A Thousand Splendid Suns: Analysis of Major Characters
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" is a novel by Khaled Hosseini that explores the lives of women in Afghanistan through the lens of its major characters. Central to the narrative is Mariam, an illegitimate child who faces a tumultuous life marked by abuse and societal rejection. Her journey intertwines with Laila, a beautiful and educated girl who becomes her sister wife and confidante, as both women navigate the oppressive dynamics of their shared husband, Rasheed. Rasheed, a violent and misogynistic shoemaker, embodies the brutal realities faced by women in their society, creating a stark contrast to Laila’s nurturing father, Babi, who values education and freedom for his daughter. The characters also include Jalil, Mariam's morally weak father, and Nana, her bitter mother, who ultimately shapes Mariam's outlook on men and relationships. Through their interconnected stories, the novel addresses themes of friendship, resilience, and the struggle for personal agency against a backdrop of cultural and political turmoil in Afghanistan.
A Thousand Splendid Suns: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Khaled Hosseini
First published: 2007
Genre: Novel
Locale: Harat and Kabul, Afghanistan
Plot: Historical
Time: the 1970s through 2002
Mariam, Rasheed's wife, Laila's sister wife. Born a harimi (illegitimate child), she and her mother are relegated to a mud hut, two kilometers from Harat. Her mother is verbally abusive and manipulative. Mariam is adored by her father, Jaleel, until she begins to demand that he include her in his life. Nearly overnight, Mariam goes from adored daughter to wife of an abusive and much older man at the age of 15. She is not attractive. She is too thin with a long face, and eyes that sometimes appear crossed. After a series of miscarriages, her husband, Rasheed, treats her like a slave. She becomes bitter when Rasheed manipulates circumstances in order to claim Laila as a second wife; later, her affections change, as she and Laila become close friends, sharing a common enemy. She ends up saving Laila's life.
Laila, Tariq's best friend and lover; Rasheed's second wife. Born on the night of a coup in 1978, Laila is strikingly beautiful with blond hair, large green eyes, and high cheekbones. She is a precocious child, much adored by a loving father who sees that Laila is well educated from a young age. Her mother was not available emotionally due to the death of Laila's two brothers. Laila is confident and courageous, though her boldness results in harm for herself and Mariam.
Tariq, Laila's best friend and lover; Aziza's real father. Tariq is a scrappy, easygoing boy, with pale, hazel eyes and gentle, elegant hands. As an adult, he is tall and thin, with strong, workman's hands. He lost one leg to a land mine when he was six years old. He is a protective and loyal friend to Laila.
Rasheed, a shoemaker from Kabul; Laila and Mariam's husband. Rasheed is obese, with a square face, a large hooked nose, and weepy, bloodshot eyes. Rasheed is middle-aged when he marries the 15-year-old Mariam. Though he shows moments of kindness early in his relationship with Mariam, he is a misogynistic, brutish, and violent man whose political allegiances vacillate. He brutally beats Mariam and Laila, nearly killing them. He dotes on his son, Zalmai, blatantly expressing preference for him over his (supposed) daughter, Aziza.
Jalil Khan, Mariam's father; a wealthy businessman. After fathering an illegitimate daughter with a household servant, Jalil sequesters mother and child to a hut, two kilometers from town. Sending weekly supplies to them, Jalil has admonished the two not to venture into town. While genuinely loving his illegitimate daughter, he is morally weak and betrays her, unable to abandon the customs of his culture and class. He has four wives and ten children. While professing adoration for his daughter, Mariam, once Mariam's mother commits suicide, Jalil marries her off to an older, filthy, and abusive man. He dies with deep regret over how he treated Mariam.
Nana, Mariam's mother. Nana is a bitter, negative woman who trains her daughter not to trust men, especially Jalil, Mariam's father. Thought to be possessed by a jinn (demon), Nana is actually epileptic. When Mariam asks to attend school, Nana claims there is only one thing a girl like her needs to learn: to endure, thus foreshadowing the tenor of Mariam's life. After Mariam leaves to seek out her father at his home, Nana commits suicide.
Mammy (Fariba), Laila's mother. A rotund, slovenly woman with a drooping lower lip, brown teeth, and big green eyes, Mammy is domineering and critical of her husband. She succumbs to deep depression after the death of her two sons. Mammy loves Laila, but is unable to properly care for the girl due to overweening sorrow.
Babi (Hakim), Laila's father. A slight man and school-teacher, Babi is an intellectual whose greatest wish for his daughter is that she be educated (in contrast to Jalil with Mariam). The Communist regime fires him from his teaching position; he subsequently becomes a baker's helper in a factory. He is a browbeaten, gentle soul who adores his children.
Aziza, Laila's daughter. A sweet and gentle girl who has inherited her mother's physical beauty, with blond hair and green eyes.
Zalmai, Laila and Rasheed's son. Like Rasheed, Zalmai is a beefy boy with thick, curly hair and a low hairline. Though he is spoiled and demanding, Laila bears deep, maternal love for him in spite of his resemblance to his father.
Mullah Faizullah, Mariam's childhood tutor. A slight, elderly man who walks with a stoop, Mullah Faizullah is a gentle soul who genuinely loves Mariam and who is concerned for her welfare.
Abdul Sharif, hired by Rasheed to lie to Laila about Tariq's death. A doorman at a hotel, he is a small man with a bulbous nose, pockmarked face, and short brown hair that sticks straight up on his scalp. Rasheed hires him to lie to Laila in an attempttogethertomarryhim.