January Connection

Well first off let me just say....wow I am loving the book we are reading right now. A Thousand Splendid Suns is an awesome book, my expectations for the book were not that high. My take on the book so far is that I feel extremely bad for Mariam, she doesn' t have anyone who is completely stable that is there for her all the time. Her mother has a right to be bitter about what Jalil did to them but just because Mariam didn't hate him too doesn't mean that her mom had the right to be mean to her. Mariam's mother, miserable women, I think she really did care for Mariam and had a well meaning intentions in protecting her. I believe that she could have gone about it in a much gentlier way than she did. Jalil was really nice when he came to visit Mariam but seriously what a jerk. Be a man and step up and deal with the consequences of your mistakes. Just because Mariam was the product of his infadelity doesn't mean that she doesn't deserve the same love as his other children. I think that Mariam never really had the chance to experience real love other than from Mullah Faizullah but he couldn't be there all the time. When Jalil "made" her marry Rasheed I knew that would be the end of Mariam. So far up to where we have read is what you would typically think of happening. A women is basically a slave to her husband and must do whatever he bids her to do. I think this is absolutly outrageous, I know that is the belief system in that particular Afghan culture, but who are they kidding. Women are just as intelligent and capable as men I don't see why they should be lowered in the society's eyes. In most cultures and socities in the world at least the more industrialized ones women are seen as equals. Personally I think that's how it should be. But there are still some of those cultures where women are treated like dirt and are only good for cooking, cleaning, and producing offspring. We have so much more potenital than that; I think all women should have the opportunity to show what we've got!!