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Similes
Part I: Chapter 11
Explanation and Analysis—Burqa:
In a prime example of situational irony, both Mariam and Laila find comfort in the anonymity the burqa provides, despite being forced to wear it by Rasheed. In the following excerpt from Chapter 11, Mariam notes this comfort:
[T]he burqa, [Mariam] learned to her surprise, was also comforting. It was like a one-way window. Inside it, she was an observer, buffered from the scrutinizing eyes of strangers. She no longer worried that people knew, with a single glance, all the shameful secrets of her past.
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Part I: Chapter 12
Explanation and Analysis—Pornography:
In the following example of situational irony from Chapter 12, Mariam finds pornographic magazines in Rasheed's dresser drawer while cleaning:
Unlock with LitCharts A+A woman's face, he'd said, is her husband's business only. Surely the women on these pages had husbands, some of them must. At the least, they had brothers. If so, why did Rasheed insist that she cover when he thought nothing of looking at the private areas of other men's wives and sisters?
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Part III: Chapter 29
Explanation and Analysis—Rasheed's Charity:
In Chapter 29, Mariam confronts Rasheed about his intentions to marry Laila, a very young woman in a vulnerable position. In the following example of situational irony, Rasheed defends his romantic intentions with Laila as "charitable":
Unlock with LitCharts A+"Look," [Rasheed] said, sounding more conciliatory now, as a victor could afford to. "I knew you wouldn't take this well. I don't really blame you. [...] These days, times being what they are, a woman needs a husband. Haven't you noticed all the widows sleeping on the streets? They would kill for this chance. In fact, this is . . . Well, I'd say this is downright charitable of me."
He smiled.
"The way I see it, I deserve a medal."
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Part III: Chapter 32
Explanation and Analysis—Burqa:
In a prime example of situational irony, both Mariam and Laila find comfort in the anonymity the burqa provides, despite being forced to wear it by Rasheed. In the following excerpt from Chapter 11, Mariam notes this comfort:
Unlock with LitCharts A+[T]he burqa, [Mariam] learned to her surprise, was also comforting. It was like a one-way window. Inside it, she was an observer, buffered from the scrutinizing eyes of strangers. She no longer worried that people knew, with a single glance, all the shameful secrets of her past.
Related Themes:
Part III: Chapter 47
Explanation and Analysis—Talib Guards:
The Taliban's ethos is consistent throughout A Thousand Splendid Suns: women are lesser beings, subservient to men. What value women do have depends solely on their sexual purity, maintained through rigorous social regulations and wardrobe prescriptions. Under Taliban rule, the only man who can see a woman's face is her husband, in the privacy of their home. The severity of these religious restrictions imbue the following passage, from Chapter 47, with a great deal of situational irony:
Unlock with LitCharts A+There were no curtains either, which meant the Talib guards who roamed the courtyard had an eyeful of the interior of the cells. Some of the women complained that the guards smoked outside the window and leered in, with their inflamed eyes and wolfish smiles, that they muttered indecent jokes to each other about them.
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