Laila And Rasheed Characters

In this novel the two main characters are used to represent the different perspectives from which women in Afghanistan are viewed. The first character we meet is Mariam, a women from a unloving and poor past. She portrays the old ideas of abuse and mistreatment towards women. Conversely, the other main character Laila, a young women who came from a more modern and loving family, is used to represent progress towards the equal treatment and education of women. These two women obviously come from different backgrounds but are brought together through their marriages to a man named Rasheed. When they first meet, they are indifferent towards each other but when Rasheed comes up with the idea to marry Laila, Mariam begins to see Laila as competition,
The factions are joining forces and are beginning to split into two separate groups that will form into the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. As the government is starting to shift the usually distinct line between progress for women in Afghanistan and the mistreatment of women begins to blur. One night Rasheed becomes furious because Laila is rejecting his advances towards her and he blames Mariam for this. “Rasheed raised his belt again and this time came at Mariam. Then an astonishing thing happened: The girl (Laila) lunged at him. She grabbed his arm with both hands and tried to drag him down, but she could do no more than dangle from it. She succeeded in slowing Rasheed’s progress towards Mariam...He threw Mariam one last murderous stare, and gave the girl a shove in the back on the way out” (Hosseini 241). Rasheed no longer worships Laila as he used to and is now being regarded the same way Mariam is, useless and problematic. Laila , the symbol of progress, is no longer flourishing or being respected as she was. This event is when the condition of Laila’s life really begins to decline and becomes equivalent to Mariam’s. Now that Mariam and Laila are equals they have a reason to connect and that connection takes place a few days after Laila protects Mariam. Mariam thanks Laila for standing up for her like no one has ever done before and from their a nightly ritual is created. “They sat on folding chairs outside and ate halwa with their fingers from a common bowl. They had a second cup, and when Laila asked her if she wanted a third Mariam said she did. As gunfire cracked in the hills, they watched the clouds slide over the moon and the last of the season's fireflies charting bright yellow arcs in the dark. And when Aziza woke up crying and Rasheed yelled for Laila to come up and shut her up, a look passed between Laila and Mariam. An unguarded, knowing