Intersecting Structures Of Opression : The interplay of gender, culture, and power in the oppression and resistance of women in A Thousand Splendid Suns

Sammanfattning

This essay examines the oppression of female characters in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini through the lenses of feminist criticism and intersectionality. It argues that the women’s struggles in the novel result from the intersection of gender roles, patriarchal authority, cultural expectations, and political power. Through feminist criticism, the analysis explores how Hosseini portrays the systematic oppression of women by focusing on the lives of the two main characters, Mariam and Laila. An intersectional approach further reveals how gender, patriarchy, and power interact to shape the lives of the characters and limit their autonomy. The essay highlights female solidarity in the novel and shed lights on Mariam’s final act of agency as a powerful challenge to the system that limited her autonomy.