or trust women, but it's something that was taught to you, most likely. I'm not sure why this type of behavior hasn't died out, but I am sure that if a man had told the three judges that Miriam killed in self defense, they probably would have believed him!
ReplyDeleteThis is really good! I thought the same thing, it is ridiculous that no one would believe this poor women. Sadly that was the case for many situations back then, however for that time period why would they believe a women if she was nothing more than property. I liked how you said that if a man said the Mariam killed for self defense than they would have let her go. And this is absolutely true, I'm sure that the judges would have let her go if she wasn't a women.
DeleteI totally see this! I was so mad when they executed her because I felt like it was a little uncalled for actually. She did it out of defense of Laila. Rasheed was going to kill her and she did the only thing that she could think of, and it was the right thing to do because even if he didn't kill Laila then, I am positive that at one point or another somebody would've been killed by him.
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ReplyDeleteI think that Laila and Mariam find inspiration in each other because in the end they both are just trying to survive in this unfair and cruel world. Laila sees the sacrifices of Mariam and understands what it is like to be a good mother, while Mariam finds inspiration in Laila and her children. Mariam finally understands where her mother was coming from, and is able to fulfill her wish to be a mother and to finally give and receive love. In the end Laila finds inspiration in Mariam’s spirit because she gave Laila a chance to be happy again.
ReplyDeleteI like the point that you made Emily how they are sort of finding hope inside each other. They are both in it together, as are all afghan women. I think that it gives these women reassurance for them to know they are not the only ones suffering. With that being said, I was wondering why exactly you think the Mariam now feels like a mom because of Laila?
DeleteNick, I say that Mariam feels like a mom because she is sort of like a mother to Laila, showing her the ropes, helping her out and sacrificing herself for her. I also say this because of Laila's children, in the book it said that Mariam loved to play with them and that love gave her the sense of motherhood. I find this a key component because Mariam kept on having miscarriages making it hard for her to become a mother herself.
DeleteI like how you referred Mariam to being a mother. I agree that she takes a complete mother role to both Laila and Aziza. Mariam wanted to be a mother so badly and loved her child before she miscarried. I like how you said Laila finds inspiration in Mariam's spirit. I feel this is really shown when Laila visits the kolba Mariam grew up in.
DeleteBoth Laila and Mariam are great examples when it comes to asserting their individuality, because both women stand up for what they believe is right. Laila has always kept her morals of education with her through everything, and she is not afraid to stand up for what is right. Many times she stands up for her children and even for Mariam against Rasheed. Mariam also asserts her individuality when she lets Laila and her children leave to go see Tariq, even though she knows that she will go to prison. Both these women are willing to sacrifice anything when it comes to doing what they think is right.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Emily. Mariam and Laila take large risks in order to be their true selves. I think that Laila really shows her character when she tries to get through the Taliban and is beaten just to see her daughter. This shows the power of the mother daughter bond and how selfless Laila is because she is trying to make her daughter comfortable when she is in a difficult situation.
DeleteI completely agree with you! Both women really do assert individuality and make sure it shows to Rasheed. I like how you brought up how Laila always keeps education in mind. It is subtle in the book but it really makes a big impression on how she keeps herself the same through those years. Do you think she values education even more after Babi dies? I feel she really keeps it in mind especially to memorialize his memory.
DeleteThe practice of veiling and the restriction of dress shows how little society really thought of women. While wearing a burqua it is very hard to be identified, which is why men and than the law made women have to where them. If your face is covered, you lose a lot that makes unique and different from everyone else. Since the men thought of the women more as property than actual human beings, they didn’t mind that the personal identity of their wife would be hidden. This affected the lives of Miriam and Laila because both women have to wear them, and both had to go through life not feeling like an actual human being.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Emily that women wearing burkas turns them into "property" and that it takes away from their individuality. Although I sort of disagree with you when you say that men put the burka law in place. It is not like men are forcing all women to wear burkas. It is part of their religion and culture. That's what I think. What about you ?
DeleteI didn't exactly mean it like that, sorry for my wording. What I meant was more that the men made the women wear the burqas and later in the book the new government imposed laws that states that women must be covered and escorted everywhere.
DeleteI agree and I actually wrote about this too! The women are no longer themselves after putting the burqa on because you cannot tell the difference between one or another. You can only tell who they are by the man that they walk with.
DeleteThe characters all assert individuality in a repressive society. Mariam and Laila both tag-teamed in order to assert their individuality. But I think Laila is the best example of this. Laila always wanted to be something since she was a little girl. She had standards for herself as far as education and didn’t want to be just a wife. Laila did not let Rasheed take away her spirit. Laila always would talk back to Rasheed and do things she knew he wouldn’t like. For instance, when Laila and Rasheed got in a fight about him wanting Aziza to become a street beggar. When Laila tells him she won’t like him do it, he slaps her. Laila does not refrain herself from angering him more, instead she punches him. Laila punching him shows me she is not afraid to assert her individuality including standing up for herself. Laila also did a similar thing later in the book, when she invited Tariq inside, once she found that he was alive, and talked with him for a while. Laila knew Rasheed would not be pleased with this situation, yet she did it anyway because she wanted to talk with Tariq. She felt she deserved to because of Rasheed’s lies telling her Tariq was dead.
ReplyDeleteI agree when you said they tag-teamed to assert their individuality, because they really did. At one point or another they both stood up for the other one when Rasheed got mad at them and that really shows the growth of the relationship between those two.
DeleteThey also wanted to rebel against rasheed, no matter how small it was, to prove their individuality, and to prove that they know more than he thinks. His assuming that he is smarter than them because they are women is his downfall.
DeleteThe characters ways of finding inspiration in their lives varies from character to character. I find the character with the most inspiration is Laila. Laila finds inspiration even when her parents and she thinks Tariq have just died. Laila does not give up hope when she knows she will have to marry Rasheed. She accepts because of her inspiration in Tariq’s child. She has a sense to take advantage of her situation although it isn’t good, to find a way to raise Aziza. Aziza serves as an inspiration for both Laila and Mariam. Mariam is drawn to Aziza and they have a special bond that Mariam would have liked to have if she was able to have children herself. Aziza is a big inspiration for Laila to go and see her at the orphanage each day despite the beatings and getting caught by the Taliban. Laila is so inspired by her daughter she is willing to be beaten in order to be able to see her. Mariam and Laila both become inspired by each other after they go through their phase of hatred and adjustment. Mariam was so inspired by Laila that she killed Rasheed for her and took all of the blame. Laila inspired Mariam to open up to someone.
ReplyDeleteI believe Rasheed has inspirations as well. He is very inspired by his son, Zalmai. Zalmai inspires Rasheed I think mostly because of the culture they are in, where boys are more worthy than girls. Rasheed bends over backwards for his son. For instance, when Rasheed bought Zalmai a TV although they were illegal because of the Taliban. Zalmai was a big inspiration for Rasheed to show his generous side to his son and buy him lots of things and take good care of him.
Laila was definitely inspired by Aziza, she showed true love for her daughter with fighting everyday to see her. Mariam also became inspired by Laila and her kids since she was unable to have children of her own! They showed Mariam the true sacrifices a mother makes for her children. I like how you talked about Rasheed's inspiration in Zalmai. I agree that because boys are more desirable to have for children in this society, that after so many years without one, Rasheed is inspired to provide the very best for Zalmai. I also think that because Rasheed's first son drowned while he was supposedly drunk, that his dead son inspired him to be a better father to Zalmai!
DeleteEmily, I how you draw attention to positive features of male inspiration as well. While the novel celebrates female solidarity, it also includes several inspirational male characters, like Tariq, Babi, and the owner of the orphanage. I'm glad Rasheed isn't the only male role model for Zalmai.
DeleteBecause of our society I believe our view of veiling may be more extreme than needed. Since women in our culture are allowed to wear and do whatever they want, I believe we take the symbol of clothing as an extreme; when in fact, it is the underlying oppression which really shakes the women. Before I read this book I was riveted by the idea of veiling. I didn’t realize until after reading the story that veiling doesn’t seem to bother the women too badly. Mariam and Laila both said they found comfort in wearing the burqa, they didn’t seem to mind its mask after first being informed by Rasheed that they must wear it. What bothered Mariam and Laila was the oppression placed on them when the veil was taken off in their homes. Since their society is already so oppressive to women, I don’t think a veil seems like a large deal to them. In comparison to the other things the women must endure, a veil really doesn’t seem like much. To us the veil is really a symbol to the oppression of the women in the middle east. We see it as a big deal because most of us would probably be horrified if we were told we had to cover completely without an option. We are so accustomed to freedom that even a veil would seem as if it was taking away our own senses of self. Our culture makes us realize how a veil is a loss of some power and say that the women have, when in the Middle East it is just seen as a way of life.
ReplyDeleteI agree, because if you come to America today, you can find women wearing the most revealing things, but then you go over to the middle east and you can't tell anybody apart because they're all wearing a head covering. I think that the women don't see it like we do because it is tradition, and they're used to it. They also know that if they don't follow the law then they will be beaten.
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ReplyDeleteThe practice of veiling reflects how in Middle Eastern countries men view women to be less than them. Under the new rules of the Taliban all women must wear a burqa out in public and if the women do not follow the law and show their face in public they will be beaten. Being forced to wear something against one’s will should not be allowed and by having women cover their faces every time they go out is not right. By covering a face all interactions become less personal because ones emotions are conveyed through facial expressions which are masked with a burqa on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the practice of veiling shows how men view women to be less than them! Nobody should be forced to wear something they don't want to, and to be beaten if they don't follow the clothing rule is just wrong! I like when you talk about how covering their faces makes interactions become less personal. I think it's true because if you can't see someone's face when they're talking you could take what they're saying the wrong way! Men forcing women to wear a burqa is like they're trying to hide the women away from the rest of the world.
DeleteAlthough Laila lives in a repressive society they are still able to express their individuality by standing up for themselves against Rasheed. When Rasheed belittled Laila she always had a comeback to express her opinion. Laila not only defends herself and her children to Rasheed but also Mariam. One day Rasheed expressed how he would turn Aziza into a street beggar if he had to, which Laila in response said “I won’t let you turn my daughter into a street beggar.” As a consequence for standing up for her daughter she was slapped directly on her face but Laila didn’t stop there. With one swift move she punched Rasheed. “ Suddenly , it seemed to Laila that the collective hardships of their lives— hers, Aziza’s, Mariam’s— simply dropped away, vaporized like Zalmai’s palms from the TV screen. That one punch Laila made, expressed her feelings and allowed her to assert how hard Laila and her children lives have been.
ReplyDeleteI think your example of Rasheed wanting to turn Aziza into a street beggar is great! Laila used physical force and got her message across that she wouldn't sit and take a beating from him. But he returned with even more violence and a gun to her face which was really frightening! I agree that by standing up to Rasheed is how Laila expressed her individuality. Nice evidence!
DeleteRasheed is one of those people who like to play god, and pretend that he can do whatever he wants. He is the classic example of a coward. When Laila punched him, his belief of his godhood shattered, which is what made him go get the gun.
DeleteBoth women show bravery in multiple occasions, but this is a great example! Considering Laila and Mariam knew the consequences would be harsh, they never let that stop them from speaking the truth.
DeleteUnder the Talibans new laws Laila’s life has changed drastically. The changes occurring in society led to Laila having to give up her daughter, Aziza and place her in an orphanage because the extra mouth to feed was too expensive for Rasheed to afford. Not only did Laila have to give away her daughter to be cared for by the orphanage but she also has a hard time visiting Aziza because the Taliban’s new laws do not allow women out of the house unless they are accompanied by a man. Rasheed being the rude and misogynistic man he is, of course does not accompany Laila to visit Aziza so she must find her own way which often times leads to her being beaten by the Taliban.
ReplyDeleteThis part of the book was so sad, yet it showed how much Laila cared about her daughter Aziza. She risked everything every time we went to visit her. This certainly showed Laila's dedication and great courage and bravery. What do you think you would have done if you were put in your shoes? I know I certainly wouldn't. I can't imagine the circumstances all women were in living in Afghanistan during this time period.
DeleteI like the points that you made Porter about how the Taliban are enforcing these outrageous laws. I can definitley see the drastic changes that they are having on Laila and Mariam's life. Another trend I have seen is that the men are becoming increasing dangerous as the book goes on. I really hate Rasheed now after he tried to kill Laila. What do you think the act of Mariam hitting Rasheed with a shovel says about her character? Also, what does misogynistic mean?
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ReplyDeleteAll the characters are affected by events/changes in society. First, Laila is affected by the changes of the war. The war killed her parents and she also believed for a long time the Tariq was dead too. These events caused her to marry Rasheed because she had nowhere else to go, no family or friends to live with, and she would most likely be killed by a bomb or bullet if she wandered on her own. Also, on page 278 when the Taliban came in they also brought new rules with them too. “Writing books, watching films, and painting pictures are forbidden... Attention women: If you go outside you will be accompanied by a mahram, a male relative... Girls are forbidden from attending school. All schools for girls will be closed.” Yes Laila was used to staying at home most of the days now after she married Rasheed but these rules were against everything she had grown up with. She used to go outside by herself and walk alone, she went to school, read books, and went to the movie theater with Tariq. The changes in society with the Taliban and war changed the way her life used to be like. She even had to pretend she was a virgin because Tariq was supposedly dead and she was pregnant with his child and couldn’t marry him anymore. Even Rasheed was affected in changes in society because for a whole week he was not able to go to work due to how dangerous the war was getting. Aziza had to go live in an orphanage because after Rasheed’s shop burnt down, it was hard to find work because of the war and he couldn’t afford to feed everyone. Obviously Aziza went to the orphanage because Rasheed loved Zalmai more. Mariam was affected due to Laila marrying Rasheed which was due to the changes in the war. At first Mariam was angry about Laila coming in and stealing her husband. But after the night Laila and Aziza were sleeping on the floor by the stairs and Mariam let Aziza hold her finger, Mariam learned to love them both and couldn’t imagine life without them. Then when Zalmai was born, Mariam loved him just as much too. Without the events from the war, Tariq never would have left with his parents, Laila’s parents wouldn’t have died, Laila wouldn’t have married Rasheed, Marriam would never have learned the sacrifices that mothers have to make due to when she killed Rasheed and had to protect Laila and the kids, and Aziza and Zalmai never would have been born. All the character’s lives would have been different.
ReplyDeleteThe characters assert their individuality within a repressive society by fighting back. Mariam and Laila don’t have much power, even in their own home. They were like slaves to Rasheed and the Taliban. Women were not allowed out of homes unless accompanied by a man that was a relative. Laila asserted her individuality by wanting to run away, she was born free and was used to being able to go and do as she pleased. Being cooped up to Rasheed and doing what he said was torture. Laila found her inner self and her courage and devised a plan to run away with Mariam and Aziza. The only problem was it didn’t work and they were sent home and punished by Rasheed. But that was a way she asserted her individuality. Laila also asserted herself when she stood up for Mariam when Rasheed was going to whip her even though she had nothing to do with Laila not wanting to have sex with Rasheed. Laila fought back often, even by hitting Rasheed multiple times. What came back from him was ten times worse though, but she always spoke her mind. Mariam asserted her individuality in a couple ways. Although girls were not allowed to go to school, she taught Aziza lines from the Koran. Mullah Faizullah had originally taught her and now Mariam was passing down her knowledge to Aziza. Another way Mariam asserted her individuality was by killing Rasheed. Mariam always followed the rules and did what she was told, but when she saw Rasheed was going to kill Laila, she grabbed a shovel from the shed, acted out and killed Rasheed to save Laila.
ReplyDeleteRestrictions on dress affected Lailia and Mariam’s everyday lives. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini shows what life was like for women in Afghanistan in the late 20th century and early 21st century. They had hardly any rights as people and were treated more as a possession than a person. The Taliban’s requirement for women to be veiled is a symbol for how the Taliban considers the males to be extremely dominant. They don’t treat women as one of their own kind and its almost as if the Taliban does not want to see the women. If they cover all the females, its almost like they’re invisible. Why the Taliban thinks this is an appropriate way to treat women, I’ll never know, but I do know that the gender inequality shown in this book is gut wrenching. Even though these women know and experience the injustice in their lives, they remain optimistic. Both Laila and Mariam admits the burqa brings them comfort in its anonymity. However, they also represent the restrictive and unjust society they live in.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely! The gender inequality is gut wrenching, that's a good way to describe it! The women basically are invisible because they have to hide away in their homes all day and when they go out they have to cover themselves up with a burqa. I think the women are treated like slaves because they don't have many rights. They can't go outside, they can't work outside of the home like men can, and they can't dress how they want to. The wives stay home, cook, clean, take care of the kids, and have even more kids with their husband! It's not right, they don't have any choices!
DeleteI feel that the strongest moment in the book emotionally is when Mariam kills Rasheed. To me this is when Mariam finally asserts herself inside the household. She decides to do something based on what she feels is necessary, and not what Rasheed tells her to do. All in this one moment we see what really matters to Mariam. She has the option to let Laila be killed or to save her. Which would get her in very big trouble. When she does decide to kill Rasheed, in order to save Laila, it shows that she is finally letting go all of her accumulated hate towards Rasheed, and that she cares for Laila. To me this is a true moment of heroism in a society where a woman has no rights. The fact that Mariam in the end is executed for her actions is horrifying. It just shows how cruel the Taliban are to women, because if a man had killed a woman, it would have been fine. The ironic thing is that Mariam was just defending Laila, which is completely acceptable. It just shows how messed up this society is.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this moment is definitely when Mariam asserts herself in the household. She chose what really mattered to her and saved Laila. I was so happy when I read this! But when she is executed it made me mad that she didn't stand up for herself and have Laila come in to show the evidences of bruises around her neck and the cuts. But then again it may not have even helped her case because men rule everything in their society. I like when you say that it's "a true moment of heroism in a society where a woman has no rights," I think that's a great way to put it!
DeleteYou made some great points! I certainly agree that this scene holds so much power compared to the rest of the book. The scary thing is, like you said, the punishment for a male murdering a female wouldn't be as serious as Mariam murdering Rasheed. Where do you think this society went wrong? How could someone even begin thinking of treating women and men so differently?
DeleteThe characters' personal stories expand my understanding of the society in which they live. Laila’s personal story especially helps me understand the most. First, as a young girl she was allowed to go to school and she and Tariq could hang out as often as they wanted. As she got older I got a better understanding of the society because on page 162 her mother said “He’s a boy, you see, and, as such, what does he care about reputation? But you? The reputation of a girl, especially one as pretty as you, is a delicate thing, Laila.” I can see that in their society females are worried about their reputation and how what they do would look like to someone else. Later on in the book Rasheed asks Laila what her and Tariq were. She tells him just friends, he was like a brother. And he questions if they did anything out of order... Which means did they ever kiss or were they ever intimate. I believe that their religion doesn’t believe in sex before marriage and because their whole society mostly believes in that religion then that is why their society questions and gossips when teenage girls and boys hang out together. Religion plays a big role in Afghanistan. When the Taliban came to Kabul and girls were not allowed to go to school or leave the house without a related man anymore, this also gave me some understanding of how repressed women really were in this society. Also, everyone had to pray five times a day, which is very different from the society we live in because we can choose to be religious or not, we’re never forced to be. In America, men can only have one wife. But in the characters’ society men can have as many wives as they want it seems. Mariam’s father had three wives and Laila and Mariam were both married to Rasheed. It seems like the society only wanted women to make babies, especially boys. Rasheed was very upset that Aziza was a girl, and he was thrilled when Zalmai was born because he was a boy. The war going on around the characters also showed me how scary it would be to be living there. Laila lost her parents from a rocket, and thousands of other people died from the war too. From all of this, Laila’s life especially expanded my understanding of the society of which they live in.
ReplyDeleteAll of your points are very true and really support how their lives are much different than ours. After reading this book, how do you think you would have handled being in Laila's shoes? Do you think you have the bravery and courage that Laila has to endure every day under the Taliban rule?
DeleteWhen a society is suddenly changed by an event, its hard for a member of that society not to be impacted. In this case, the women’s lives especially are drastically changed when the Taliban take over. They create many new repressive rules, which are mainly guided towards females. Things that the women have been doing all their lives become illegal. For instance, the Taliban made it illegal for a woman to travel even around the block without supervision of a male. In order for Laila to visit her daughter Aziza in the orphanage, she risked being caught breaking these new rules of the Taliban. Also, Laila and Mariam have to adjust to the burqas and thankfully end up finding some comfort within them.
ReplyDeleteSociety affects each and every one of us every single day, so if society was changed, we’d all be impacted somehow. Generally, people do not accept change well and given the choice would stay with what they are comfortable and familiar with. The sad thing is, all the people of Kabul were forced into change, whether they liked it or not by the Taliban because they had no say in what the Taliban enforces.
There are ways to fight the oppression, but it is difficult for an individual to stand up without the support of others.
DeleteSince finishing “A Thousand Splendid Suns” I’ve questioned the author’s intention when Laila travels to Mariam’s childhood home near the end of the book. At first I thought it was strange how Laila suddenly searched it out, but after thinking about it for a little bit, I believe the event may have a metaphorical meaning. It seemed like it was forced into the end just to tie the story back to the very beginning. In my eyes, this event didn’t really fit and it seemed like an unnecessary event. However, I’ve realized it could have symbolized how much the country of Afghanistan and its people have endured through a single lifetime. If you think about it, the entire country experienced a number of drastic changes in society all within less than a lifespan.
ReplyDeleteLaila visiting Miriam's childhood home was a very powerful moment in the book. Laila already had a very good idea about Miriam's life, this really hit home to her. It really showed how closely tied Miriam and Laila had become just by living under the same roof. It shows how two people that are strangers at first can become so intertwined that life took on a new and special meaning.
ReplyDeleteThe characters find inspiration in a lot of different people and ideas. Laila finds inspiration from Miriam and her father especially. There are numerous times in the book where Laila could've given up, but she reached back and took strength from memories in her childhood, reading books with her father, and used it to push her forward to get what she wanted in the present.
ReplyDeleteLaila asserts her individuality through her children. She easily could've given Aziza away, or not have fought for her, but she did. She fought Rasheed, who said he was going to throw her out, or make her a street beggar, and do all these horrible things to each other, but Laila fought for her daughter, causing Rasheed to back down. Rasheed found his inspiration from his dead son, causing him to be a better father to Zalmai.
ReplyDeleteThose are some good points you've made. Laila always seemed to defend her daughter, and push Rasheed to buy her necessities such as clothing. I never made the connection that Rasheed treated Zalmai better because he felt sympathy for his dead son. I figured it had to do with male dominance in the society, or maybe it has to do with both.
DeleteThe characters’ personal stories in the book make it evident that women are not treated equally in this society. For example, in chapter 39 Laila is rushed to the nearest hospital, where they are turned down by Taliban officials due to it being a hospital only for men. The Taliban Officials are rude and tell Laila to go to Rabia Balkhi, a hospital for women. A person from the crowd jumps up in protest, and yells that there is no resources at that hospital, and the Taliban soldiers fire their weapons in the air to scare off the protesters. When Laila finally arrives to the women’s hospital, she is told to wait among the other women. Once it’s finally her turn, she is taken into a dirty delivery room, but it is too late, and they need to perform a caesarian without anesthesia. It’s obvious that the men are taken better care of in this society. After all, once Laila’s son is born, Rasheed spoils him with gifts they can’t afford. But he doesn’t even buy clothes for Aziza, Laila’s daughter.
ReplyDeleteBoth Laila and Mariam do a good job asserting themselves too Rasheed, although Rasheed doesn’t like it and often acts out against them abusively. Both women live in a repressive society, but they are never afraid to express their feelings. Laila stands up for her daughter, and Mariam often stands up for Laila. Both women take physical and mental abuse from Rasheed, to protect each other in the worst of scenarios. Mariam asserts her individuality and bravery when she lets Laila and her daughter see Tariq, even though Mariam knows she could get in big trouble for letting Laila out of the house. Both women do a good job at being themselves, even though the society they live in doesn’t make it easy.
ReplyDeleteThe practice of veiling represents the difference between genders in Islam. Women are forced to cover their faces with burqas in public, so that they can’t be identified. When Rasheed marries Laila, he tells her that Mariam is a bastard, and lectures Laila the same way he did Mariam- she must wear a burqa in public. The face covering is all fabric aside from the mesh that covers the eyes, that way everyone looks the same, and therefore nobody can be told apart. Rasheed even takes one step further, and tells Laila that she cannot leave the house alone, and that Mariam must be sent out to get anything she needs. Rasheed makes it clear that if Mariam doesn’t enforce these rules, she will be the one who suffers. In chapter 37, Mariam finds a flier regarding new strict laws regarding women. Women are no longer allowed to go in public without a male relative, and they must always wear burqas when traveling. This of course makes it difficult for Laila and Mariam to escape, thus making their lives more miserable than they already are.
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