A Thousand Splendid Suns Part III.I (Mariam and Laila's Story)

3/3/2017

This image could depict a pregnant Laila in Part III.I of A Thousand Splendid Suns. While this moment is important, it is no means the only significant point in these chapters.
After having read these chapters:
-Select a single passage (this may be a single paragraph or several) that you feel best typifies the action and Hosseini's authorial intent in this section of ATSS.
-Explain the action and context of the quoted passage (you must cite the passage) and then,
-Explain how your understanding of this passage (1) supports your understanding, (2) deepens the character development, and/or (3) builds a central message that aligns with one of the unit's essential questions.

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the Poet's name that you selected in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by the end of Friday night!

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the Poet's name that you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by the start of class on Monday!

Notice: There will be a quote quiz on Monday regarding these chapters.

William Woodsworth

3/3/2017 11:43:32 am

For this section of Part 3, Laila slowly begins to lose the freedom and independence of her childhood years as she is charmed by Rasheed’s hospitality and then is greeted with a realization that his generosity was a farce and that in actuality, Rasheed is an abusive and negligent husband. Part of this is because he holds such ignorant views on the balance between spouses as he believes a wife as whole is a husband’s business and his alone. His archaic views directly fall in line with the new regime that the Taliban has established. When Laila is befuddled by the Taliban’s new laws she states that “This is Kabul. Women here used to practice law and medicine; they held office in government—“(Hosseini 279). Laila’s attitude directly conflicts with Rasheed’s views but because of the imbalance of power there’s nothing that Laila can do. She is forced to succumb to the Taliban’s oppressive laws. Rasheed even relishes in this power as he responds to her outcry with a simple “How urbane, how Tajik of you” (Hosseini 279). He knows that there’s nothing Laila can do to change these laws as Laila has lost all power as a woman and as a wife. But even though she has basically lost all freedom, she can still confide with Mariam as they sympathize with each other in their predicaments. We see that Laila starts to move on from her loss and starts to find new things to live and endure for such as Mariam and her daughter Aziza.
Word Count: 256 words

Cynthia Williams

3/6/2017 07:34:39 am

I agree with you. As Laila comes into the house she does lose all of her powers due to Rasheed because In their culture women aren't able to have as much power. Once the two women come together and realize they actually like each other, it was a chance for the two to come together and figure something out and possibly leave their abusive controlling husband.

Thomas Bastard

3/3/2017 02:41:26 pm

In the first half of part 3 we see how dramatically Laila''s life has changed. She goes from a hopeful child to a pregnat young girl married to an abusive old man with a wife who hates her. Laila and Mariam are very different and it is because of this she is able to stand up for Mariam and protect her which completely changes the course of their relationship. " Laila began to laugh, and Mariam joined in. They laughed like this, at each other's reflections in the mirror, their eyes tearing, and the moment was so natural, so effortless, that's suddenly Mariam started telling her about Jalil , and Nana, and the jinn. ... out the word's came, like blood gushing from an artery. Mariam told her about Bibi jo, Mullah Faizullah, the humiliating treck to Jalil's house, Nana's suicide. ... the hurried nikka with Rasheed, the trip to Kabul, her pregnancies, the endless cycles of hope and disappointment, Rasheed's turning on her. ..."I have something to tell you too," Laila said"(Hosseini 255). In this section we see how two women with completely different background are able to find shelter in each other. This helps the readers understanding of the novel because we see how despite their differences two people are able to come together, bring each other hope and happiness, because they share the same troubles and live the same hard life, stuck in a horrible situation they can't escape from. Both Laila and Mariam's character develope's as Mariam let's go of her hatred towards Laila and is able to connect and be attached to someone, or two someone's in this case.
Word count 248

Kim Possible

3/5/2017 07:37:38 pm

I agree with the post that you have written here. We really see these two women come together like family. Even though they do have differences, they come around full circle and relate to some things as well. They both have to endure what they are going through and make sure that they are always there for each other. Mariam finally has someone else to be around besides her abusive husband and this may be the best thing that has ever happened to her. They both motivate each other because they both want to live better lives. They are each other's strength.

Jennifer Garner

3/5/2017 08:14:46 pm

I also think that this is a critical moment in this section of the book. Mariam being able to set aside her differences with Laila can open a door for a bond to form- one that will be strong and last a long time because they share the same situation. Anyone would be upset if their husband married another, but they're ultimately stuck until they're able to figure a way out. Plus, Mariam isn’t the only one adjusting to this situation. Laila was forced by Rasheed to marry her even though she definitely didn’t want too. Overall, it’s a great moment in the book that will benefit both of them.
110 words

Jasper Fforde

3/5/2017 10:58:53 pm

I totally agree with you because when Mariam and Laila were mad and hating on each other the story was not going anywhere and it was just chaos after chaos. Now that they have created this bond Mariam and Laila can stick together to go against the real enemy which is Rasheed. They're different backgrounds and experiences can help them as they grow since so much has happened to them. Even though they may have different stories it is good that they can put it aside and actually create a relationship and understand each other rather than making assumptions and being rude to each other wc105

SKIII

3/3/2017 07:37:57 pm

"'He wants an answer by this morning,' Mariam said. 'He can have it now,' the girl said. 'My answer is yes'" (Hosseini 216). This quote from the book suprized me at first when I read it. Laila's eagerness to marry Rasheed was unexpected because she has been a bold girl throughout the novel and didn't want to adhere to the old expectations of women in Afghanistan. Marrying a sixty year old man who already had a wife seemed like something that Laila would never even consider after her father teaching her to be an independant woman. However, I believe that her choice to marry him shows her intelligence. She realized that she would have no chance of surviving on her own, and her pregnancy would cause her to me condemned by society. This was her chance to hide her pregnancy and save her from being shamed. She believed that Rasheed would also protect her and her child from the dangers of the war. With the rest of her family as well as Tariq dead, this may be her only opportunity to start a family and live a decent life. By making Laila decide to marry Rasheed, Hosseini shows Laila's maturity in the wake of her parents' death.

William Woodsworth

3/5/2017 09:11:25 pm

To add on to this, I think Laila staying with Rasheed even after finding out that his hospitality was just a farce shows how much she is willing to sacrifice for those she loves. Like you said, she basically has nowhere to go at this point and now that she has 2 children and a friend in Laila, she doesn’t want to just leave them with Rasheed. Her staying emphasizes the two major themes of this book: enduring through hardships and the importance of family. Laila knows that while there’s little to nothing she can do, she’ll stay with Rasheed, horrible as he may be, as she has found a new family and has learned that family is something of upmost importance.
Word Count: 122 words

Paloroan

3/6/2017 07:47:13 am

I agree that this decision showed her intelligence. Most girls her age, especially those that are like-minded to Laila, would have immediately rejected the idea for their own comfort. Being married to the old man down the street was never something that Laila wanted to do because she had been raised to be independent and modern. Her quick response to marrying him shows readers that she is much more mature than we had previously thought. She was willing to sacrifice her own comfort and values to provide safety for the baby. Even with that tragic loss of her family, she was still able to think clearly and act accordingly. (109 words)

The A in ABC

3/6/2017 10:21:31 am

I agree with you that i was surprised that she agreed to do such a thing. It seemed like Laila would never agree to just be some “wife” to another man. She had been developed into a character that was very strong independently and did what she believed in. When she realized that she would ultimately have no choice than to submit to rasheed’s wishes it was kind of sad. It was at that moment that we knew that the surroundings had overtaken Laila’s hopes and wishes.

Kim Possible

3/3/2017 10:35:27 pm

In part three, we see Laila and Mariam’s relationship blossom. Things did not go well at first. Mariam was accusatory to her even though Laila did nothing wrong. Both were forced into situations they did not want to be in, marrying Rasheed. Laila persists on building her relationship with Mariam. They soon have a cup of tea and pour everything out to each other. This is finally the start of their great bond. A significant moment in their partnership is when they try and leave Rasheed and go elsewhere. A quote that explains this is, “We’re leaving this spring, Aziza and I. Come with us Mariam” (Hosseini 256). Mariam has become a mother figure to Laila and she finds shelter in Mariam. Laila has put everything on the line to risk what she has in order to break free of this marriage. This shows the trust that she puts in Mariam and how much she wants her to be in her life. Both wives know what Rasheed is capable of and they both had the same goals. Laila has passed her ambition on to Mariam as they are both willing to do anything for each other. The trip did not go as planned though and both are punished brutally for it. However, this only made their bond strengthen and they both know what they are capable of doing. (228)

SKIII

3/5/2017 01:34:34 pm

After seeing this new bond between Laila and Mariam that lead to their attempted escape, do you think that Rasheed will try to get in the way of their connection? He sees that alone, they are weak and he is superior; when they bond together, however, they have the courage to defy him and almost escape. I believe this is the reason that when he punished them, he separated Laila and Mariam. He was fearful that together, they might put up a fight against his punishment. I feel that in the next section of the novel, Rasheed will try to keep his wives as far away from each other as possible to stifle their courage and desire for freedom.

Kim Possible

3/5/2017 07:27:55 pm

I think Rasheed, being the horrible human being he is, will try and keep Mariam and Laila apart. However, I don't think it'll be enough to break their bond. Laila is a young, free-spirited young woman and I don't think it will ever be taken away from her. She also makes Mariam feel young again and actually have a voice. Rasheed is also getting older too so he may become weaker. The two women combined have a powerful bond which is sure to be unbreakable and hopefully they can power through whatever troubles they may face together.

Paloroan

3/6/2017 07:55:28 am

I agree that them deciding to run away was a significant moment in their relationship. They started out on terrible terms. Mariam hated the sight of her even though she had never actually done anything to her. We see their relationship blossom quite a lot, and Laila puts the utmost trust in her when she asks her to come with her and Aziza. Mariam could have easily told Rasheed and took the easy way. She had stayed for 20 years and knew running away was not a good idea. Because of Laila, she was finally able to take that risk. Even though their plan did not succeed, it was still a source of growth for both of them. (118 words)

The A in ABC

3/6/2017 10:26:27 am

I do agree with you that the beatings in which they took will strengthen their bond but it in fact could also make it worse. There might come a point in the novel in which Mariam just breaks and can not stand the beating anymore. When that point comes, i believe that she will blame Laila for it all happening. Mariam will place all of her anger on Laila because Laila has the life that Mariam wanted. Laila had loving parents and the ability to have her own child. Mariam’s years of torture will all come down and will get unleashed upon Laila.

Jennifer Garner

3/3/2017 11:00:19 pm

In A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, chapter thirty stands out tremendously. Rasheed sells Mariam’s ring, buys a new engagement ring for Laila, proposes, and gets married to Laila. This section ultimately starts the drama between the two women. I know that Mariam is very envious because Laila is not only able to have a child, but she’s also the new light in her husband’s eye. Even though Laila rejects the ring, she does say yes, so Mariam deserves to be upset. Also, when Laila does resist, Rasheed grabs her by the throat and demands that she put the ring on. This shows the extent to which men control women. I also think the purpose of this scene is to show the theme of how a women’s job is to endure regardless of the situation. In this case, Laila is learning to endure early on just as Mariam did when she had to marry Rasheed, so Nana’s words have been repeatedly proven throughout the chapters. However, Mariam’s job will consist of enduring the new relationship that Laila has with her husband and trying to live with Laila herself. It’s going to take a lot of strength from Mariam to accept this in her own house.
206 words

Cynthia Williams

3/6/2017 07:39:37 am

I think you couldn't have said it any better. When Rasheed forces Laila to put on the ring it does show how abusive and controlling he is. His morals reflect the environment and background that he came from. Initially Mariam was Rasheed's only wife,but for her to be the other wife at the same time could make her self steem go down. This is due to the fact that she might not feel good enough for Rasheed to have only one wife therefore the new wife must have something she doesn't have and could possibly satisfy him more.

Paloroan

3/3/2017 11:06:53 pm

“She began to plead with him. She begged for forgiveness, made promises. She cursed him,” (271). After they had been caught trying to escape the country, Rasheed locked Laila and the baby inside the bedroom for an extended period of time. She needed something to drink for Aziza, so she was begging him to get her just one glass at least. This quote shows how Laila always tries to protect those that she loves no matter what she has to do. Laila knew that trying to leave was their best option to escape Rasheed, and she has not been the kind of person to apologize for her actions. In this case, she begs for his forgiveness, which is very out-of-character for her. In this section of the novel, we see strong character development in Laila. In the beginning, she is a scared young girl who has just lost her family. By the end of this section, we respect her as someone willing to stand up and do what they have to do. From standing up against Rasheed beating Mariam to her saying whatever she had to to try to provide for her child, we see her grow stronger. (198)

Jennifer Garner

3/5/2017 08:21:00 pm

Laila definitely becomes a strong woman and mother in this section. Even though she started young, she’s learned quickly how to endure, but also stick up for herself in the right moments. She knows that her children come first regardless of the situation, so she became vulnerable and powerless for Rasheed to provide for her daughter. However, when Rasheed was trying to beat Mariam she interfered, and Mariam will never forget that moment. It made their bond even stronger as two woman who were learning and taught to endure no matter the situation. Therefore, I also agree that Laila is growing stronger in section three.
105 words

Jasper Fforde

3/5/2017 10:54:47 pm

I agree with you because Laila was a character that held her ground and didn't take anything from Rasheed. She wasn't afraid of him like Mariam was so that's why Mariam wasn't as brave to stand up for herself against him. It's true that the readers will respect her more because she puts everything on the line to save the people she cares about no matter what. She knew that what she was doing was dangerous but she did it anyway if it meant that her Mariam and her baby would be safe from Rasheeds abusiveness that someday with being his wife. WC 102

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

3/6/2017 02:11:04 am

Laila character development is 3.1 has been tremendous! I believe Laila is stronger than Marian because of her daughter, she has caused her to change and gain courage because now she has something to love and live for. At one point Laila mentions to Mariam that she stood up for her because she was raised in a household where stuff like that didn't happen. Their different background also effect the way they are living now because they both grew up with different perspectives of women's role and their contribution to society.

Jasper Fforde

3/3/2017 11:41:24 pm

In part 3 we see how Laila and Mariam band together and go against the norm for marriages which is to do whatever your husband asks with no questions asked because men are and will always be superior to women. When Laila and Mariam first meet we see their very negative and competitive relationship full of hate and disgust, and with this us readers think that they might never be able to come together as friends. However in this section we see Laila and Mariam bond over that the fact that they are “sinners” and “in this fleeting, wordless exchange with Mariam, Laila knew that they were not enemies any longer” (Hosseini 250). Furthermore when Laila sticks up for Mariam and “and astonishing thing happened: The girl lunged at him. She grabbed his arm with both hands…slowing Rasheed’s progress toward Mariam” (Hosseini 241). At this point Mariam and Laila have no choice but to get along because they need to see eye to eye in order for them to handle Rasheed. This section is ironic because ever since Laila came along Mariam is the “old” wife and she is degraded like her Nana was. Nana didn’t compare to the other wives Jalil had and she wasn’t treated well, just like how Mariam is treated poorly because of Rasheed’s new and younger wife, and she is labeled as the servant to them. Secondly, Laila will follow in Mariam’s footsteps and soon Rasheed will hate and throw away Laila as well. This section emphasizes that Mariam and Laila have more in common then they may think and it is important for them as woman to stand up for themselves in this cruel world.281

SKIII

3/5/2017 01:44:12 pm

I think that the section when Laila jumps on Rasheed to slow him down from attacking Mariam shows her disobedience toward the cultural norms that Afghan women live with. They are expected to accept that their husband is the head of the household and that he is allowed to punish them as he sees fit. By attacking Rasheed, Laila shows that she will not accept this treatment toward her or Mariam. She was raised by a father who believed in the equality of men and women, so she will not let Rasheed treat his wives that way. Her actions also show Mariam that she does not have to accept this from Rasheed, leading her to decide to escape with Mariam.

William Woodsworth

3/5/2017 09:29:03 pm

This section really brings the two major themes of the book together and in the forefront of enduring life’s hardships and the importance of family. And surprisingly, I don’t know if I’m the only one that feels this way, as Laila married Rasheed the book took a more...unsettling air as everything began to feel hopeless as women became slaves to their husbands and Afghanistan turns into something akin to dystopian country. But as we see through this section, Mariam and Laila enduring through everything they face as they realize that they should endure for each other and for their children.
Word Count:101 words

Robert Hayden

3/5/2017 10:53:13 pm

I like how you connect Mariam being turned into the servants because of Laila who is much younger than her to her mom not fitting in Jalil’s wives. Ultimately the way the female in this story are treated is the same. They kind of suffered the same faith, regardless of their background. I also thinks it’s kind of ironic the way Mariam and Laila stick up for each other, even though at first Mariam thought Laila was coming in to steal her husband, because Jalil’s wives could have stand up for nana like that too but they didn’t. Instead they let her leave in isolation and let Mariam grow up in isolation. Even when they had the opportunity to do the right thing they did not.
Word Count:126

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

3/6/2017 02:22:21 am

I am very thankful that norm has never effected our society especially now that women are a great contribution to everything from engineering, teaching to law enforcement etc. I cannot picture myself living in a community where it is believed men are superior, i just think thats crazy. Referring back to ATSS, it is very important to notice how nana was right about all the things she told Marian, this is in a way the punishment Mariam has to face for not listening to her mother. The bond they formed has given them strength and courage they would have never develop on their own.

Robert Hayden

3/4/2017 04:40:58 am

Part 3 ATSS tells the story of both Laila and Mariam and their lives with Rasheed. After Laila’s house had been blown to pieces along with her parents, she found herself living in Rasheed’s house being care for by Mariam. After Laila had recovered, Rasheed decided that he could not have an unmarried woman living in her house, so he married her. A section that I found to be really vital was the idea played out in chapter 31. That shows how Rasheed preferred Laila over Mariam because she is not as fresh as Laila is. He told laila that if he needs anything done, or she needs to go out to send Mariam. Mariam’s mom was a maid and now Rasheed is kind of turning her into Laila’s maid. Even though Mariam does not care about Rasheed, but before Laila came along she was his legitimate wife and now that he married Laila she is technically being turn into a maid. This shows that no matter what you do you can’t escape your destiny, nana had always tell Mariam that. She always told Mariam that she was an Harami and all she can do is endure. Obviously Mariam doesn’t want Rasheed to marry laila because then she’ll have less values in his eyes, but Mariam can not do anything about it but to accept it.
word count:226

The A in ABC

3/4/2017 10:09:59 am

In Part 3 of A Thousand Splendid Suns this becomes our first encounter with Laila and Mariam coming together. Rasheed has brought Laila in after her terrible accident and has provided her with bring her health back and giving her shelter. We believe that he is just trying to be a nice guy until the real plan has unfolded. He had only been taking care of Laila so that when she has recovered she could give him the baby that he always wanted. “She sat up, hands shooting down her belly.The baby had just kicked for the first time”(Hosseini 234). The baby was finally appearing but blindly to rasheed it was not his baby. Laila knew that it had actually been tariq’s baby. By the author incorporating this, it shows that Rasheed has not won yet again. In fact, Laila has won again by making the baby come from the way she wants. This shows how her character develops into an even stronger independent person. We can now clearly see the strength that women are beginning to develop throughout this novel.

Robert Hayden

3/5/2017 10:28:04 pm

With that section I think the author wanted to show us the sacrifices that a mother is willing to do for her children. When Laila suspected that she might be pregnant and with Tariq’s baby, she knew she had to do whatever it takes to keep her baby safe. With the way the country was now she knows there was no way she’d be alright with her child, all alone. In the country where women are losing all their right and power, that might seems like Laila is just giving up, but it is actually her making the choice of living her life with this old man so that her baby can be safe.
word count:114

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

3/6/2017 02:01:06 am

In part 3.1 of ATSS Mariam and Laila finally put their differences aside which causes them to get along and form a bond. Their bond is something very important to them because they have a formed a family they haven’t had for a long time. “From that night on, Mariam and Laila did their chores together. They sat in the kitchen and rolled dough, chopped green onions, minced garlic, offered bit of cucumber to Aziza…(251)” This statement is describing how things have changed in the house since Mariam and Laila shared a cup of tea and talked for a while. This is a huge step for Mariam at least because she went from not wanting Laila in the house to feeling love for Laila’s daughter. This relates to the theme of family and love because Mariam has not had a real family for many years and now she is finally starting to care for others than herself. The trust Mariam and Laila have formed has allowed them to share courage and strength they didn’t know they had. Mariam and Laila decide to run away in hopes of a better life away from Rasheed and his abusive ways. This action shows great character development not only for Laila but mostly for Mariam because I know she would have never gained the courage to do such thing alone. Laila has had great impact on Mariam’s life and I find it ironic how at first Rasheed thought it was Mariam who was corrupting Laila. Although their planning of running away did not work out, it was a very big step for both of them to at least try. Also, this starts to show afghan women losing fear and sticking up for themselves in a time of war where they depend on men for their safety. (word count: 302)

Totally Not Bryan KB

3/28/2017 11:25:11 am

In Part III of A Thousand Splendid Suns, the section that stood out the most to me the most was when Laila and Mariam had their first moment of bonding. It was clear at this point, when Mariam began telling Laila her life story and how unlucky she’s been, that the duo would become very close friends. This is supported when Laila said “I have something to tell you too” (Housseini 255) because it signifies that Laila has fully opened up to Mariam and vice versa. At this particular point, the authorial intent was clear. The indication was that the two would soon become inseparable. This was important to understand because, not only does this help the advancement on the plot, but it also instills in the minds of the readers that Mariam is finding someone who is genuine and whom she actually likes. To the readers, this is insignificant because friends come and go throughout life many many times. To her, though, this is a huge deal. Soon, it will be clear of how this will advance the plot and play into what Khaled is really trying to get into the minds of the readers.
Word Count: 198

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