FEMINIST DISCOURSE AND THE POLITICS OF SILENCE IN A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS

Abstract

This article explores A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini using the concept of feminist discourse and politics of silence. The study suggests that as in the novel, silence is more than the lack of speech; it is a social, cultural and political process that silences, disciplines and sometimes empowers women. The article highlights the theme of the women's voice and the limitations imposed by patriarchy, domestic violence, war, displacement and Taliban rule on the voices of the characters of Mariam and Laila in both public and private spheres. The analysis also shows how silence is a form of survival, resistance and female solidarity during the same time. The article demonstrates how Hosseini portrays Afghan women as victims of the power of men and how he presents them as agents that subvert oppression by enduring their fate, connecting emotionally through their relationship, sacrificing their own lives, and subtly challenging authority by their acts of silence. The article argues that A Thousand Splendid Suns advances feminist literary criticism; it takes silence as an indicator of gendered subjugation and a quiet but powerful form of agency.