Silence as Oppression and Moral Resistance in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Abstract

This article explores silence as a central motif in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. It argues that silence operates both as a tool of oppression and as a form of moral resistance in the lives of Afghan women. Through Mariam and Laila, the novel shows how patriarchy, war, and political extremism suppress female voices, while also revealing how silence can become a space of endurance, solidarity, and ethical choice. Hosseini ultimately redefines resistance as something that can exist even in quiet sacrifice.