A Thousand Splendid Suns Character Analysis

Words: 569
Pages: 3

Mariam- One of the female protagonists, is a noiseless, selfless child at the beginning of the novel. She is born out of the marriage of a rich and already married businessman; Jalil, and his former housekeeper; Nana. Mariam hates her mother’s strictness, and how her father only visits her one in a week, her illegitimacy makes it hard for her to stand up for herself. Mariam’s mother commits suicide when she is only fifteen, and because of that she runs away. Mariam is overwhelmed with guilt that it lasts with her for most of her lifetime. Also her husband; Rasheed is abusive, and she is unwilling to have children with him. Therefore of the unwillingness to have children, she becomes angry, unpleasant, and a fearful woman, just like her mother. Mariam’s life begins to get better after the halving of Lailia, Rasheed’s second wife. Throughout her love for Lailia and Lailia’s children, Mariam is finally able to achieve her goal to be a mother, and to give and receive love.

Tariq- Tariq is a boy who is raised in Kabul, close to Lailia. His leg was blown off by a landmine when he was a young boy. His support of his parents, never lets his disability get the better of him. He and Lailia are best friends as children and fall in love as teenagers. Tariq and his family were
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Traditional and skillful, educates Mariam what an ideal wife should be; obedient, compliant, and able to have children. Learning that Mariam is unable to have children he loses patience with Mariam. Rasheed physically and verbally abuses Mariam. He then marries Laila to replace his dead son. When Laila gives him a son, Rasheed’s good traits come out and he is caring, patient, gentle, loving, and kind. However that doesn’t translate to Laila, Laila’s daughter, Aziza, or Mariam. Rasheed’s manipulative, abusive doings, eventually gets himself killed by Mariam, killing him in