There are certain aspects of the human experience that each of us can identify with on some level. This is what allows us to connect with each other and develop empathetic and compassionate perspectives. That said, there are also some common experiences among many of us that tend to differ from person to person due to our different perspectives. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, the women in the novel share the experience of oppression while living in an intensely masochistic Afghan culture. They are repeatedly subjected to violence, both physically and mentally as they live to cope with the shame that their identity casts on their person. That said, this is not the central theme of the novel. It seems that the central focus is instead on the positive resilience of the human spirit. If it were solely about the need for resistance that women face, it would be a terribly tragic story, but not as spiritually impactful. Hosseini's use of symbolism and dynamic diction lent itself to an overarching theme designed to resonate with all readers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Many of the experiences faced by the women in this story are inconceivably destructive on several levels: morally, emotionally, and physically. Mariam and Laila, the two main protagonists, suffer under the custody of a patriarchal superiority that uses radical rules and legitimizes the abuse of women. The Burqa throughout the novel becomes a sign of male oppression and domination, created under the façade of humility, but in reality a means of eliminating women as human beings. It limits the woman to a source of seduction and shame, which is only exacerbated by the restrictions placed on other aspects of their life. The Taliban are quoted announcing over the loudspeaker: "Attention women: you will always remain in your homes... If you go out, you must be accompanied by a mahram, a male relative. If you are caught alone on the street, you will be beaten and sent back to home” (144), showing the total perceived incompetence that only came from being a woman. This was not simply a case of inequality; women were treated as if they were pets needing to be kept on a leash. That said, the women in the novel are consistently identified solely by their duties as wives and mothers. They are a mere object of production and they recognize this very well. Giti and Hasina, Laila's friends, tell her: “By the time we are twenty, Giti and I will have sent out four, five children each. But you, Laila, will make us two idiots proud. You will become someone" (92). When Mariam is pregnant for the first time, Rashid is overjoyed that she is having a child, a boy. He rejects the idea of ​​having a girl as a child. When Mariam encounters several miscarriages, Rashid no longer attracted interest to her. She could give him a child and so she was treated as a simple servant of little value as a woman and as a person she ceased to exist because she was unable to do so. Certainly, the fact that women are forced to endure is true. This is undoubtedly one of the central aspects of the novel, however, what it is really about is how women continue to endure with such strength and resilience, despite all the atrocities and suffering at to which they were subjected. Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the novel is the idea that the two women are able to find strength and love in each other through their struggles, but in reality they lived full and full lives of meaning, as Miriam states in her final moments, as an “abundant peace that flooded her… was leaving.