AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
LUCIA ERI STYANINGSIH
Student Number: 064214066
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
LUCIA ERI STYANINGSIH
Student Number: 064214066
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
v
Jesus Christ for His blessing and guidance since through the year especially in
the process of finishing my thesis.
I am particularly grateful to Adventina Putranti, S.S., M.Hum, my
advisor for her great understanding and patience in supporting me during the
writing process of this thesis. I also wish to express my gratitude to my co-
advisor Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum for giving advice on this thesis.
I would also like to show my proper appreciation to all lecturers of English
Letters Department and to all of the staff of Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma
University.
My greatest gratitude is also dedicated to my beloved parents and sisters.
My father: Karyono Wignyotanoyo, my mother: Sri Wiryanti, S.Pd, my sisters:
Agustina Dwi Widyaningsih and Fransiska Dina Aryanti. Thank you so much
for the love, prayers and support you have given me.
My sincere gratitude goes to Alex Budiyanto, S.T. for his caring, support,
tender love and great patience.
To all my classmates of Sastra’06 especially Siska, Via, Mella, Ionk and
Elis, thank you so much for the great friendship and care for all these times.
Finally, to anyone whom I do not mention here but have given me a hand,
I want to say thank you.
vi
1. Theories of Characters and Characterization …… 9
2. Theories of Setting ……….. 12
1. The Struggle to Get Freedom of Choice in the Society ……… 61
vii
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………. 84
viii
Discrimination as Seen through the Major Characters in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. Yogyakarta: English Letters Department, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
The thesis discusses the novel of Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. The novel is worth-discussing because it deals with modern woman issues which also happen in many societies. The novel presents Mariam and Laila as the main characters who struggle against gender discrimination in Afghanistan.
There are three objectives in conducting this research. The first objective is to reveal the characteristics of the major characters. The second one is to know what kind of society the author describes in the novel. The last objective is to know the struggle against gender discrimination reflected through the major characters.
In conducting the thesis, the writer employs library research. Primary data are gained from the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Whereas, the secondary data used in answering the problems are collected from some relevant and supporting references. The writer also applies the socio-cultural historical approach proposed by Rohrberger because literary work cannot be separated from its civilization in every period. In additional, the theory of gender is utilized to know the struggle against gender discrimination reflected through the major characters.
ix
Thousand Splendid Suns. Yogyakarta: English Letters Department, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Thesis ini membahas tentang novel karangan Khaled Hosseini berjudul A Thousand Splendid Suns. Novel ini layak untuk dikaji karena berkaitan dengan isu tentang wanita yang juga terjadi di berbagai masyarakat. Novel tersebut menampilkan Mariam and Laila sebagai tokoh utamanya yang berjuang melawan diskriminasi gender di Afghanistan.
Ada tiga perumusan tujuan dalam menulis skripsi ini. Yang pertama adalah untuk mengungkap karakteristik kedua tokoh utama. Yang kedua adalah mengetahui karakteristik masyarakat yang dideskripsikan oleh pengarang. Tujuan terakhir adalah untuk mengetahui perjuangan melawan diskriminasi gender yang direfleksikan melalui kedua tokoh utama.
Dalam melaksanakan penelitiannya, penulis menggunakan studi pustaka. Data primer skripsi ini diperoleh dari novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Sedangkan data sekunder yang digunakan untuk menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan diatas diperoleh dari beberapa referensi yang relevan dan mendukung. Penulis juga menggunakan pendekatan sosio-kultural-historis yang dikemukakan oleh Rohrberger sebab karya sastra dalam pembahasannya memiliki nilai sejarah. Selain itu digunakan juga teori gender yang berguna untuk mengetahui bagaimana perjuangan melawan diskriminasi gender direfleksikan melalui kedua tokoh utama.
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Men, consciously or unconsciously, have oppressed women. Allowing
women little or no voice in the political, social, or economic issues. By not giving
voices and value to women, men have therefore suppressed the women. Men have
made women the ”non-significant Other”. Female is not male, and therefore
becomes “the Other” (Bressler, 1990: 42).
In reality there is still much gender discrimination. Until nowadays, in
many places, women’s position is lower than men. In the Western countries like
United State and England, the government and society has permitted the equality
between men and women. However, in the Middle East countries like Egypt,
Arab, Pakistan, and Afghanistan women’s position are lower than men. It means
that women have no enough power in the society.
National identity in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, and recently Afghanistan
is being molded on the basis of the Islamicisation of civil society, and severe
curtailment of freedom for women (Loomba, 1998: 226). This is the real situation
of women who live in those countries.
Montagu in her book, The Superiority of Women, states that men have
power over women. They control women in many ways and let them to be
dependent to men. People assume that women cannot do work better than men do
To release themselves from this wrong assumption women have to realize
that they are not inferior. Women have to be aware of their rights. After centuries
living under oppression, women start to react against gender discrimination.
Women struggle to gain their rights. They want to get the equality between men
and women. As a woman, the writer is interested in observing deeply about
discrimination of man and woman.
The writer takes a novel titled A Thousand Splendid Suns which is written
by Khaled Hosseini in 2007, to be explored because the relationship between the
main characters with the society and the people around them in the novel has
arisen interest to the writer. This is the story of two strong Afghan women of
different ages from different areas. They are Mariam and Laila. They represent the
women in Afghanistan. There is the imbalance relationship between men and
women within which women are positioned to be subordinate to men. They do not
get many rights in their life as women. They do not get their rights because of the
environment around them, like the family and the society especially in the
difficult political times that moment.
Khaled Hosseini is one of the examples of male writers who are interested
in women’s issues. Hosseini's depiction of Mariam and Laila's plight would seem
a sadly accurate version of what many Afghan women have experienced. Mariam
and Laila live under gender discrimination in the society. As in reality
Afghanistan is an Islamic country, women who are living in Afghanistan get
In the novel, the author does not only focus on the two main female
characters but he also describes the situation in Afghanistan in 1954-2003 when
the story took place. Jacobs and Robert state that the setting influence characters.
The surroundings where the characters live in portray the characters themselves
(1987:191). This novel reflects the way of life and way of thinking of the society
in Afghanistan in 1954-2003. There are many volatile events of Afghanistan's last
thirty years. Political unrest, deteriorating law and order situation, years of wars
have left Afghanistan bleeding and made millions of Afghanis homeless and
destitute. The two major characters, Mariam and Laila also suffer from it. The
government pressure and religious movements became the great influence to the
society and characters in the novel. The writer is interested in two major
characters who are struggling against gender discrimination.
According to Wellek and Warren there is a relationship between literature
and society that “literature is an expression of society (1963:95). It means that the
author inevitable expresses his experience and total conception of life. The
situation and condition of the society may also express in the literary work as the
setting of the story even as the author’s critical view toward the society. By
reading a literary work, readers can learn about the social life and its values and
the social issues in a certain period.
There are many regimes in Afghanistan; one of the most crucial times in
the novel toward women’s condition is under Taliban reign. Since the Taliban
became a military and political force in late 1994, women and girls in Afghanistan
rights were violated. This resulted in the deteriorating economic and social
conditions of women and girls in all areas of the country, in particular in areas
under Taliban control. Women and girls continued to be severely restricted in
their access to education, health care facilities and employment.
In A Thousand Splendid Suns, through Mariam and Laila’s characters the
novel reveals the struggle against gender discrimination which is applied in the
modern era in the novel. Both of them struggle to get their rights in their life and
brave to face bad situation toward women in Afghanistan especially in the crucial
political time under Taliban.
From the reasons conveyed above, the writer is interested in analyzing
Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns from gender study’s point of view.
The writer will analyze Mariam and Laila’s personality to see how they struggle
to get their rights that reflects the struggle against gender discrimination. As
Mariam and Laila shows different personality toward the women’s condition in
Afghanistan. They are brave against old thought that exists in the society which
positions men as the center power and women as weak creatures that always
dependent to men. They want to break those wrong assumptions. The writer gets
the struggle against gender discrimination through the major characters based on
their characteristics, their way of thinking and the way they struggle against the
B. Problem Formulations
This thesis will discuss the idea of feminism in Khaled Hoseini’s A
Thousand Splendid Suns. Therefore based in this literary work, the problem
formulations which will help focus the discussion are:
1. How are the major characters of A Thousand Splendid Suns presented?
2. How is the society in which the characters live described in the novel?
3. How is the struggle against gender discrimination reflected through the major
characters?
C. Objectives of the Study
In this study, there are three objectives of study. The first, the writer wants
to reveal the description of the major characters in the novel. The author describes
the major characters in specific way.
The second objective is to know what kind of society the author describes
in the novel. The writer wants to know the situation and circumstances that
become the background of the major characters.
The third objective of this research is to know the struggle against gender
discrimination presented through the major characters as the result of their
struggle to face the condition in the society which positions men as the central
D. Definition of Terms
There are some terms to be explicated in order to gain clear explanation
and avoid misunderstanding to the readers. The terms are:
1. Discrimination
Negative behavior directed toward some group. Discrimination as the term
used here, is behavior that is unfair to a group target. Discrimination can be
practiced by an individual or an institution. In most instances, discrimination
is directed against a relatively powerless group by members of a powerful
dominant group.
2. Gender
Gender refer to ways of seeing and representing people and situation based on
sex difference (Goodman, 1996 : vii). While Maggie Hum states gender as “ A
culturally-shaped group of attributed and behaviors given to the female of the
male” (1990: 84)
3. Character
According to the Glossary of Literary Terms, character means the person
presented in a dramatic or narrative work who is interpreted by the readers as
being endowed with moral and dispositional quality that are expressed in what
7
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
In this chapter, the writer focuses on various studies and theories related to
the literary work discussed. It includes the reviews from many critics and some
theory of character and characterization, setting, and gender.
A. Review of Related Studies
Rosalina Dau, one of the alumni of Sanata Dharma University writes a
thesis based on gender study. Her thesis which entitled Ideas of Feminism
Revealed through the Main Character in Chewlow’s Not Married Not Bothered
emphasizes on the struggle against gender discrimination that the main character
does. Rosalina Dau shows the struggle of the main character in the novel named
Riley Gordon against patriarchal society as can be seen in the following quotation.
Riley Gordon is truly aware of her rights. She does not let people especially the patriarchal society; tell her how it is to be a good woman. Unlike women around her who are so much influenced by the patriarchal society’s point of view about women. She defines herself as an independent woman. Riley Gordon frees herself from the bound of domestic duties that have been identical to women for centuries (Dau, 2008:2).
Riley Gordon also shows that a woman can stand independently without a
husband especially for the women living in Great Britain as seen in the following
quotation.
Another study of gender can be found in the thesis of Ratri Widyaningrum
who was the student of English Letters of Sanata Dharma University entitled Idea
of Feminism in Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. The thesis emphasizes the struggle
against gender discrimination through the main character named Esther
Greenwood.
Esther breaks all of the traditional rules that a female in her time should have been following. She is trying to break out the mold of the traditional woman. She never intended to gt married, hates the idea of serving man, and always tries to have carrier on her own (Widyaningrum, 2003:49).
Esther is described as independent and brilliant which shows women’s
strength. She thinks that she deserves to be treated equally as men. She thinks that
women have freedom to do what they want. Esther believes that she will never be
equal with the importance of a male in the society. All Esther wants is to have
visible rewards for her efforts, and to be treated equally with men.
Hanita Soraya who was the student in English Letters in Sanata Dharma
University also writes a thesis based on the study of gender entitled The Ideas of
Feminism Seen in the Characteristics of Mrs. Clandon and Gloria in Shaw’s You
Never Can Tell. Hanita Soraya analyzes the struggle against gender discrimination
in the society through the two main characters in one of Shaw’s works. A part of
the analysis can be seen in the quotation below.
The two main characters Mrs. Clandon and Gloria show their quality of
being independent in their life. Mrs. Clandon is really sure that she can live her
life without her husband. Gloria becomes an educated woman and have
characteristics like have principles, dares to express her opinion and ideas that
shows women’s strength. Both of them reveal the struggle for gender equality
through their personality.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theories of Characters and Characterization
Robert and Jacobs say, “Character in literature generally and in fiction
specially, is an extended verbal representation of a human being, the inner self
that determines thought, speech, and behavior. Through dialogues, actions and
commentary, the author captures some of the interaction of character and
circumstance” (1987:119).
EM. Foster in his book Aspect of the Novel states two types of characters.
They are “round” and “flat’ character. “A round character has many realistic traits
and is relatively fully developed by the author… it may be considered as dynamic:
that is they demonstrate their capacity to change or to grow (1987:120-121). As
contrasted with the round character, “flat characters are essentially
undistinguishable from their group or class, therefore they are not individual but
representative” (1987:121).
Meanwhile, Roger B. Henkle divided characters into major and minor
considered as major characters. These characters are given a good deal of
attention and then shored into the background or off scene as attention turns
elsewhere (1977:90). The reader will give his fullest attention to these major
characters because, if he understands them, he presumably understands the focal
experiences of the story. The major characters perform the key structural function
in the story. Meanwhile, minor characters or the secondary characters in the story
perform more limited functions. They can function in various ways; as elements
of society that makes up the human context as average or normal points of
reference, as foils to the major characters or they can be symbols of aspects of the
governing state of being (1977:100).
Characters in a story are different from one another because they have
certain personalities and ‘physical attributes’ that distinguish them. According to
Murphy, there are nine ways in which an author characterizes his/ her character in
a novel:
1. Personal description
The author can describe a person’s appearance and clothes. Here the author
describes the character in details.
2. Character as seen by another
Besides describing a character directly, the author can describe the character
through other’s perspective and opinion. Through this, the readers may get a
3. Speech
The author gives a description of character through what the character says.
The author presents some clues to character whenever he states his or her
opinion.
4. Past life
The author gives the readers some keys or clues to any event that have helped
to shape a person’s character, so that we can learn something about the
character’s past life.
5. Conversation of other
The author describes the characterization of a character through conversation
of others and their saying to him. It gives the readers clue to the characters of
the person spoken about.
6. Reaction
The author can give us a clue to a person’s characterization by letting us know
how that person reacts to various situations and events.
7. Direct comment
The author can describe or comment on a person’s characterization directly.
By giving comments explicitly, the readers will understand what kind of
person he or she is.
8. Thought
The author can give us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about.
Here, the readers have a privileged position to come to the in most thoughts of
9. Mannerism
The author describes the character through his mannerism or his habits (1972,
161-173).
The nine methods above are the ways that the author gives to make the readers
understand the characters in the story. Usually, an author does not use one of these
methods exclusively, but generally blends them skillfully.
2. Theories of Setting
Abram defines setting of a narrative or dramatics work as “the general,
locale, historical time, and social circumstance place. The description of the place
should reflect the conditions and geographical circumstances of that place”
(1981:75). Leo Hamalian and Frederick R. Karl state that setting does not always
mean place and time, but it also means people’s attitude in a certain time and
place (1978:516). Jacobs and Robert state that the setting influence characters.
The surrounding where the characters live in portrays the characters themselves
(1987:191).
Murphy in Understanding Unseen gives his opinion by stating that the
setting of the novel is the background against which the characters live out their
life. Usually setting concerns with the place and time in which the characters live.
These can give a great effect upon their personalities, actions and way of thinking
(1977:141).
According to Wellek and Warren there is a relationship between literature
author inevitably expresses his experience and total concept of life. The situation
and condition of the society may also express in the literary work as the setting of
the story even as the author’s critical view toward the society.
3. Theories of Gender
Gender is a special characteristic of either man or women that is socially
and culturally constructed (Fakih, 1996: 8). In almost all societies, it is assumed
that women are weak and sickly creatures. They are less intelligent, uncreative,
emotional, and irrational in thinking. On the contrary, men’s characteristic is
considered as strong, intelligent, rational, and physically powerful. It is claims
that men are superior while women are inferior because of these qualities.
From the past, women are treated unfairly in society. They received
prejudge mental statement of their being female. People assumed that superiority
is determined biologically. In society, people interpret pregnancy, birth, and
nursing as great burdens and it makes women fell that they are placed to an
inferior position by their biological functions (Montagu, 1953: 38). The traditional
presumption builds gender discrimination. It brings disadvantages to women
particularly. Gender discrimination restricts the opportunity of women to develop
their intelligence and skills, and as a result, women lack of opportunities to
develop their potentials in many spheres. Moreover Montagu says that the society
has conditioned women to accept the concept that they cannot do better than men.
It makes women oppressed and they hesitate to change and accept the challenge to
Joan Robinson Acker strengthens her opinion. According to him, women
are higher positions of power, that they earn less than men; they are present in a
small proportion in the more prestigious occupations. Women are unequal to men
in many ways, are differentially evaluate on the basis of sex, but this is irrelevant
to the structure of stratifications system (1977: 495-7).
Magie Humm states that gender identity that differentiates men and
women culturally, is socially constructed and can be challenged and changed.
Gender inequality begins very early in the patriarchal society through its dominant
institutions (1992: 21).
Women are defined as ‘other’ or they are ignored, rendered, invisible and
silent, if they do not fit the patriarchal scheme. Outside the dominant definitions
of male dominated culture, women exist only as insane, inarticulate or irrelevant
(Madsen 2000:18). Being a woman in patriarchal society means that accepting the
fact that they will not be considered as a whole integrity. Women are considered
as the second class citizens, and their presences only be considered as the minor
role in patriarchal society.
Gender is social construct designed to limit the range of life choice
available to humankind for the suitable operation of social institution. The
position of women as the ‘other’ and ‘inferior’ as well as the imposition of
compulsory heterosexuality resultant from this ideology of gender are responsible
C. Review on the Late 19th and Early 20th Century Afghanistan.
Afghanistan in the late 19th and early 20th century was in transition regime.
There were eight period of regime in the 1933 up to 2003. They were Rule of
Mohammad Zahir Shah (1933 – 1973), Presidency of Mohammad Daoud Khan
(1973 -1978), Communist Rule-pre Soviet invasion (1978), Afghan-Soviet War
(1979 – 1989), Dr. Najibullah's Regime (1989 – 1992), Mujahideen government
and civil war (1992 – 1996), Taliban Rule (1996 – 2001), and post-Taliban
rebuilding (2001-2003).
Khaled Hosseini is one of the early 20th century Afghanistan famous and
socialist authors. One of his great novels is A Thousand Splendid Suns. The writer
in this chapter tries to present the sociocultural-historical background of the
Afghanistan in those regimes which is the setting of the novel itself. In this period,
the political, social and economic life of Afghanistan was in transition era.
Zahir Shah gave women equal rights under the constitution of 1964. Some
women benefited, attending college and abandoning the veil, but for most women,
little changed. Zahir Shah did little to improve the abysmal living conditions of
the vast majority of Afghan. Life expectancy was 37 years, 1 in 3 children died in
child birth, and illiteracy was 80-90. There were few paved roads, only one doctor
for every 50,000 Afghans and electricity in just a few major cities. Unemployment
was wide-spread and key government jobs and army positions went to the King’s
family. Unions and political parties were banned (Moghadam, 1997).
The Prime Minister Mohammad Daoud did not want to repeat the haste
option”. By now women were expected once again to abandon the veil, marriages
expenses were curtailed, and women were encouraged to contribute to the
economy. The 1940s and 1950s saw women becoming nurses, doctors and
teachers. In 1964 the third Constitution allowed women to enter elected politics
and gave them the right to vote. The first Minister was in health department,
elected to the Parliament along with three other women. In 1965 People’s
Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), a Soviet-backed socialist organizations
was formed. The same year also saw the formation of the first women’s group, the
Democratic organization of Afghan Women (DOAW). The main objectives of this
women’s group was to eliminate illiteracy among women, ban forced marriages,
and do away with bride price (Moghadam, 1997).
The 1970s saw a rise in women’s education, faculty in the universities, and
representative in the Parliament. The year 1978 saw the rise to power of the
controversial PDPA. It is during PDPA rule that rapid social and economic
change, echoing some of the 1920s themes, was implemented and mass literacy
for women and men of all ages was introduced. Massive land reform programs,
along with abolition of bride price and rising of marriage age were also part of the
PDPA agenda. In October 1978 a decree was issued with explicit intention of
ensuring equal rights for women. Minimum age of marriages was set at 16 for
girls and 18 years for boys. The revolutionary pace of social change caused
concern among the mullahs and tribal chiefs in the interiors. They viewed
compulsory education, especially for women, as going against the grain of
force in bringing the changes to fruition, combined with a brutal disregard for
societal and religious sensitivities, resulted in massive backlash from the rural
population (Dupree, 1998).
During the era of 1978 women were employed in significant numbers in
Universities, private corporations, the airlines and as doctors and nurses but, for
the nation as whole, it was a period of anarchy and destruction (Moghadam,
1997).
Beginning with the Soviet Union (Russia) occupation in December 1979,
Afghanistan witnessed a decade long war. Fuelled by external forces, funding, and
political interests by the United States, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and China, the
Mujahideen fought against the Soviets. During the Soviet war, many civilians
including numerous women and children were killed by the communist
government and their Russian allies. However, in the Afghan capital and in some
of the major cities under the communist government's control, women did get to
enjoy some basic freedoms (Mendelson, 1998).
The Afghan countryside was the breeding grounds for these “freedom
fighter”. Suspicious of the Soviet socialist agenda to annihilate the tradition
culture and religion of Afghanistan, the Mujaheedin was able to gather forces to
form their own revolutionary army. Their battle cry was in the name of Islam,
emphasizing a reversal of all socialist policies including those that guaranteed
women liberties through education and employment (Mendelson, 1998).
In 1989, when the Soviets left Afghanistan, the country was in disarray
That year the Mujahideen took over Kabul and declared Afghanistan an Islamic
state. The Mujahedeen entered Kabul and burnt down the university, library and
school women were forced to wear the burqa and fewer women were visible on
television and in professional jobs (Mendelson, 1998).
The period from 1992-1996 saw unprecedented barbarism by the
Mujahideen where stories of killings, rapes, amputations and other forms of
violence were told daily. The Mujahideen took Kabul and liberated Afghanistan
from the Communists and the Mujahideen formed an Islamic State. Eventually a
civil war broke out, and during this time, gross violations of abuses occurred not
only against women but the population in general. Massacres and mass killings
occurred and the war took on an ethnic tone. To avoid rape, forced marriages,
young women were resorting to suicide (Mendelson, 1998).
Later in 1996, the same consortium (U.S.A., Pakistan, Iran and Saudi
Arabia) supported the Taliban to encounter the “mismanaged” politics and
“unexpected” brutalities of the Mujahideen. It was extremely short lived, and
very soon the Taliban set up Amar Bil Marrof Wa Nahi An al-Munkar
(Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) to monitor and
control women’s behavior. The Taliban made sweeping changes in the social
order and used the radio to broadcast its new laws (televisions were banned).
Daily, Radio Sharia reminded the citizens of their duty to the country and Islam,
and listed the changes men and women needed to make to conform to the new
fundamentalist regime. For women, this meant no longer being able to go outside
mahram (male relative). Women had to wear the burqa and no makeup or fancy
shoes. White shoes were forbidden since that was the color of the Taliban flag.
Women and girls could not go to school nor visit male doctors. Women, who were
doctors and teachers before, suddenly were forced to be beggars and even
prostitutes in order to feed their families. During the rule of the Taliban, women
were treated worse than in any other time or by any other society. Not unlike the
Mujahideen, the Taliban too indulged in forced marriages and rapes (Marsden,
2002).
In the late 2001, The United Front (aka Alliance) together with the United
States attacked the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and forced them out of Kabul. The
restrictions on Afghan women were officially lifted and they were allowed to once
again work and go to school. Unfortunately, today, the abuses of women continue
as the government is too weak to enforce many of the laws, especially in the rural
areas, and in once Taliban supported areas (Marsden, 2002).
D. Theoretical Framework
In conducting this research, the writer needs theories that have been stated.
The writer needs theories of characters from Robert and Jacobs, EM. Fosters and
Roger B. Henkle. Those theories of character are applied to see how the characters
are presented and to analyze those characters. Theory of characterizations from
Theories of setting will be helpful in understanding the meaning of the
term setting itself. Since, theories of setting will help the writer in connecting the
significance of the setting towards the characters in the story.
The focus of this study lays on the struggle against gender discrimination
therefore the writer uses theory of gender to scrutinize the struggle against gender
discrimination in this novel. The theory of gender is important to support the
struggle against gender discrimination of the main female characters in the novel.
Therefore the reader will understand the main female characters’ way of thinking,
their view of life and what they actually want to do. The two preceding theories
related to each other as well as the theories of gender. They cannot be separated
21
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
This novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, is written by Khaled Hosseini. It
was published in 2007. A Thousand Splendid Suns is Khaled Hosseini's second
novel. A Kite Runner is his first book. A Thousand Splendid Suns is not clearly
autobiographical as The Kite Runner; however, one cannot help but imagine that
the two remarkable women in the novel, Mariam and Laila are drawn from life,
that their revealed lives reflect the lives of thousands of Afghani women who have
endured despite the odds.
A Thousand Splendid Suns, was written after Hosseini traveled back to his
native Afghanistan to examine for himself the nation’s situation in the aftermath
of decades of turmoil. This novel is number one national bestseller in The United
States.
The idea of this novel focuses on the major characters named Mariam and
Laila. They represent the women in Afghanistan. There is the imbalance
relationship between men and women within which women are positioned to be
subordinate to men in the real life. A Thousand Splendid Suns itself consists of
443 pages in 51 chapters and it is divided into two big parts, the story of Mariam
B. Approach of the Study
The writer applies sociocultural-historical approach to analyze the problem
arising in this thesis. The writer uses one of the sociocultural-historical
approaches proposed by Mary Rohrberger.
In her book, Reading and Writing about Literature, sociocultural-historical
approach aims that the only way to locate the real work be in references to the
civilization that produces it. She defines civilization as the attitude and actions of
a specific group of people and point out that critic investigates the social
environment in which a work was created and which it necessarily reflects. The
literature is not created in a vacuum period because it produced by the civilization
in every period, and also embodies ideas significant to the culture that produce it
(Rohberger, 1971:09). The writer uses sociocultural-historical approach to find
out the answer of the problem of social condition of Afghanistan in the late 19th
and the early 20th century.
In sociocultural-historical approach it is stated that the literature is not
created in a vacuum period because it produced by the civilization in every period.
It means that it is necessary to analyze the society in literary work because it is not
produced in a vacuum period. Therefore, it is impossible to analyze A Thousand
Splendid Suns without being awareness of the situation and condition of the
society at that time. After understanding the situation and condition of the society
at that time in the novel, the writer will get the idea of the society’s concept about
women and their existences. It is reflected through the main female characters in
writer to understand the condition of the society in the novel dealing with gender
discrimination. Thus, how the approach applies in this study.
C. Method of the Study
The study is a library study. It means that the main procedures that the
writer uses to gain data is by reading the whole text and taking important notes
that help the writer to analyze the novel. The novel become the main source.
Some theories on character and characterization, setting and gender were
compiled from some books in the library as well as from the internet.
The writer also made a critical analysis. The writer tried to analyze the
work so objectively that the writer could make a reasonable analysis.
The writer used theories of setting to recognize what kind of society the
novel has. After recognizing the society, the writer tried to enter and comprehend
the way of life of the society. The writer had to match the reality found in the
society in the story with the theories of setting.
The second step was to analyze the two main female characters in the
novel using theories of character and characterization. It is important to know the
characteristics of the main female characters in the novel to see the way of life and
the way of thinking of the characters that make them different with the other
members in the society. They can be traced by looking the dialogues, action,
habits and how the characters behave. In this step, the writer also had to start to
The last step was entering the two main female characters’ mind to find
the relation between their characteristics with their struggle against gender
discrimination that they have as seen through their characteristics. This was the
part when the three important aspects in this research were mixed. The writer had
to see the society that conditioned the characters to have certain characteristics.
From their different characteristics, the writer could see how they created the
struggle against gender discrimination. At last the writer made a conclusion of the
25
In this chapter, as the first step, the writer would like to discuss the
character of Mariam and Laila. The second step, the writer will explain the society
where the major characters live in. The last step, the writer wants to reveal the
struggle for gender equality as seen through the major characters.
A. The Portrayal of the Two Major Characters
This research takes the two major characters as the center. Robert B.
Henkle elaborates that the characters that are observed most often in the story can
be considered as major characters. The major characters in this novel are Mariam
and Laila. They play important role in this novel because they dominate the whole
story. The story in the novel is mostly about them. These two major characters
live in a patriarchal society and they take the readers by understanding their
characteristics that are reflected through dialogues, actions and commentary the
author captures some of the interaction of the characters and the circumstances.
1. Character of Mariam
Mariam is one of the major characters because she is one of the most often
observed characters in the novel. Mariam is also a round character. She
demonstrates her capacity to change or to grow. Mariam has some characteristics,
a. Obedient
Mariam is an obedient child. Murphy states that a person’s character in the
novel can be revealed through how that person reacts to various situations and
events. At a young age, Mariam is recognized as an illegitimate child of Nana and
Jalil. Mariam lives with her mother, Nana. Nana usually calls her as a harami or
bastard children. Mariam does not have any opportunity to get formal education in
the school like her other stepsisters and stepbrothers. Her mother forbids her to go
to school because the only thing Mariam can learn as a woman is how to endure
life.
“Learn? Learn what, Mullah sahib?” Nana said sharply. “What is there to learn?” She snapped her eyes toward Mariam.
Mariam looked down at her hands.
What’s the sense schooling a girl like you? It’s like shining a spittoon. And you’ll learn nothing of value in those schools. There is only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school. Look at me.
Mariam nodded(pp. 19-20)
From Mariam’s reaction, it shows that Mariam does not want to break her
mother’s rule. When Nana says something to her, Mariam usually just keeps silent
and nodded. Mariam obeys her mother not to go to school and she follows her
mother’s commands.
Mariam almost does everything to show her obedience to her mother.
Through the author’s direct comment, Mariam’s action is also described as an
obedient behavior. One day when Jalil’s sons, Muhsin and Ramin deliver food to
Nana and Mariam, Mariam gibes them because Nana asks her to do the same
Once, to please Nana, Mariam even yelled at Muhsin, told him he had a mouth shaped like a lizard’s ass (p.15)
Actually, she wished she were allowed to offer them water. “—and was
consumed later with guilt, shame and fear that they would tell Jalil” (p.15).
Mariam feels sorry for the boys but she does it to please her mother Nana. She
thinks that as a child she should follow what her mother asks her to do.
Mariam later lives with her father because her mother died in suicide. In
her father’s house, Mariam also be an obedient child. She follows her father’s
command when he asks her to get married with his friend named Rasheed.
She turned to Jalil again. “Tell them you won’t let them do this.” “Actually, your father has already given his answer,” Afsoon said. “Say something,” Mariam said.
Then Jalil did, in a thin, threadbare voice. “Goddamn it, Mariam, don’t do this to me,” he said as though he was the one to whom something was being done.
… Mariam looked down at the table (pp.53-54).
Mariam decides to get married with Rasheed because Jalil asks her to do
so even she does not want to get married. Mariam’s reaction toward her father’s
command to get married with Rasheed shows that Mariam is an obedient child.
She always does what she is told to do by her parents.
Mariam also always obeys her husband’s commands. “Mariam cleans the
house, makes sure Rasheed always has a supply of clean shirts, cooks him his
favorite dishes” (p.105) and other chores that Rasheed asks her to do.
Through how that Mariam reacts to certain situations and events in her
marriage, Mariam is an obedient wife.
… “You know nothing, do you? You’re like a child. Your brain is empty. There is no information in it.”
“Chup Ko. Shut up.” Mariam did (p.104).
Mariam asks Rasheed about what a communist is and Rasheed wants her
not to ask about that and keep shutting her mouth up. Mariam obeys his
commands.
b. Imaginative
An imaginative person is a person who has an ability to imagine what
she/he wants in this life. That person usually takes an action or does something to
make her imagination become real.
Mariam, a young village girl, lives in a small shack outside of the city of
Herat in Afghanistan. Mariam always has big dreams in her life. She is a strong
girl who dreams of bigger things for herself, far beyond what she finds within the
walls of her small shack. Mariam is an imaginative person. Murphy states that a
person’s character in the novel can be revealed through what the character says.
Mariam has a dream to go to school like her father’s other kids. She has an
imagination to go to school and university like her other stepsister and
stepbrothers. She says it to her teacher Mullah Faizullah.
But Mariam’s favorite other than Jalil of course, was Mullah Faizullah the elderly village Koran tutor, its akhund…
… it was Mullaf Faizullah who taught Mariam to read (p.17). Mariam said that she wants to study at school.
Mariam told him that she wished she would be allowed to go to school. “I mean a real school,, akhund sahib. Like in a classroom. Like my father’s other kids (p.18).
From the speech of Mariam, she shows her big dream to get formal
education in school. She says it to her Koran teacher, Mullah Faizullah. Mariam
want to allow her to have a formal education in school. Nana insists that the only
lesson that Mariam as a girl needs to learn is to endure life. Nana also says about
what the society will say to Mariam because she is a bastard child. “Besides,
they’ll laugh at you in school. They will. They’ll call you harami” (p.20). Mariam
later can only learn to read Koran with her beloved teacher Mullah Faizullah. It is
one of her step to make her dreams come true which is by learning to read Koran.
Through the author’s direct comment, Mariam is described as an
imaginative person. Mariam always imagines living with her stepsisters and
stepbrothers as a big family. Mariam lives with her mother only. She dreams to
live in the same house with her big family.
She gave herself over to the new life that awaited her in this city, a life with a father, with sisters and brothers, a life in which she would love and be loved back, without reservation or agenda, without shame (p.34).
As a bastard child or harami, it is impossible for Mariam to stay in her
father’s house with her other stepsister and stepbrother because Jalil, Jalil’s wives
and Nana will not allow that. Mariam does not care about them; she just wants to
live with her father, sisters and brothers. To make it become real Mariam go to
Heart to meet her father.
She rolled up the legs of her trousers to the knee, crossed the stream, and, for the first time in her life, head down the hill for Heart (p.33).
The author’s direct comment shows that Mariam is a person who struggles
to make her dream comes true. Mariam never go far away from her house, but at
this time she wants to make her dream become real by going to her father’s house.
Mariam’s imaginative personality is also described when she is dreaming
very abusive to Mariam. Through what the character is thinking about it is clearly
reflected.
The year had not been kind to Mariam. But perhaps, she thought, there were kinder years waiting still. A new life, a life in which she would find the blessings that Nana had said a harami like her would never see. (p.259)
To make this dream comes true, Mariam decides to escape from Rasheed’s
house with Laila and Aziza. Although women can not go outside without a man
relative under the reign of Taliban, Mariam still does her plan to escape.
c. Patient
Mariam is a patient girl. Murphy states that a person’s character in the
novel can be revealed through how that person reacts to various situations and
events. After Mariam is despair because of her mother's death, and abandoned by
her father, Jalil, who marries her off to Rasheed, she still can live her life and
struggle to face it.
After Nana's funeral, Jalil takes Mariam to his house. Jalil's wife tells
Mariam that Mariam is to be married off to a shoe shop owner named Rasheed in
Kabul. Mariam does nothing for all the bad treatments from her father’s wife.
“You have a suitor” Khadija said. Mariam’s stomach fell. “A what?”
“A khastegar. A suitor. His name is Rasheed” (p.51).
As Jalil’s wives began a new- and more sprightly – round of reassuring, Mariam looked down at the table (p. 52).
From this quotation it can be seen that she is patient to face bad situation
like this. Mariam’s reaction shows it. Even though in fact she does not want to get
married with someone she does not know before, Mariam still be patient to
In her marriages, her husband, Rasheed is abusive and cruel. Rasheed
makes Mariam lose her beauty. He never takes enough care of hers. Rasheed
forces Mariam to wear a burqa. Rasheed many times does kick, punch, slap and
many other brutal action to her.
He snatched her hand, opened it, and dropped a handful of pebbles into it. “Put this in your mouth”
“What”
“Put. These. In your mouth”
… he shoved two fingers into her mouth and pried it open, then forced the cold, hard pebbles into it…
Mariam is so patient; she can accept all the condition in her life. In her marriage,
she doesn’t get any happiness. Mariam always accepts all the bad treatments from
her husband, Rasheed. She does not do something to rebel for years in her
marriage.
Mariam also can accept when Rasheed decides to get married again with a
young girl named Laila because Mariam can’t give him any child.
Laila would remember the muted ceremony in bits and fragments. The cream-colored stripes of Rasheed’s suit The sharp smell of his hair spray…
The contract. The signing, his sure-handed, hers quavering. The prayers, the mirror, that Rasheed had trimmed his eye-brows.
And, somewhere in the room, Mariam watching (pp. 232-233).
When Mariam knows that her husband wants to get married again, Mariam
accepts it and she just watches the wedding ceremony of her husband although
d. Honest
Mariam doesn’t like to tell a lie. She prevents not to say the truth. She has
a quality of being honest. Murphy states that a person’s character can be revealed
through what the character says. When Mariam and Laila are arrested by the
policeman because the run away from Rasheed house, Mariam can’t tell a lie to
the policeman that actually she pretends to be Laila’s mother.
“I’m sorry Laila jo. I am not smart like you. He asked so many questions, I didn’t know the answer” (p.285).
From the speech of Mariam after she was being interrogated by the police,
Mariam is an honest person. She cannot tell a lie to other people. From the first
question of the interrogation, Mariam does not tell any lie. Under the Taliban
women cannot go outside the house without a man relative. At the first time, Laila
lay to the policeman that she, her mother [Mariam] and her daughter, Aziza wants
to go to Pakistan and meet their uncle. Mariam cannot lie to the policeman like
what Laila did. Mariam cannot pretend as Laila’s mother.
e. Critical
Mariam is a critical woman. When she is forced to be married off to a
shoemaker named Rasheed, Mariam can not accept that because she thinks that
she is still young, fifteen years old. Murphy states that a person’s character in the
novel can be revealed through what the character is thinking about.
Mariam criticizes her father and her father’s wives when they say that
fifteen is a solid marrying age for a girl. “What are you, fifteen? That’s a good,
solid marrying age for a girl”(p.51). Mariam also criticizes the society, in the
society girls usually get married in young age. Mariam thinks that fifteen is not an
appropriate age for a girl to get married. She compares it with her stepsisters who
have the same age as her and they are now still students Mehri School.
Mariam’s critical personality is also described when Rasheed wants to get
married again with Laila. Mariam does not want Rasheed to marry Laila, but later
she think that this is the best way for Laila. The street is too dangerous for her. At
the first time Mariam says that she does not agree, “I won’t allow it” (p.228).
Later, Mariam thinks that this is the best way after Rasheed explains about the bad
condition in the street. “The roads out there are unforgiving Mariam, believe me.
Bloodhounds and bandits at every turn.’ (p.228). Mariam decides to allow
Rasheed marrying laila after she thinks that this is the best way for them.
“He wants an answer by this morning,” Mariam said.
“He can have it now,” the girl said. “My answer is yes” (p.229).
Mariam’s action to ask Laila about Rasheed’s proposal shows that she
agrees to let her husband marrying Laila. Mariam has already thought about the
consequences.
In her marriages with Rasheed, Mariam shows her critical personality. She
always thinks why her husband abuses her. Mariam thinks that she does not
deserve that.
Mariam saw now in those eyes what a fool she had been.
willfully done to this man to warrant his malice, his continual assaults, the relish with which he tormented her? Had she not looked after him when he was ill? Fed him, and his friends, cleaned up after him dutifully?
Had she not given this man her youth?
Had she ever justly deserved his meanness?(p.372).
Mariam thinks and asks to herself about what she has done in her
marriage. She criticizes Rasheed’s brutality action to her or a long time. Mariam
thinks that she does not deserve to be abused by him. She thinks that she already
becomes a good wife so far.
f. Wise
Through a character reaction to various situations and events, Mariam is
described as a wise woman. In her marriage, Mariam always obey her husband’s
commands to prevent the anger of her husband, it is not like Laila who always
against him. Mariam many times advices Laila to obey the husband’s command
because they have nobody else to protect them. They also cannot go out from the
house or the policeman will arrest them.
Rasheed, her husband many times does kick, punch, slap and many other
brutal action to Mariam and Laila. Mariam usually obey her husband’s command
to avoid his brutality toward them.
Fired from the restaurant in Taimani because customers complained about the long waits, Rasheed said the cook was slow and lazy.
“You were probably out back napping,” said Laila. “Don’t provoke him Laila jo,” Mariam said. “I’m warning you woman,” he said. “Either that or smoking.”
“I swear to God.”
“You can’t help being what you are.”
From the conversation and the speech of Mariam, she shows her wisdom
that as a woman, who lives in patriarchal society, one thing that she should do is
not making her husband mad or she will get punch, kick or slap from the husband.
Mariam becomes alert or aware of the situation on her marriage.
Mariam’s wise personality is also described after Mariam kills Rasheed.
Murphy states that a person’s character in the novel can be revealed through what
the character says. Mariam says to Laila that Laila, Aziza, Zalmai and Tariq
should leave Kabul although Laila asks Mariam to leave the house and Rasheed’s
death body.
“When they do, they’ll fine you as guilty as me. Tariq too. I won’t have the two of you living on the run, like fugitive. What will happen to your children if you’re caught? Who will take care of them then? The Taliban? Think like mother, Laila jo. Think like a mother. I am” (p.383).
Actually, Mariam can run away from Kabul but she doesn’t want to do it.
She thinks about the risks. She prefer to stay in Rasheed’s house until she is
arrested by the policeman and let Laila, Aziza, Zalmai and Tariq leave her alone.
She thinks that this is the best solution for them.
2. Character of Laila
Laila is the second major characters in the novel. She plays important role
in this novel because she dominates the whole story. In other words, the story is
mostly about her. Laila is a round character. Her characteristics are developed.
a. Attentive
Laila is the daughter of Hakim and Fariba. She has two brothers named
Ahmad and Noor who fight in the jihad against the Soviets. She was too young
when they left for the jihad.
Laila loves her family so much, she loves her father and mother. She is an
attentive person. Laila’s attentive personality is described when her mother is
down because of the death of her two brothers, Ahmad and Noor who are loyal to
their cause and ultimately die for it in jihad. Laila always takes enough care of her
mother. In this time, Laila has double roles that are as a mother and as a daughter
for her father. Her mother Fariba is a bad tempered person. “Mammy [Fariba],
ferocious, indomitable, pacing and ranting; Babi sitting, looking sheepish and
dazed, nodding obediently, waiting for the storm to pass” (p.116)
Fariba can’t do anything after the death of her two sons in war. Laila later
do the chores in the house helping her father. “Laila had to shoulder more and ore
chores. If she didn’t tend to the house, she was apt to find clothes, shoes, open rice
bags, cans of beans, and dirty dishes strewn about anywhere. Laila washed
Mammy’s dresses and changed her sheets. She coaxed her out of bed for baths
and meals. She was the only one who ironed Babi’s shirts and folded his pants.
Increasingly, she was the cook” (p.151). This action shows that she cares to her
family. Laila wants to do everything in order to make her mother and father happy
after the death of her two brothers.
As the only child in the family, she doesn’t want to leave her father and
prefers to live with her family rather than to go with a boy that she loves. Murphy
states that a person’s character in the novel can be revealed through what the
character is thinking about.
But Laila was thinking of Mammy, as obstinate and uncompromising as the Mujahideen, the air around her choked with rancor and despair, and she was thinking of Babi, who has long surrendered, who made such a sa, pathetic opponent to Mammy.
“It’s my father I can’t leave,” Laila said. “I’m all he has left. His heart couldn’t take it either” (p.195).
Actually Laila wants to leave, but she realized her father’s life would be
over if she left the family. It shows that she loves her family rather than anybody
else.
She also loves her daughter and son so much. She doesn’t want them to
get hurt. When Rasheed asks Aziza to beg in the street, Laila forbids Rasheed to
do it. Murphy states that a person’s character in the novel can be revealed through
what the character says.
“I’ll keep a close eye on her,” Raheed said, less patiently now. “It’s a safe corner. There’s a mosque across the street.”
“I won’t let you turn my daughter into a street beggar!” Laila snapped (p.319).
Laila’s speech showing her disagreement about Rasheed idea to make
Aziza a street beggar shows Laila’s love to her daughter. She does not want Aziza
to be a street beggar because the street is very dangerous. She does not want Aziza
to get hurt in the street. Laila loves her family.
In her marriage with Rasheed, Laila always helps Mariam to do the chores.
Laila always protects Mariam from Easheed when he wants to abuse her. “Stop it!
not want to see someone that she loves be in danger. She has big attention to
everybody around her.
b. Smart
Laila has good ability to solve the problem. She knows how to find a way
dealing with solving problem in her life.
Oneday Laila and Tariq have sex. She loves Tariq because he is a kind boy
who’s always struggle to protect Laila from everything. Tariq moves to Pakistan
because of the war in Afghanistan. Later Laila is pregnant. Her family house is hit
with a bomb and only Laila that survives. She decides to marry Rasheed,
Mariam’s husband and Laila’s neighbor. She thinks that it is her method of
providing for her child. Through the author’s direct comment, Laila is described
as a smart girl.
A part of Tariq still alive inside her, spouting tiny arms, growing translucent hands. How could she jeopardize the only thing she had left of him of her old life.
She made her decision quickly. Six weeks had passed since her time with Tariq. Any longer and Rasheed would grow suspicious (p.232).
Laila considers the unborn child to be a miracle as a memory of Tariq, a
man that she loves. Rasheed doesn’t know that Laila is already pregnant. Laila
decides to get married with Raheed as soon as possible to conceal her pregnancy.
Actually Rasheed already asks her to marry him and Laila says to him that she
wants to get married soon.
Laila’s smart personality is also described when she tries to prove to
Rasheed that she is still a virgin although in fact she is not a virgin anymore.
punctured the pad of her index finger. Then she lifted the blanket and let her finger bleed on the sheets where they had lain together (p.233).
This action shows that Laila is a smart person that she can do something to
conceal her lie. It is for the life of her unborn baby. Rasheed will not notice that
Laila is not a virgin anymore because Laila has evidence that she makes herself as
if she is still a virgin.
Laila also can find the way to get the money that she can use in her escape.
She wants to go out from Rasheed’s house and Afghanistan by stealing Rasheed’s
money.
Every week, since Aziza’s birth, she pried his wallet open when he was asleep or in the outhouse and took a single bill. Some weeks, if the wallet was light, she took only a five-afghani bill,or nothing at all, for fear that he would notice. When the wallet was plimp, she helped herself to a ten or a twenty, once even risking two twenties. She hid the money to a ten or a twenty, once even risking two twenties. She hid the money in a pouch she’d sewn in the lining of her checkered winter coat (p.262).
Laila always has some tactics to get money without making Rasheed
notices. She knows how to conceal something. Laila can escape from Rasheed’s
house by using the money that she steals from Rasheed.
Murphy states that a person’s character in the novel can be revealed
through what the characters says. Laila proves that she is a smart person by her
speech in the police office. When she is arrested by the policeman because she
runs away from Rasheed’s house, Laila makes a lie to the police to avoid the law.
Laila lies to the policeman that she is Mariam’s daughter and she knows Pakistan
as well.
“Yes.”
“She has a Heart accent. You don’t.”
“She was raised in Heart, I was born here in Kabul.”
“Of course. And you are widowed? You said you were. My condolences. And this uncle, this kaka, where does he live?”
“In Peshawar”
Laila tried t push back the bubble of panic that was coming up her chest. She gave him the name of the only street she knew in Peshawar—she’d heard it mentioned once, at the party mammy had thrown when the Mujahideen had first come to Kabul.—“Jamrud Road”
“Oh yes. Same street as the Pearl Continental Hotel. He might have mentioned it.”
Laila seized this opportunity and said he had. That very same street, yes.” “Except the hotel is on the Khyber road” (pp.282-283).
In a difficult situation like this, Laila still can make a lie. She is kind of a
person who thinks fast. She makes a lie and thinks in a short time. She does not
want the policeman delivers them to Rasheed’s house.
c. Courageous
As a woman who lives in patriarchal society, a woman usually can’t give
her opinion. It is different with Laila. She doesn’t afraid to say what she thinks is
true. She helps Mariam when Rasheed wants to abuse her. Murphy states that a
person’s character in the novel can be revealed through what the character says.
“Stop it! bas!”, “Rasheed you can’t do this!”, “No, you can’t do this”
character in the novel can be revealed through how that reacts to various situations
