Mariam's Journeys

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Recommended: Women in Afghanistan in the 2000s

Mariam faced many obstacles to achieve her dreams and wishes. In Afghanistan, women are expected to control their desires. Mariam has a unique personality and she is very interested in improving her knowledge and skills. Mariam's dream is to get educated; so she asks her teacher Mullah to get permission from her mother Nana. When Mullah asks for her permission, Nana said, "what's the sense schooling a girl like you? It's like shining a spittoon. And you'll learn nothing of value in those schools. There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me need's in life, and they don't teach it in school" (Hosseini 18). Nana was disappointed and she was scared to be noticed so she discourages Mariam's enthusiasm towards education. Also, the …show more content…

It foreshadows that woman in Afghanistan always has to suffer and struggle to get their basic needs in their lives. In addition, Nana does not value the importance of woman's education and her decision made Mariam's life even worse. Furthermore, the most important part of a woman’s life is to choose her husband because she has to live with him for the rest of her life and the decision that they make now will decide their future. In this case, Mariam is forced to get married and Jalil's wife chooses the husband for Mariam. Jalil's wife and her children try to convince Mariam and they said, " but I've seen nine-year-old girls given to men twenty years older than you suitor, Mariam, we all have. What are you, fifteen? That is good, solid marrying age for a girl. There was enthusiastic nodding at this" (Hosseini 46). The way they convince Mariam reveals the relationship with her family. The quick decision shows that they are trying to get rid of Mariam and it clearly demonstrates that her family did not care about her …show more content…

Religious laws in Afghanistan affect many women's life negatively and it causes them to face many problematic issues. In order to escape from Taliban's punishments, women in Afghanistan have to follow trial traditions like, "you will stay inside homes at all the times. It is not proper for the woman to wander aimlessly about the street. If you go outside you must be accompanied by a mahram, a male relative…you will not, under any circumstances, show your face. You will cover with burqa when outside"(Hosseini 278). When Taliban was in power, women are helpless, unsupported and during that time, women faced a lot of terrible issues to survive in that country. Those strict laws made women weaker and they did not have power or freedom to express their emotions. In addition, women in Afghanistan are often discriminated and stereotyped and they try to escape from abusive behavior from Taliban. Those traditional laws from Taliban's show that woman did not have any privacy. In addition, burqa symbolizes the female oppression and lack of freedom for woman. Even more, if they did not follow those laws they have to face severe punishments. Mariam was taken to jail for murdering her husband. What Mariam did is a crime but her situation is reasonable. For this crime, the judge made an unfair punishment "I am tired and dying and I want to be merciful. I want to forgive you, but god summons me and says, but it wasn't

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