N
The Daily Insight

What is the main conflict of A Thousand Splendid Suns

Author

Andrew Walker

Updated on April 06, 2026

A Thousand Splendid Suns depicts the conflict in Afghanistan through the lens of the country’s oppressed women. Yet, the novel actually breaks western stereotypes of Afghanistan by highlighting acts of resistance and bravery among its female characters.

What is the main message of a thousand splendid suns?

The primary theme in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns is the rights of women, especially under the Taliban. Mariam and Laila grow up during regimes that are not oppressive. Although Mariam’s father’s family pushes her into marriage with Rasheed, it is ultimately her choice to agree to marry him.

What conflicts did Mariam encounter in the novel?

Some of the conflicts are Mariam conflict with her mother, Mariam conflict with her husband, and Mariam conflict with the rule of society.

What is the climax in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

The climax occurs when Mariam murders Rasheed. After that the lives of the two women take very different paths. Outcome: Mariam is arrested for murdering Rasheed and is excuted in the stadium in front of thousands of people.

What is the thesis of a thousand splendid suns?

In the culture and ways of Afghanistan, a woman must face physical and emotional stress to survive. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini allows us to see that the strength and resiliency that Mariam and Laila gain from their adverse situations they encounter benefits them and helps them to move on.

What does Kabul represent in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

The title is based on poet Saib Tabrizi’s poem “Kabul.” His poem is a love song to the city of Kabul, the same city where Laila and Mariam form their bond, and the city that, while ravaged by war, pulls Laila back to help rebuild. It becomes a symbol of hope for a new start for Afghanistan.

What does Mariam sacrifice in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

Mariam, a major character in the book, sacrifices her life in order to save Laila and her children. This sacrifice allows the reader to view what Mariam truly cares about: the survival of Laila, her happiness, and her children.

What is the resolution of the story A Thousand Splendid Suns?

The plot resolution occurs when Laila visits Mariam’s hometown of Herat and receives her friend’s inheritance from her father.

What is the falling action of A Thousand Splendid Suns?

FALLING ACTION After Rasheed is dead, the two women hide his body in the shed and then make plans to escape the country. Mariam knows all along that they cannot both go, because then they might both be caught and there will be no one to care for and protect Laila’s children.

What is the setting of a thousand splendid suns?

A Thousand Splendid Suns is set in Afghanistan from the early 1960s to the early 2000s. Mariam, a young girl in the 1960s, grows up outside Herat, a small city in Afghanistan.

Article first time published on

Who killed Mariam in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

Taliban unjustly convicted her with a death sentence and dismissed her version of defense. On the day of her execution, she was taken to the football stadium and executed amidst a large crowd gathered there to witness this horrendous act.

What type of conflict occurs between the protagonist and the antagonist?

External conflict is a struggle that takes place between the main character and some outside force. Therefore, it is outside the body of the protagonist. Usually, it occurs when the protagonist struggles against the antagonist, a character that opposes the protagonist in the main body of the story.

How did the characters Mariam and Laila react to obstacles in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns?

Laila and Mariam, the two main characters, find themselves married to the same man, Rasheed. Both had a good relationship with Rasheed at the beginning of their marriages. Soon they found that they were both being abused by Rasheed. Mariam and Laila overcome the abuse by taking matters into their own hands.

What are thesis statements examples?

Example: To make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you must procure the ingredients, find a knife, and spread the condiments. This thesis showed the reader the topic (a type of sandwich) and the direction the essay will take (describing how the sandwich is made).

What did Laila do for Mariam?

A couple of days later, Laila finds a stack of baby girl clothes outside her door and thanks Mariam for the generous gift. Mariam explains that she has no use for them, having made them years ago when she was pregnant. Mariam also thanks Laila for standing up for her, explaining that no one else had ever done so.

How does Mariam change in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

Ch-Ch-Changes Mariam changes more than any other character over the course of the novel. At the start, she is a harami from a small village without much hope for the future. As a harami, she’s forbidden taking part in “the things other people had, things such as love, family, home, acceptance” (1.1. 6).

What does Laila sacrifice in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

The majority of those sacrifices revolve around taking care of, providing for and protecting their children. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Laila makes sacrifices for Aziza and Zalmai, Nana risks things in her life for Mariam, and Mariam sacrifices things for Laila and her children.

Why did Khaled Hosseini name A Thousand Splendid Suns?

That title comes from a 17th century poem that’s an ode to the city of Kabul: One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.” You can read an excerpt of the novel at npr.org.

Is A Thousand Splendid Suns 3rd person?

Point of View. Thousand Splendid Suns is told by an omniscient narrator who knows the past and the future and the characters’ thoughts. He does not have a definite personality – he is not a specific person, who is telling this story for reasons that matter in a world outside of the story itself.

What is the plot structure of A Thousand Splendid Suns?

PLOT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS The story is a narrative told from the perspectives of the two women characters, Mariam and Laila. Each shows how she was raised, what she lost as the result of war, and how in the end, her strength grace helps her face her fate.

Who is the narrator in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

Atossa Leoni (Narrator of A Thousand Splendid Suns)

Is A Thousand Splendid Suns banned?

Individuality and emotions are conditioned out of children at a young age. This book had been banned due to insensitivity, nudity, racism, religious viewpoints and sexually explicit content. … Finally, the last book on my favorite banned books list is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

What does Harami mean in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

A Thousand Splendid Suns starts with a term of abuse thrown at one of the protagonists — Mariam — by her mother: “harami.” The word means illegitimate and would be deeply hurtful to someone from a culture that prizes patriarchy.

Is A Thousand Splendid Suns sad?

The book is a sad story, with tragedy pouring out right from the beginning. … Those who have read the book remember being blinded by tears while reading the heartbreaking story of friendship, love, sacrifice and hope set in war-torn Afghanistan.

What is ironic in what the judge says to Mariam?

What is ironic in what the judge says to Mariam about carrying out God’s laws? In God’s eyes, murder is murder. In the Afghan culture, if Rasheed had killed Laila or Mariam, he would not have been punished but because a woman killed a man, she is punished.

What happened Rasheed's wife?

Before marrying Mariam, he had already been married once before, but his wife and son had died—his son drowned while Rasheed was drunk and passed out.

What motivates Mariam in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

Chapter 45 marks a significant turning point for Mariam. It shows the culmination of all her life’s experiences: the pain and sorrow Rasheed has caused her, as well as the joy and love she feels with Laila, force her to kill Rasheed. At first, Mariam is motivated by righteous anger and a sense of justice.

What are the 4 main conflicts in most stories?

  • Man vs. Man. This is the most traditional type of conflict. As the name would suggest, “man vs. …
  • Man vs. Self. “Man vs. …
  • Man vs. Nature. “Man vs. …
  • Man vs. Society. Sometimes, your hero needs to feel like the whole world is against them.

What type of conflict is there?

  • Character vs. Self. This is an internal conflict, meaning that the opposition the character faces is coming from within. …
  • Character vs. Character. …
  • Character vs. Nature. …
  • Character vs. Supernatural. …
  • Character vs. Technology. …
  • Character vs. Society.

What are the 3 types of conflict?

  • Task Conflict. …
  • Relationship Conflict. …
  • Value Conflict.

Why was Rasheed abusive?

Rasheed is the most abusive character. … He both physically and verbally abuses his wives countless times in the story. This is due to his personal loss of a son in the past. He is remorseful of this incident and was upset that Miriam could not bear him a son but instead miscarried a daughter.