Thousand Splendid Suns - Relationship

A Healthy Relationship

Mariam, a “harami” or bastard child, is always yearning to belong, along with many of the other females in Hosseini’s, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Throughout the novel we see Laila longing for approval of her mother, Nana angry with society for throwing her out, Mariam looking to be with her father, and many more instances of desire to belong from the main female characters. Many of these women are suffering at the hands of men. A quick glance on the first part of the novel reveals that Mariam longs to be loved and loved by others.

In the beginning of the story, Mariam is longing for the acceptance of her father. She is never truly happy living with her mother and hopes Jalil will take her in as one the family some day. Mariam is always eagerly waiting for Jalil’s arrival. The two spend each other’s time in constant enjoyment. When Mariam decides to finally make a move toward Jalil’s family life, she is pushed away. She demands that Jalil bring her and her brothers and sisters to the cinema. Her father agrees but only to silence her, he has no intentions of going threw with demands. When the day comes, Jalil does not show so Mariam travels to her father’s house only to be shunned out on the street and catch a glance of him the next morning with his real family. Mariam knows she would never be apart of that.

Nana, Mariam’s mother, is fed up with everything, from men to society and politics. Nana could not catch a break so she did not let her daughter either. She blamed everyone and everything for her problems. The only thing secure in her life was Mariam. Nana slept with Jalil because she was longing a real marriage, house, and family. But she ended up with a child and disgrace. With nothing left in the world, Mariam is the only thing she cannot live without. When Mariam sleeps outside Jalil’s house the day he does not take her to the cinema, Nana believes her daughter had abandoned her. Thinking that the grip she had on her daughter is...