Topic B, J.Davison, Period 7

Khaled Hosseini, in his sardonic novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns", uses the events of the past to convey the tenacity of the women. Laila, every since she was two years old was forced to deal with her mothers neglect, and was made to feel that "her future was no match for her brothers' past." This alone should have shattered a young girl that the person she was supposed to look up to was looking over her. Years later Laila would suffer the loss of both her parents when a bomb "hot and powerful slammed into her" and more directly the house where her parents were. The girl became instantly orphaned in a matter of seconds leaving her alone and helpless against the world and the sneaky advances of Rasheed. Still the girl managed to stride ahead and do what she had to do in order to survive. Even if survival meant marrying the falsely attentive Rasheed. Laila would truly have to learn to survive when her first born is a girl, and the beatings begin and steadily increased in severity.Through all of this she managed to find love and compassion to give her children and keep going. In the end Laila's obstinacy was what kept her alive and helped paint the picture of what the strength of a woman really was.

Topic A, J. Davison, Period 7

Khaled Hosseini, in his contemptuous novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns", uses kinesthetic imagery, simile, and onomatopoeia to express the powerful issue of domestic violence. After Mariam had shouldered the labor of cooking for Rasheed he became dissatisfied and, as a punishment to her, he "pried it open [her mouth] , then forced the cold, hard pebbles into it" and commanded that she chew them. Hosseini conveys the feel of the rocks in order to send the reader through the sensory shock that Mariam must have experienced as her husband forced rocks into her mouth. After Mariam and Laila attempted to run away to escape Rasheed's tyrannical tactics he punched Laila with what felt "as if a car had hit her at full speed". Hosseini, conveys Rasheed's total lack of restraint, and concern as he brutally beats his wife with the force and contempt one would exhibit towards an enemy. As Rasheed mercilessly beats Mariam Laila hears "the thump, thump of something solid repeatedly striking flesh,...then the thumping once more. Hosseini emphasizes the inhumane treatment Mariam receives as she is thrown, tossed, and repeatedly struck with vicious blows. In the end Hosseini proves that an attempt to dominate one another through physical and mental brutality, inevitably leads to destruction.