In A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Afghani men have also been portrayed as being victims, albeit not as obviously as the women. While Afghani women face every possible kind of abuse and oppression, men are mostly victims of culture. Laila’s father, Hakim, says ‘the only enemy an Afghan cannot defeat is himself’ . This statement beautifully summarizes the cultural victimization of Afghan men. As the country has been invaded by several nations, it has led to the rise of multiple classes and cultures that have segregated the society into sects such as the Pashtuns, Hazaras, Uzbeks and Tajiks . Each considers itself to be true Afghans and adhere to their own perceptions of right and wrong, often to the point of extremism. Further, in order to differentiate themselves from others, each sect forms rules and norms that seem to be designed more to prove themselves to be superior rather than the good of their followers.
Afghan men are affiliated with one sect or another and, regardless of their personal opinions, they are forced to treat other sects as enemies. The divide in sects can be easily seen three male characters in the book. Hakim portrays the knowledgeable, practical and liberated Afghan who sees things for what they are. Merriam’s father, Jalil, although rooted in tradition, is modern enough to consider sending his daughters to university. Finally, Rasheed, Merriam and Laila’s husband is an orthodox extremist who shuns all things modern and firmly believes in the superiority of men.
In chapter 10, Rasheed describes to Merriam how men bring their wives, dressed in modern clothing and wearing makeup, to his shoe shop and are not offended when he touches their feet. Given Rasheed’s background, he considers this as going against pride and honor. He is unabashed in his brutal treatment of Merriam, and later Laila. To Rasheed, this is how women should be treated. Jalil loves Merriam but does not openly accept her as she is his illegitimate child. While he understand that he is being unfair to Merriam when he marries her off to Rasheed after her mother’s death, he does nothing to prevent this atrocious act. His regret is evident when, towards the end of his life, he visits Merriam to seek forgiveness for his sins. Finally, Hakim is the modern Afghan, or rather, a picture of what Afghanistan could be if it were given the right opportunities. He is well educated, liberal minded and has modern views about the future of Afghanistan.
These men are all influenced by the culture to which they belong, the sects that they follow and the society or class that they live in. All these influences shape their perspectives and beliefs and govern the manner in which they treat the women in their lives. Hakim treats women as equals, Jalil loves his illegitimate daughter but prefers societal acceptance, and Rasheed treats his wives worse than slaves. It can be argued that, given the right education and being raised in a modern scenario, these men may have had more liberal views on the rights of women. While Rasheed and Jalil may be considered to be victims of societal influence, vision to recognize a need for change and courage to follow it are not traits that can be taught.
Works Cited
Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York: Riverhead Books, 2007.
Sharma, Bigyan. A gender perspective in 'A Thoursand Splendid Suns'. 21 April 2012. 14 October 2012
