Assignment 4

Rejection is a major motif in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns. Rejection is first presented when Hosseini describes Mariam's mother and her feelings towards men. Mariam's mother is deeply affected by the rejection of Jalil and these emotions are what drive her to tell Mariam, when she is barely a child, that there is "nothing out there for [Mariam] but rejection and heartache." Describe other examples of rejection in the novel and discuss Hosseini's purpose and the significance of demonstrating such rejection.