Women is Man’s Property- In this novel, the patriarchal thought in Afghanistan that the husband or man controls their wife or any female is a theme that is portrayed in this novel. Rasheed’s entire ideology is surrounded around this idea that men control women, “Where I come from, a woman’s face is her husband’s business only. I want you to remember that. Do you understand?” (Page 63) In this passage, Rasheed tells Mariam that she must wear a burqa outside the house because her beauty and face is his and his only. He also tells her his disgust for the men who let their wives walk around with skin showing or wearing make-up. The Taliban also shared these patriarchal views, forbidding women to wear make-up, obligating women to wear burqa’s, and obligating them to be accompanied at all times by a man.
Rebellion- During these times in Afghanistan, rebellious acts of violence and war was almost second nature. Wars between the Taliban, Communists, USA, natives, and other groups were fought. Streets were littered with shells of rockets and bullets as a symbol of these rebellious acts. In this novel, Laila was effected greatly by these rebellions when her house and family is struck by these rockets. Also, the major conflict of this novel, the conflict of Rasheed and the Taliban’s mistreatment end with rebellion. Towards the end of the book Mariam and Laila gather the courage to rebel against Rasheed and kill him, “She turned it so the sharp edge was vertical, and, as she did, it occurred to her that this was the first time that she was deciding the course of her own life. And with that, Mariam brought down the shovel. This time, she gave it everything she had.” In these passages, Mariam kills Rasheed and recalls how this was the first time she was deciding how she was going to live. Also, this book ends with the fall of the Taliban because of the rebellions, when Laila returns to a country without violence or prejudice.
Power of Friendship: In this novel, Mariam and Laila must overcome problems in their past and present. From the deaths of their parents to the tyranny of Rasheed they must overcome. By uniting, these two women create a strong friendship that helps them overcome their problems. At nights they would sip tea and talk about their life; then during the day they would do their strenuous work together. In the novel, it describes the comfort that Laila would receive from this companionship, “From that night on, Mariam and Laila did their chores together. They sat in the kitchen and rolled dough, chopped green onions, minced garlic… Mariam’s knuckles bumping Laila’s as they scrubbed shirts and trousers and diapers. Mariam slowly grew accustomed to this tentative but pleasant companionship. She was eager for the three cups of Chai she and Laila would share in the yard, a nightly ritual now.” (Page 225) In addition, with the strength of their friendship, Mariam is able to strike Rasheed with the shovel and rid themselves from this suffering. This power that hey create is able to do anything they want, kill Rasheed and even start a new and happy life with their family.
Struggle and Suffering of Women: One of the elementary ideas that Nana teaches Mariam is the suffering of women. Women must feel the pain of childbirth, the pain of the whip across their back when unaccompanied by men, and the pain of their work. After finding out that Mariam had a miscarriage she recalls Nana’s teachings and says, “As a reminder of how women like us suffer, she said. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us.” (Page 82). It is a principle that is throughout the book, that women were restricted of their houses. If they did leave, they were beaten and strike down to endure pain.
Should I Stay or Should I Go- In this novel both of the main characters, Mariam and Laila have to make decisions. These decisions may have been bad or may have been good that added to their lives. One of these decisions that is throughout the book is whether Afghanistan people should stay of leave during this time of hardship. During this time, there was war between the different military groups and a terrible rulership under the Taliban. The first account of this conflict is between Tariq and his family. During Tariq and Laila’s relationship Tariq decides to leave. After hearing this, Laila must choose whether to go with her boyfriend to a whole new world or stay with her family in a place of war and injustice. Later on in the novel, after killing Rasheed, Laila and Mariam decide if they should stay in Kabul of leave with Tariq. Laila must determine whether she wants to stay in her home land, where she grew up, had her first kiss, her first steps or leave to a new land. Mariam decides that she should stay in Afghanistan and go on trial and die in Kabul. Unlike Mariam, Laila does decide to go with Tariq and live a new life with her family. In the end, Laila and her family return to Kabul, to this home of hers rich with her traditions. This conflict between leaving and going was common for everyone in Kabul. After Tariq told Laila that he was leaving she thought, “Almost everyone she knew had packed their things and left. The neighborhood had been drained of familiar faces, and now, only four months after the fighting had broken out between the Mujahideen factions, Laila hardly recognized anybody on the streets anymore.” One would think that it would be obvious that everyone would leave during a time of war but Kabul was a place of rich culture. It was the place that they grew up and a place they recognized. Everything about it, the smells, sounds, and colors are the reasons why people stayed in Afghanistan. “Once could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.” (Page 347)
