True Love

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini was such an exceptional read that it never for a moment felt like homework. I think part of the reason the novel is so intensely gripping is because it leads the reader to undergo self- evaluation. Many Americans jokingly refer to “first-world” problems, but the concept is legitimate and troubling. How insignificant are our petty inconveniences compared to the struggles of the Afghani people, who daily risk their lives for the sake of their culture and religion? Reading the novel has led me to think introspectively; to be thankful for my numerous blessings and appreciate the privileges that I tend to take for granted.

Though it may not be the theme the typical reader would draw from the novel, I view A Thousand Splendid Suns as a tale of friendship. Two unlikely companions, Mariam and Laila, similar only in their husband and their appalling societal repression, form an unbreakable bond over their mutual status as personal property. The novel does an excellent job at demonstrating that the strongest kinds of love are often not sexual in nature. True love is not the rape that Mariam and Laila endure from their brutish husband Rasheed. It is the unconditional concern for another’s wellbeing that leads you to lay your life on the line.  There is no better example of such a powerful connection than the climax of the novel, when Mariam kills Rasheed. She knowingly accepts that life as she knows it will be over if she follows through with her actions. But, with Laila’s life at stake, Mariam places the life of her friend above her own.  Such a deep relationship is the epitome of love.

Thankfully, I have never been in a situation where I have had to place my life on the line for another. And though I dearly hope such a circumstance never arises, the principal of friendship as the purest form of love is readily applicable to the lives of each and every human being, no matter what their background. A Thousand Splendid Suns has made me appreciate the wonderful friendships I have, the people who you would do anything for, the people who would do anything for you. Though every friendship goes through rough patches, a friend is worth fighting for.