Resistance to Rasheed in Everyday Life Anonymous 10th Grade

In the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khaled Hosseini, it is evident that Laila and Mariam face an overwhelming amount of abuse from their husband, Rasheed. Although Rasheed was brought up in a patriarchal society, this does not serve as an excuse for the way he treats these women. Laila and Mariam resisted the abuse of Rasheed many times and in very different ways. They face physical, verbal, and sexual abuse from Rasheed. At first, Mariam does not take a liking to Laila, but soon the women bond because of the abuse they face together. Both women realize that they are stronger together and can not endure this lifestyle without the help of the other. They resist by physically fighting back and plotting an escape behind Rasheed’s back. These small acts of resistance build up to the downfall of Rasheed.

Freedom from Rasheed motivates both women to resist the victimization. Mariam endures brutal beatings because she miscarries multiple times. Mariam grows to love Laila’s children and treats them as her own because she was unable to have any of her own. Mariam feels that she does not deserve a baby because of what she did to Nana, her deceased mother. When Mariam asks Rasheed to have a burial service for the baby,...