Sahar Bhojani
Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns
Character: Mariam
Archetype: Outcast
Synopsis:
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of
Afghanistan’s last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to the postTaliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate,
human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the
tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find
happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them, seen from the
perspectives of two women. My character, Mariam, is the scorned illegitimate daughter of a
wealthy businessman, forced at age fifteen into marrying Rasheed, who grows increasingly
brutal when she fails to produce a child. Eighteen years later, Rasheed takes another wife,
fourteen year-old Laila, a smart and spirited girl whose only other options, after her parents are
killed by rocket fire, are prostitution or starvation. Mariam and Laila become allies in a battle
with Rasheed, whose violent abuse is endorsed by custom and law. Each woman in the end is
forced to accept a path that will never be completely happy for them: Mariam has to sacrifice
her life to save Laila after she murders their husband while Laila, even though marrying her
childhood love, must find a way to keep the sacrifice Mariam has made from not becoming an
act done in vain. The author, Khaled Hosseini does a splendid job of portraying the themes of
oppression and hope, shame, pregnancy and children, education of women, female bonds,
marriage and true love, and even ties with Afghanistan through the use of all the characters.
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Mariam as an Outcast
An outcast archetype has been one who has been cast out of society or has left it on a
voluntary basis. Writers usually characterize this character to become banished from a community
for a specific reason, which then leads him to become a wanderer. In order to be characterized as
an outcast, certain criteria must be fulfilled. First, facts from the childhood must be known, he must
be banished from a social or communal group, later on do heroic deeds, have inner strength, and
lastly, find hope during times of despair.
In A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hooseini, Mariam, a protagonist in the novel plays a
vital role in displaying some of the major themes, such as education of women, shame, and female
bonds. Her archetype as an outcast allows her to go through these themes and be able to grow
simultaneously as well, demonstrating the criteria which supports her archetype.
As a child, Mariam was not allowed to attend school. Instead, she was tutored by Mullah
Faizullah in the Koran and she learned how to read and write. Yet, when she asks her mother about
going to school, “a real school, like in a classroom, like her father’s other kids”, Nana insists that the only
lesson that Mariam needs to learn is to "endure" (pg. 16). Due to the opportunity that she was not
given, she taught when she became older. Mariam taught the Koran, and at the end of the book feels
hopeful in terms of the education of women in that Zalmai (a boy) and Aziza (a girl) head off to school
together.
From the beginning, Mariam proves her state of being marginalized from the community, which
banish’s her to the far ends of the village. It is first viewed when she is not allowed to go to school and
then again when she realizes that “she did not belong” (pg. 38). This is also clearly displayed in the
family household as well as when she is sold to a man, Rasheed, and finds out that she will not be able
to conceive a child to carry on Rasheed’s name. This leads to more depression that Mariam must go
through.
Having inner strength, being another piece of criteria, Mariam endures so much heartache
merely because she is of the female gender. Most characters, like Mariam, walk into such events with
high levels of hope for the future, but once reality sets in, a character's hope is crushed. Not only do
these waves of hope provide the reader with suspense and emotional attachment to the characters, but
this cycle appears to reflect the cycles of hope and dashed dreams that Afghan women suffer, time and
time again. Mariam faces a father who refuses to acknowledge her, a husband who abuses her for
twenty-seven years, and the need to murder the man when he is determined to kill Laila, the second
wife. Through every instance, she keeps her inborn grace and accepts what fate hands her, supporting
her role as an outcast.
With all that Mariam went through, Mariam rises up in revenge and strikes Rasheed
dead at the end of the novel. Out of context, this may seem very abhorrent; however, because
of trying to save Laila, it can actually be classified as a heroic deed. Following the death of
Rasheed, Laila implies the idea of running away, all of them. Having said this, Mariam rejects
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the idea –knowing that she will be found and will die- and accepts that “it ends here for her”
(pg. 319). She ultimately is tried and executed by the Taliban for her actions. Although facing
death after her heroic deed, viewed by readers and by Laila and her family, this casts
Mariam as more of an outcast.
Another example of an outcast character is River, who fits all of the archetypal
criteria just as Mariam does: River is marginalized from society because she is a gifted and
talented child, has the inner strength and finds hope in times of despair, especially when
her brother is hurting, and saves people like a superhero. Thus, fitting the criteria, supports
the idea that both Mariam and River fit the role of an outcast archetype.
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How to Speak Like Mariam
1. SPEAK COLLOQUIALLY.
Commentary: Rather than speaking in a formal way, speak with familiar speech,
relating to the conversation. Mariam’s way of speech is very similar to this,
especially because her level of education obtained is not as high as others.
While thanking Laila, instead of saying, “I really appreciate what your family has
done for me,” she says, “You and your family made me so happy” (pg. 319).
Instead of using a more sophisticated word, she refers to other humans as
“bloodhounds” (pg.318).
2. SEPARATE YOUR SENTENCES, MAKING THEM SHORT.
Commentary: Instead of elongating sentences and expressing your feelings,
shorten your sentences to cause the same expression. “Don’t walk. Take the bus.
You’ll blend in. Taxis are too conspicuous. You’re sure to get stopped for riding
alone” (pg. 318).
3. SPEAK SIMPLY AND PLAINLY.
Commentary: Not wanting to cause confusion, Mariam conveys the message
that she wants to to get her point across. When in a conversation with Laila and
Mariam tells her to leave so that she will not be executed, she says, “I mean it. I
mean it for you Laila jo” (pg. 318).
4. REFER TO YOURSELF THROUGH OUT THE CONVERSATION MANY TIMES.
Commentary: Mariam tends to indicate to whom she is speaking to; however in
serious conversations, as opposed to casual conversations, she refers to herself
at many times to show more emotion from her side. “For ME, it ends here.
There’s nothing more I want. Everything I’D ever wished for as a little girl you’ve
given ME. It’s all right Laila Jo. This is okay. Don’t be sad. I’LL be ok” (pg. 319).
5. SHOW AFFECTION THROUGH THE USE OF YOUR WORDS.
Commentary: Being a simple girl that she is, Mariam uses words that show much
love and her emotions for others. When leaving, she tells Laila, “Tell her she is
the noor of my eyes and the sultan of my heart” (pg.320) She also gives Zalmai
advice about taking care of his mother and apologizes. “Believe me that I’m so
very sorry for all your pain and sadness,” showing her sympathy (pg.320).
Conclusion:
Mariam’s speech patterns help describe the type of personality that she has- simple.
Therefore, if one is ever wanting to showing emotions, whether it be aggression through the
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use of short sentences, or affection through the use of certain words , one should use similar
syntax and diction like Mariam.
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Interactive Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4kyalTT_wY
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Extra Credit:
Setting:
The beginning of the story takes
place in an idyllic setting in the
town of Herat and its environs.
The town is known for its artists,
especially its poets. Mariam, one
of the main characters, lives in a
small house with her mother. Jalil,
Mariam’s father, lives in a large
house inside the town limits.
When Mariam marries, the setting
changes to Kabul, the largest city
of Afghanistan and its capital. Here
live various types of people,
ranging from the most modern
(who are highly influenced by the
West) to the most traditional (who
follow the strict dictates of
conservative). This is also where
the readers connects with Laila
and her family.
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Allusions in the novel:
Throughout A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini alludes to some of the greatest poets in
Persian literature, including Rumi, Hafez, Jami, Ghalib, and Said-e-Tabrizi, from whose poem
Hosseini takes the title of his book. Laila’s father, Babi, we are told, “knew most of Rumi’s and
Hafez’s ghazals by heart” and tries to instill in his daughter a love of literature. The ghazal, a
form which has become increasingly popular among English language poets, is a classical
Persian form adapted from the Arabic qasida, or couplet, in the tenth century. The author
fulfills his attempt in to intermix the cultures of the past and those of the present through the
use of the mention of the Persian literature.
In Hosseini’s story, he also alludes to a part of the Hemingway’s The Old Man and the
Sea. In that particular novel, the stark image of the great fish cleaned to the bone by sharks
becomes a symbol for Afghanistan itself, and its people become Santiago, heroically enduring in
the face of suffering. This allusion seems out of place; however, apt at the same time.