Discussion Topic A

In Khaled Hosseini's, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Laila and Mariam live a hostile life with their husband Rasheed.  Rasheed's rage begins when both his wives don't please him by giving him a son.  Hosseini uses imagery to show Rasheed's discontent with Laila after the birth of her daughter when "Mariam detected a shadow on his face, a darkness underlying the coppery light of dusk."  From this description it is evident that Rasheed is upset and thus begins his violent outbursts.  Hosseini changed Rasheed's lighthearted mood, to a dark and angry mood, that became the foundation for the upcoming abuse.  After Laila's refusal to be intimate with Rasheed, he blames Mariam and tells her, "It's your doing. I know it is." Mariam becomes afraid and places "her arms instinctively crossed over her chest, where he often struck first."  Hosseini uses diction to give the reader a feeling of fright that Mariam is experiencing at the moment.  The reader can understand that this is not the first time Mariam experiences this kind of behavior in her husband, because he has done it enough that she'd developed the instinct to protect herself.  By beating Mariam he not only hurts her physically but also psychologically.  The reader can see this when Mariam "shivered with fright when he was like this."  Her husband's violence has made her feel uncomfortable to make any mistake.  Mariam feels that she is not a good wife because of her husband's neglect.  Hosseini shows how domestic abuse can torture the life of the victim.  As seen with Mariam domestic abuse psychologically affects a person by making them feel unworthy.