Name: Grace Higgins

Explore how Hosseini presents fathers in ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’

Word count: 1521

Although Hosseini’s novel ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ portrays a fairly vast range of fathers and
their bonds with their children, it seems as though they all have something in common. Each
father seems to be distant to their child in some way, whether this be physical - such as Tariq
who is working to support himself and eventually his family, or Jalil who fails to consider the
devastation Mariam feels when being sent to live with Rasheed, rather than staying to live with
him. Additionally, Rasheed outwardly favours one of his children over the other, for reasons
which are out of their control. This imbalance of respect creates a difficult dynamic for the
characters, as Zalmai feels obligated to keep his father updated constantly on all that his mother
does, including planning an escape from her abusive husband and Aziza is essentially neglected.
Either way, it could be argued that the common distance each father has between him and his
children is used to demonstrate their dedication (or in some cases, lack of) to their family, and
distinguish the better parental figures throughout the novel.

The first father figure presented by Hosseini is Jalil, Mariam’s heavily admired, respectable
“businessman” of a parent. Whilst it is shown repeatedly Mariam’s respect for her father (“She
pretended that for each second that she did not breathe, God would grant her another day with
Jalil”), it seems as though the same cannot be said for him. When Nana inquires as to how many
children he now has, “Jalil replied yes, ten.”, to which she responds “Eleven if you count
Mariam, of course.” His definitive “yes, ten” seems to confirm Nana’s negative and diminishing
claims about Jalil as Mariam’s “precious father”, and the dual perspective of adoration and
hatred towards him seems to allow the reader a more accurate perception of the character.
Further insight is shown to him as a father figure when Mariam asks to see Pinnochio on her
birthday. Hosseini uses this intertextual reference to demonstrate his daughter’s true feelings
about him, as Pinnochio searches for validation, longing to become a ‘real boy’, perhaps linking
to Mariam’s pebble game that “she played when Nana wasn’t looking”, wanting to be seen as
“Jalil Khan’s daughter”. Although the reader is never shown Jalil’s perspective, it could be argued
that the focus on the impact of his actions demonstrates his role as a father perfectly, as he fails
to see these effects himself. Nana additionally states that
“A man’s heart is a wretched, wretched thing. It isn’t like a mother’s womb. It won’t bleed. It
won’t stretch to make room for you.”
The repetition of “wretched”, as well as contrast between “a man” and “a mother”, further
proves that Jalil not only doesn’t fulfil his role as a father to Mariam, but likely does not see
himself as such either. The vivid imagery used with “bleed” and “stretch to make room for you”
Name: Grace Higgins

shows the sacrifices that Nana has made for her daughter, and how they contrast entirely from
what Mariam’s “precious father” has to offer her., showing him to be distant emotionally as well
as physically, an absent figure in a majority of his “harami” daughter’s life. Even when Nana dies
and Mariam is left alone with her father, she is only able to show her true emotions when she is
left alone with Mullah Faizullah, as “Mariam cried for the first time that day”. Given her reliance
on her mother, it seems all the more devastating for Mariam to feel disconnected with her
father, portraying him as someone she feels uncomfortable being vulnerable around, further
emphasising his emotional unavailability for his daughter.

Later on in the novel, Rasheed is presented as an arguably father figure, a contrast from his
abusive and overbearing role as Mariam’s husband. From looking at a photograph in his
bedroom drawer, Mariam empathetically concurs that his abusive behaviour is due to his “life
marked by loss and sad turns of fate,” referring to the death of his son Yunnis. It could be said
that Mariam’s sympathy is not entirely truthful, specifically her comment about “fate”. In their
marriage, Rasheed has shown complete and utter control, which is even echoed through the
“vaguely unsettling way Rasheed seemed to loom over the woman” in the photo that Mariam
finds, so it would seem unlikely that the same wouldn’t apply to his son. With the loss of his
child, it appears as though Rasheed becomes overly obsessive with the idea of Mariam’s
pregnancy, seeming to “hitch his hopes to it being a boy”, showing an almost overbearing
fascination with being able to reconnect with a son. Unfortunately, his promise of an overly
present emotional connection to his child only applies to the prospect of a son, as he states,
“If it’s a girl, and it isn’t, but, if it is a girl, then you can choose whatever name you want.”
The repetition of “is” and “isn’t” seems to suggest an underlying fear, perhaps of losing control
over another aspect of his life, with the imperative “and it isn’t”, showing an overwhelming
confidence that he will be able to regain the son he once had in Yunnis. “Whatever name you
want”, is highly dismissive, not only diminishing the possibility of the child being a girl, but
perhaps providing insight as to how he would treat the unborn child if it did not meet his unfair
expectations. He seems to only want to be so heavily involved in the raising of his child if that
child is a boy, his ideas of gender as shown in his marriage applying to his role as a father,
reflecting the patriarchal society at the time. After Zalmai’s birth, Rasheed claims that “just
because things were banned didn’t mean you couldn’t find them.”, after claiming to not have
found his wife some much needed antibiotics. Here, Hosseini shows his dedication as a father to
completely surpass all respect for other people in his life, likely in an attempt to make up for
what happened to Yunnis. Rasheed’s distance from Aziza results in Mariam seemingly taking on
the role of her father, as is suggested with “She drew elephants with one stroke the way that
Jalil had shown her”. She seems to realise the disconnection Rasheed has brought between him
and his daughter, which Mariam reflects upon with “when it came to fathers, Mariam had no
Name: Grace Higgins

assurances to give”, suggesting an essential cycle of absent or distant father figures, resulting in
their children searching for support elsewhere.

Finally, Tariq’s role as a father is one that takes some time to enact, due to circumstances out of
his control. As he fights for survival in the war, Hosseini essentially is already showing Tariq's
dedication to a cause that has significance to him. Despite this, Laila finds comfort in knowing
he is the father of her child, as “part of Tariq still alive inside her, sprouting tiny arms, growing
translucent hands.” This would suggest that from the start of their relationship, Laila already
feels secure in knowing the two are connected, which contrasts her “bursting into tears” upon
considering her future with Rasheed. Not only does this highlight the difference between her
treatment by her partners, but she is considering the future for her children as well, seemingly
confirming that Tariq is a safe option for all. The moment in which Tariq considers the possibility
of having a daughter directly opposes the reaction Rasheed had at even the thought, as “he
smiled, tasting the word”, describing how he would “count the minutes' until he could meet her.
Rasheed, on the other hand, seemed to make Aziza’s name sound “almost vulgar”, showing
immediately a fondness between father and daughter that seems unparalleled this far in the
novel. Here, Hoseeini uses the physical distance between the two as means of proving Tariq’s
devotion to his and Laila’s children, even attempting to make amends with Zalmai. Despite
acknowledging that “your son doesn’t care for me much,” he still does whatever he can to
lessen the divide between them. An example of this is when Zalmai lets Tariq hold him while he
is up at night coughing, which results in Laila feeling “Tariq’s cheeks are wet”. Not only does this
show a healthier father/son dynamic, but also shows a father figure who does not repress his
emotions, showing that Tariq is trying to build a proper connection to his family, and that Zalmai
will have a better male role model.

To conclude, it seems as though each father in Hosseini’s novel is faced with similar barriers
between them and their children, and it is how they respond to these barriers which defines
them as characters. Some are dedicated, like Tariq, and arguably Jalil towards the end of his life.
Others,like Rasheed, are negligent and self-absorbed, resulting in emotional turmoil faced by
their children, and a difficult dynamic for all to deal with. The additional perspectives of these
fathers from the mothers of their children seems to heighten a sense of ignorance from them,
as they seemingly reject fatherhood and the responsibilities that come with it.