Reflection on Mariam and Laila

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The war in Afghanistan affected thousands of lives in many different ways. In the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khaled Hosseini, there are also many lives affected by the war that goes on throughout the story. Mariam and Laila are especially affected by the war and the events that occur change both of their lives drastically. Although Mariam and Laila’s lives were negatively affected by the war, it also brought the two girls closer together despite the terrible situations that they are put through. Throughout the book Mariam and Laila go from always trying to avoid each other, to being very close friends that can rely on each other. As the war is going on throughout the story, Laila’s house gets hit by a rocket killing her mother and father and injuring her. After this, Mariam and Rasheed find Laila and take her in and nurse her back to health. After Laila is back to full health and completely recovered a random man, Abdul brings her news that Tariq, her childhood love, has died. After Rasheed saves Laila and him and Mariam nurse her back to health, he stops paying attention to Mariam. Mainly because Laila is much more beautiful and she is able to have a child. This upsets Mariam. “It’s not so much what he says, the blatant lies, the contrived empathy, or even the fact the he has not raised a hand to her, Mariam, since he had dug the girl out from under those bricks” (Hosseini 191). Rasheed would soon ask Laila to marry him and she would agree because now she believe that Tariq actually did die. Mariam felt threatened by Laila so she started to avoid her. Laila then gives birth to a little girl. This causes Laila and Mariam to be drawn back together because they both hate Rasheed now, but care for her baby. “A look passes between Laila and Mariam. An unguarded, growing look. And in this fleeting , wordless exchange with Mariam, Laila knows that

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