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Simile
Explanation and Analysis—Imagery of Violence:
In Chapter 31, Rasheed makes certain demands of Laila as his newest wife, laying down the rules for the rest of their marriage. The following examples of simile elucidate Rasheed's true nature, as well as his intentions heading into this marriage with Laila:
"I should say that Mariam here will be my eyes and ears when I am away." Here, [Rasheed] shot Mariam a fleeting look that was as hard as a steel-toed kick to the temple. "Not that I am mistrusting. Quite the contrary. [...]"
On and on he went. Mariam sat watching [Laila] out of the corner of her eye as Rasheed's demands and judgements rained down on them like the rockets on Kabul.
Both similes above center physical violence: Rasheed gives Mariam a look "as hard as a steel-toed kick to the temple"; Rasheed's demands "[rain] down on [Mariam and Laila] like the rockets on Kabul." These figurative descriptions evoke imagery of the abuse both Mariam and Laila endure in their collective 27 years with Rasheed.
The phrasing of these similes forms a deliberate parallel to the militaristic violence in Kabul: soldiers, in their steel-toed boots, firing machine guns and rockets on innocent civilians. By associating Rasheed's violent actions with those of the Taliban, Hosseini examines the ways in which widespread societal misogyny manifests in personal relationships.
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