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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Part I: Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Mariam, the Weed:
Throughout A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam often compares herself—or is compared by other people—to a weed. The first instance of this motif occurs in Chapter 2, initiated by Nana:
"To Jalil and his wives, I was a pokeroot. A mugwort. You too. And you weren't even born yet."
"What's a mugwort?" Mariam asked
"A weed," Nana said. "Something you rip out and toss aside."
As a harami, a bastard born to an unwed mother, society views Mariam as something pesky and dirty, an errant plant growing where it has no right to grow. Nana affirms this sentiment out of the gate, constantly reminding Mariam of their shared shame as mother and illegitimate daughter.
Yet Mariam, despite the shame and indignities of life, grows persistently, refusing to die off unregarded. The weed motif comes full circle at the end of Chapter 47—coincidentally, also the end of Mariam's life:
She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last.
Mariam grows in defiance of those who consider her worthless. She loves deeply and is loved in return. Arguably, she is the most important person in Laila's life—more important even than Tariq—because she saves Laila's life, rescuing her from certain death at Rasheed's hands.
Related Themes:
Part III: Chapter 39
Explanation and Analysis—Mariam as Laila's Mother:
Over the course of A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam and Laila gradually become more intimate, forming a close relationship akin to that of a mother and daughter. Mariam's motherly behavior towards Laila emerges as a motif in the novel, characterizing much of her interaction with the other woman. Note the following passage from Chapter 39, in which Mariam advocates for a belabored Laila at the hospital:
Mariam waded in. She dug in her heels and burrowed against the elbows, hips, and shoulder blades of strangers. [...] To propel herself forward, Mariam clawed at necks, at arms and elbows, at hair, and, when a woman nearby hissed, Mariam hissed back. Mariam saw now the sacrifices a mother made. Decency was but one. [...]
"My daughter's water broke and the baby won't come," Mariam called.
Mariam refers to Laila as her daughter; she also claims to now understand "the sacrifices a mother made." While this claim could be a reflection on Laila's sacrifices, it can also be interpreted as a reflection on the sacrifices Mariam makes for Laila. The older woman claws away at the crowd of patients, forcing herself to the front of the line to get her surrogate daughter medical care.
Mariam sacrifices much more in due course, eventually killing Rasheed to save Laila's life and enable her to escape with Tariq. In the following excerpt from Chapter 46, Mariam reassures Laila about her decision to stay behind in Kabul and shoulder the blame for Rasheed's murder:
"When [the Taliban does capture us], they'll find you as guilty as me. Tariq too. I won't have the two of you living on the run, like fugitives. What will happen to your children if you're caught?" Laila's eyes brimming, stinging. "Who will take care of them then? The Taliban? Think like a mother, Laila jo. Think like a mother. I am."
Mariam implores Laila to "think like a mother," considering what is best for Aziza and Zalmai. Mariam herself thinks like a mother—Laila's mother—in the midst of their predicament. She is calm, rational, and focused on what is best for Laila and her children, even if that picture of the future does not contain Mariam.
Related Themes:
Part III: Chapter 46
Explanation and Analysis—Mariam as Laila's Mother:
Over the course of A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam and Laila gradually become more intimate, forming a close relationship akin to that of a mother and daughter. Mariam's motherly behavior towards Laila emerges as a motif in the novel, characterizing much of her interaction with the other woman. Note the following passage from Chapter 39, in which Mariam advocates for a belabored Laila at the hospital:
Mariam waded in. She dug in her heels and burrowed against the elbows, hips, and shoulder blades of strangers. [...] To propel herself forward, Mariam clawed at necks, at arms and elbows, at hair, and, when a woman nearby hissed, Mariam hissed back. Mariam saw now the sacrifices a mother made. Decency was but one. [...]
"My daughter's water broke and the baby won't come," Mariam called.
Mariam refers to Laila as her daughter; she also claims to now understand "the sacrifices a mother made." While this claim could be a reflection on Laila's sacrifices, it can also be interpreted as a reflection on the sacrifices Mariam makes for Laila. The older woman claws away at the crowd of patients, forcing herself to the front of the line to get her surrogate daughter medical care.
Mariam sacrifices much more in due course, eventually killing Rasheed to save Laila's life and enable her to escape with Tariq. In the following excerpt from Chapter 46, Mariam reassures Laila about her decision to stay behind in Kabul and shoulder the blame for Rasheed's murder:
"When [the Taliban does capture us], they'll find you as guilty as me. Tariq too. I won't have the two of you living on the run, like fugitives. What will happen to your children if you're caught?" Laila's eyes brimming, stinging. "Who will take care of them then? The Taliban? Think like a mother, Laila jo. Think like a mother. I am."
Mariam implores Laila to "think like a mother," considering what is best for Aziza and Zalmai. Mariam herself thinks like a mother—Laila's mother—in the midst of their predicament. She is calm, rational, and focused on what is best for Laila and her children, even if that picture of the future does not contain Mariam.
Related Themes:
Part III: Chapter 47
Explanation and Analysis—Mariam, the Weed:
Throughout A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam often compares herself—or is compared by other people—to a weed. The first instance of this motif occurs in Chapter 2, initiated by Nana:
"To Jalil and his wives, I was a pokeroot. A mugwort. You too. And you weren't even born yet."
"What's a mugwort?" Mariam asked
"A weed," Nana said. "Something you rip out and toss aside."
As a harami, a bastard born to an unwed mother, society views Mariam as something pesky and dirty, an errant plant growing where it has no right to grow. Nana affirms this sentiment out of the gate, constantly reminding Mariam of their shared shame as mother and illegitimate daughter.
Yet Mariam, despite the shame and indignities of life, grows persistently, refusing to die off unregarded. The weed motif comes full circle at the end of Chapter 47—coincidentally, also the end of Mariam's life:
She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last.
Mariam grows in defiance of those who consider her worthless. She loves deeply and is loved in return. Arguably, she is the most important person in Laila's life—more important even than Tariq—because she saves Laila's life, rescuing her from certain death at Rasheed's hands.
Related Themes:
