Unveiling the veil: an examination of gender oppression in Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Taliban administration (1996–2001) undoubtedly inflicted unimaginable suffering on Afghan women, but the struggle for gender equality in Afghanistan has deep roots. In his novel, ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini vividly portrays the harrowing experiences of women before, during, and after the war. To scrutinise the oppression of Afghan women as depicted in the novel, this study draws upon Iris Marion Young's theory of oppression. Young contended that women in a society endure oppression when they confront exploitation, marginalisation, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence at the hands of men. This research unveils the physical, mental, and sexual abuse experienced by female characters, examining their inferior status through the lens of Young's ‘Five Faces of Oppression' and connecting it to the actual suffering of women in Afghanistan's male-dominated society. Therefore, it becomes unequivocally clear from this study that the female characters in Hosseini's narrative endure lives of oppression under the relentless dominion of patriarchy. The study further substantiates that Afghan women live lives marked by oppression, shedding light on their subjugation by patriarchal forces in Afghanistan's socio-cultural landscape.