Entry 2, pages 50-75

Describe the home life of one of the characters in the novel.  How is their life different from yours?

During this section while Mariam was moving in with her new husband, Rasheed, all I could think about was how strange it would be to be a wife in Afghanistan at this time.  Life there, for women, is different in so many ways compared to the lifestyle of women here.
Not only are most women forced into marriage when they are teenagers, but most of these marriages are with men they have never met or spoken to.  The marriages are set up based on the parents agreeing that the husband can provide for the wife and the wife can take care of the husband.  I can't begin to imagine marrying a man twice my age and not being able to choose the man I want to spend my life with.
When Mariam is married, she has many responsibilities and expectations that Rasheed sets for her.  In my home, I do small chores, like laundry and cleaning, but Mariam has much more on her plate.  At my same age, she is already cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, and living up to the rules her husband set for her.
My parents are also very forgiving if I make a mistake or become emotional, however Mariam must hide any emotions she feels even inside her own home.  Rasheed says, "What did I say about the crying?  Mariam.  What did I say to you about the crying" (Hosseini 65)?  He is not a supportive, caring husband that a woman would want to have and doesn't care that she just needs time to adjust to her new lifestyle.  Any mistake with the meals or cleaning and Mariam can expect to be yelled at or beaten.  Being abused is something I can't begin to fathom, especially by someone in my family. However, in A Thousand Splendid Sons, most Afghans turn their cheek and say that what a man does in his home is his own business.
I don't know how I would survive being an Afghan wife.  Living with a man much older than me, trying to have children in my teen years, taking on the roles of a woman when I'm still learning and, putting up with the fits of rage from my husband.  Women in Afghanistan have to grow up fast based on the culture and traditions most Afghans follow, and they lead a hard life once married.