January Monthly Connection

If there is one topic that could be discussed in this month's monthly connection, I think it would have to regard A Thousand Splendid Suns, and its role in portraying Afghani culture. Up to this point, I think the book has showed such a stark difference in the lives of Americans versus that of those living in the Middle East. I really like this book because I think it provides a fresh look on an area that we hear so much about. While most of us hear only of the suicide bombings, terrorist attacks, and major events occuring in the Middle East, nobody's really stopped to focus on what daily life is like for people living in that area. The Afghan beliefs regarding men and women were something I hadn't thought too much about before reading this. I knew women were generally considered lower than men, but wasn't aware of the harsh reality of the situation. Mariam's story made you look deeper into the culture to understand what hardship is really like, and it makes me appreciate the freedoms that I have here in America. While the differences are the most obvious, I also see some similarities that this story shares with American culture, or that of any nation, it's universal. Mariams mother, Nanna, is essentially a plague on Mariams life and happiness. She treats Mariam like she has no value in life, due to the fact that she is a bastard child. Yet deep down, she loves Mariam because Mariam is her own. Because of this Nanna eventually kills herself; she thinks she has lost the only thing that was hers. It is a story like this that trancends cultural boundaries and allows us to connect with the story and bring it closer to home.