Topic Discussion A

In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, Hosseini uses literary elements to explore the issues of domestic violence. Most specifically, symbolism and imagery.Hosseini creates a psychological yet physical violence point of view coming from Rasheed. By doing so, there are many moments in the novel where if it's either Mariam or Laila that that had experienced these two types of domestic abuse.
 In the psychological abuse preference, Mariam had to endure so many critical and drastic situations in her life. "You may not get an opportunity this good... Actually your father has already given Rasheed his answer." (pg. 48-49) This shows the endurance that young Mariam has to bear with the emotional state that she was in, after just a couple of days of losing her mother. The psychological abuse that she suffered from her father whom she used to grew up to respect and cared for. The audience are able to use imagery to see within Mariam's perspective how cruel and cynical a father would do to his own flesh and blood, to see him send his fifteen year old daughter away to a man that's probably old enough to be his brother perhaps. This shows one of the few abuse Mariam had suffered. But also she had to face the wrath of her husband as well. " He shook the rice angrily from his fingers and pushed the plate away, spilling sauce and rice on the sofrah... then out of the house, and slamming the door on his way out." (pg.103) Rasheed's actions caused psychological abuse toward Mariam. After the miscarriage that happened in 7 consecutive tries, there were constant verbal abuse of everything that Mariam does. In this particular situation, psychological abuse turns into physical. " He snatched her hand, opened it, and dropped a handful of pebbles into it... Put these in your mouth... Now chew." There was a misconception that Mariam believed even for a second that her husband was so down to earth as she described briefly at the beginning of their marriage. After this incident there isn't anymore doubt.
  In the physical preference of the domestic abuse, both Laila and Mariam are victims. After Laila's parents past away, Rasheed and Mariam took her in as a guest. Soon after Rasheed married Laila, due to the fact Mariam doesn't satisfy his personal needs. In which conceiving plays a factor as well. Mariam starts to see how he treats Laila and essentially she starts to adapt the attitude that her mother once possessed against her father and his wives. This explores the issues of physical domestic violence because it shows how Rasheed favors one but not the other, in result of the matter Mariam doesn't benefit in the outcome, because with all the wrong doings that take place. The first wife ends up taking the blame.
 By using literary devices, Hosseni conveyed his meaning to the audience that domestic violence has more of a meaning when a victim tells the story. Like Mariam and Laila, they both came from two different perspectives, both enduring physical and psychological abuse from the same man. The reader can establish malfeasance, and the pain that these two women had to endure with the help of imagery and symbolism. Khaled Hosseini's construction of devices shows that domestic violence is wrong. Whether if it's psychologically or physically.