Laila’s first sacrifice comes when she does not marry Tariq and run away with his family, because she knows she cannot leave her Babi. Many characters make sacrifices for each other throughout the novel. And while Mariam loses her freedom by taking the fall for Rasheed’s murder, her hope follows Laila and her children, so that they can begin a new life together, free from prosecution, and finally free from Rasheed. Hope comes back to Mariam as she develops a bond with Aziza, and then with Laila. Laila’s hopes of seeing Tariq are dashed when Rasheed hires a man to tell Laila that Tariq is dead. Hope keeps Laila’s spirits up, especially when she finds out that Tariq and his family have to leave Afghanistan. Hope drives Mariam to try to make her marriage work, but is ultimately lost when she discovers she cannot have children.

Hope is also what Nana lost as she watched her daughter walk away from her to seek out her father instead. Hope drives Mariam to seek out her father Jalil, in her hopes of being enfolded into his family with his wives and her half-siblings. The unfair treatment of women is horrific and brutal, and epitomized with Mariam’s execution in the stadium. Laila and Mariam suffer at the hands of Rasheed because he is given all of the power over the women and children, according to the law. Women are expected to wear burqas, be escorted by male family members, and to be obedient to the rules and regulations of the regime. With the arrival of the Taliban, all of that is taken away. Under the Soviet regime, Laila is able to go to school, and her father wants her to hold off on marriage until she has finished her education. Although Mariam’s father’s family pushes her into marriage with Rasheed, it is ultimately her choice to agree to marry him. Mariam and Laila grow up during regimes that are not oppressive. The primary theme in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns is the rights of women, especially under the Taliban. Themes to Look For and Discuss The Rights of Women In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the novel, and support their choices with details from the text. Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard.

Khalid hussain a thousand splendid suns