why does mariam have difficulty understanding rasheed?

This is mostly because Rasheed is a big jerk. Okay, that sounds simple but he really is .Mariam is given no choice whatsoever in her marriage, but rather it is forced upon her. She is young and scared, and she is clearly not truly in love with Rasheed. Afghan culture, however, does not equate marriage with true love, but rather with convenience and necessity. Mariam’s role is clearly defined by Rasheed when he asks her to “act like a wife.” He demands that she clean and cook and he will ultimately require her to participate in sex that he forces upon her. Rasheed conducts himself as a classic wife abuser. He both compliments and punishes her almost simultaneously. This of course confuses and scares her. He is able to keep control this way. When Rasheed returns home and compliments her daal, Mariam feels proud. Then, Rasheed tells Mariam that "a woman's face is her husband's business only" and gives her a burqa to wear, which horrifies Mariam. Please check this out in the source-link below to GradeSaver.