A Thousand Splendid Suns: Response

I had a really big eye-opening experience by reading this novel. Throughout the novel, the author provided plenty of detail to create a very clear picture of the atrocities that occurred in Afghanistan. Throughout the rule of different governments, women were very poorly treated. As I was reading the novel, I was really touched by what Mariam had to go through. She showed her strength and determination throughout the novel, by withstanding Rasheed’s constant attacks and insults. While reading the novel, I also saw that small things lead to happiness. Although Mariam could not bear children, she was so happy when she could help Laila raise her children. I also realized the degree of cruelty to which people can go to in order to manipulate somebody. Rasheed paid a man to come and tell Laila that Tariq had died so that she would marry him. Furthermore, I realized how lucky I am to be living in Canada where there is a democratic government.  In Canada there are a lot of freedoms that people in Afghanistan can only dream of. Women in Afghanistan must cover themselves with a burqa, whereas in Canada women can express themselves in many different ways. Overall, the novel really gets across the hardships that the people of Afghanistan had to deal with, and especially the hardships that women had to deal with.

I feel that my ISU project is progressing well. I got a little behind on my reading, but now I am caught up. I have a lot of potential connections that could be made between A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner, that will be confirmed or not after I read The Kite Runner. I really liked A Thousand Splendid Suns and I anticipate that The Kite Runner will be just as good if not better as both novels are written by the same author, Khaled Hosseini. I look forward to reading The Kite Runner and comparing the two novels.