Subjection of an Individual: Reading Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns

Abstract

Khaled Hosseini‟s A Thousand Splendid Suns shows how individuals are subjugated in the trap of different power personas. In the novel, Afghanistan itself seems a victim of power. In Afghanistan, Soviet Union stands as power persona and it creates different kind of discourse in the name of communism to rule over the natives. Later on Taliban comes by overthrowing the communist regime and starts to rule over the nation by using Islam religion as a powerful means to create discourse and to remain in power. But after the attack in Twin Tower in New York, American desire to rule over Afghanistan overflows and Afghanistan once again becomes victim of American discourse. In this way, establishment of discourse and power seeking tendency of West is a key theme of this novel. The action and will of the power persona clarify it. The Foucauldian Reading critically analyzes the tendency of European and Taliban to rule upon Afghanistan by creating different discourses like- discourse of religion, modernity, patriarchy as well as ethnicity, and they make Afghanistan as their play ground to fulfill their interests