c. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present actions, attitudes or values of a character. Select a character from A Thousand Splendid Suns who must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Analyze how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose.


    Later in the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini another character was introduced named Laila. Laila was a hopeful girl filled with inspiration in having a great future due to her father’s motivation. After a series of unfortunate events she was also forced to marry Rasheed. She was well aware of “the sacrifices a mother had to make”(219), because marrying Rasheed was the only way to survive. Soon into her marriage, Laila is doing chores like,“sweeping the house, scrubbing the pumpkin-colored walls of the bedroom…washing clothes” (231) instead of planning her future like she did before. This forced transition changed Laila as a person; she lost sight of her dreams and can now only see a dark road. Hosseini demonstrates that when one loses one’s dreams, they would find everything else worthless. When you find broken dreams, you will find a broken man