《灿烂千阳》英文研究

TableofContentsTOC\o\h\z\uTableofContents 2Acknowledgements 3Abstract 4摘要 61.Introduction 71.1AboutKhaledHosseini 71.2AboutAThousandSplendidSuns 81.3AimsandObjectives 111.4TheOrganizationoftheDissertation 122.LiteratureReview 132.1ReviewsontheStudiesofAThousandSplendidSunsAbroad 132.2ReviewsontheStudiesofAThousandSplendidSunsatHome 153.TheoreticalFramework 173.1IntroductiontoSpivak 173.2IntroductiontoSubaltern 173.3IntroductiontoPost-colonialism 183.4GayatriC.Spivak’sconceptofPostcolonialFeminism 194.Dualoppressionofpatriarchyandimperialism 214.1Mariam’sExperienceunderPatriarchy 224.2Laila’smisfortuneunderImperialism 244.3Thetragicfatetowardsthesameend 265.IdentityConstructionintheProcessofResistance 275.1TheProcessofResistanceintheNovel 285.2ConstructionofGenderandSocialIdentity 305.3ConstructionofCulturalIdentity 336.Conclusion 35AcknowledgementsIwouldliketoexpressmysincereappreciationtoallthosewhohadhelpedmeduringmywritingofthisdissertation.Firstofall,IwouldliketoextendmydeepestgratitudetomysupervisorMr.Wangwhohasspentmuchtimetoreadingthroughallmydraftsandgavemebeneficialsuggestions.Withouthiscarefulguidance,mydissertationcannotcomeintobeing.IamverygratefultotheteachersofSchoolofForeignStudywhohavehelpedmetoequipmyselfwithknowledgeintheAbstractAThousandSplendidSunsisthesecondnovelbyKhaledHosseini,anAfghanwriter.TheauthorfocusesonAfghanwomen.ThenoveltellstheunfortunatestoriesoftwoAfghanwomen.Mariamwasanillegitimatedaughter,soherlifeandmarriagewerefullofhumiliationandabuse.Eighteenyearslater,thewarhadnotyetsubsided.Laila,ayounggirl,lostherparentsandloverandwasforcedtomarryRasheed.Bothofthemwereoppressedbypatriarchyandimperialism,andtheirheartswereintertwinedwithmiseryandpatience.Theywereonceintolerantoffireandwater,andbecauseofeachother,theyrealizedtheirself-consciousnessandcompletedtheiridentityconstruction.Becauseofthegreatpopularityofthenovel,scholarsathomeandabroadhaveanalyzedthenovelfromdifferentperspectives,suchasinitiationnovel,ecologism,NewHistoricismandsoon.ThisstudyusesSpivak's"subaltern"theoryofpost-colonialfeminismand"Canthesubalternspeak？"toanalyzetheharmcausedbytheseoppressionstoAfghanwomenundertheoppressionofpatriarchyandimperialism.Andhowtheygraduallyawakentheirself-consciousness,andriseuptoresist,andfinallygetredemption,completetheprocessofidentityconstruction.Keywords:KhaledHosseini;AThousandSplendidSuns;Marginalization；Postcolonialfeminism；Identityconstruction摘要《灿烂千阳》是美籍阿富汗作家卡勒德•胡赛尼（KhaledHosseini）的第二部长篇小说，于2007年在美国首发，该书上市仅一周销量就突破100万册。作者将关注焦点放在阿富汗妇女身上，小说讲述了两个阿富汗妇女的不幸故事，玛丽雅姆是私生女，她的人生以及婚姻都充斥着耻辱和虐待。十八年后，战乱仍未平息，少女莱拉失去了父母与恋人，亦被迫嫁给拉希德。两个人都受到了父权主义和帝国主义的压迫，心底潜藏着的悲苦与忍耐相互交织，她们曾经水火不容，又因为彼此而自我意识觉醒，完成了身份建构。由于小说受到了极大的欢迎，国内国外的学者都从不同的角度分析了这本小说，例如从成长小说、生态主义、新历史主义等角度。而本研究则运用了斯皮瓦克的后殖民女性主义中的“属下”理论和“庶民不能说话”理论与阿富汗女性在父权主义和帝国主义压迫下的生活状态结合起来，分析这些压迫对她们造成的伤害。以及她们如何逐步自我意识觉醒，并且奋起反抗，最后获得救赎，完成身份建构的过程。关键词：卡勒德·胡赛尼；《灿烂千阳》；边缘化；后殖民女性主义；身份建构1.Introduction1.1AboutKhaledHosseiniKhaledHosseini,borninMarch4th1965,hegraduatedfromtheUniversityofCalifornia,SanDiego,andisanAfghan-Americanwriteranddoctor.KhaledHosseiniwasborninKabul,Afghanistan.HisfatherwasadiplomatthatmadethemmovetodifferentcountriesfromtimetotimeandhismotherwasateacheratKabulWomen’sSchool.In1970,thefamilywassenttoTehranwiththeirfather,andin1973thefamilymovedbacktoKabul.ThisyearisthelastyearfortheAfghanregimetomaintainstability.Afterthat,coupsandinvasionscontinued,whichendedHosseini’sbeautifulchildhoodinAfghanistan.In1999,HosseinicameacrossareportthattheTalibanforbadecitizenstoflykites,whichwasHosseini’sfavoriteactivityinKabulasachild.Hewroteashortstoryonthespurofthemomentandeventuallyexpandeditintoanovel,TheKiteRunner,in2001.In2003,Hosseini’sdebutnovelTheKiteRunnerwonvariousnewawardsandremainedonAmazon’slistfor131weeks.In2007,Hosseinipublishedhissecondnovel,AThousandSplendidSuns,whichhasbeenwidelyrecognizedasamaturewriterbynewwriters.ThebackgroundofhisnovelsissetinAfghanistanbuttheAfghanistanhedescribedisnotrosyatall.KhaledHosseini’sfirstnovelTheKiteRunnertellsthestoryofKabul’swealthyyoungmasterAmirandhisservantHassan.Theprotagonistsinthebookwitnessedtheeternaltopicsofwar,religion,love,guilt,atonementandsoon.Thesecondnovel,AThousandSplendidSuns,isconsidereda“femaleversionofTheKiteRunner”,whichtellshowtwoAfghanwomenstruggletosurvivemarriageviolence,droughtandpoverty.HosseinihasunveiledtheothersideofAfghanistan1.2AboutAThousandSplendidSunsAThousandSplendidSunsisthesecondnovelofAfghanAmericanwriterKhaledHosseini,whichreceivedgreatattentionbeforeitspublication.LaunchedintheUnitedStatesonMay22,2007,itsoldmorethan1millioncopiesinaweekandwonunanimouspraisefromcritics.Ithasbeenpraisedbymanycriticsas“agreatworkbeyondTheKiteRunner”.ThistimeHosseinifocusedonAfghanwomen.ThenoveltellstheunfortunatestoriesoftwoAfghanwomenwhohavetoenduretherestraintsofhungerandillness.Familieshavetoendurethetraumaofwarandthedisplacementofrefugees.ThecountryshouldendurethewarbetweentheformerSovietUnion,theTalibanandtheUnitedStates.MariamandLailaarethetwoprotagonistsinthisnovel.Mariamisanillegitimatedaughterwhosemotherisamaidinherfather’sfamily.ShegrewupinamudhouseinamountainvillagenearHeartbecauseherfatherdidn’ttakehisresponsibilitiesasafather.JalilvisitsNanaandMariaminthemudhouseeveryThursday,whichisthethingshelongedformostfromherfather.Finally,onher15thbirthday,sheshowedachild’swillfulnessandrebellionforherfather’svagueanduncertaindecision.Onherbirthday,shenaivelythoughtJalilwouldspendtimewithher.Inordertomeetherfather,shewalkeddownthemountainvillageforthefirsttimeandwenttoJalil’shome.Shedidn’trealizethatherfatherhadavoidedseeingher.Mariamspentthenightwaitinginfrontofthehouse,andfinallyrushedintotheopendoor,onlytoseeherfather’sfaceflashingthroughthewindow.Thenthecurtainsweredrawn.Mariamcriedonherwayhome.Sheshedsadtears,butalsoadeep,deeplyhumiliatingtears.Butwhenshecamebackhome,shesawhermothersuicidebyhangingherself.Later,shewasallowedtobeassignedto45-year-oldKabulshoemakerRasheed.Afteramiscarriage,Mariamwasinadecliningsituation.RasheedalwaysfightsMariamforsomethinginsignificant.UnlikeMariam,Lailaisawell-educated,beautifulandhappygirl.HerfatherisalocalprofessorwhoteachesatKabulUniversity.UnlikeordinaryMuslimfamilies,theirfamiliesadvocateequalitybetweenmenandwomen.LailaalsohasafriendnamedTariq,whocherisheseachotherasiftheycherishthemostpreciousthingsintheworld.Whentheywerefourteenyearsold,TariqandhisfamilyfledtoPakistantotakerefuge.Shortlyaftertheyleft,theLailafamilyalsoplannedtoleaveKabul.Ontheeveofherdeparture,theshellshitherhome,herparentsdied,andshewasrescuedhomebyRasheed.Laila,withTariq’sbabyinherstomach,wasforcedtomarryRasheedaftersheheardthatTariqhaddiedandbeganworkingwithMariam.Thetwowomenhaveexperiencedmanyhardships,fromtheinitialirreconcilabletoturnintoanirreversibleacquaintance.LailagavebirthtoTariq’sdaughterandRasheed’sson.Oneday,TariqsuddenlyappearedatLaila’shouse,andLailarealizedthatshehadbeencaughtinabigscamyearsago.WhenRasheedknewthatTariqhadcome,hetriedtostrangleLailawithamixtureofjealousyandanger.MariamkilledRasheedwithashovel.Later,LailaandMariamplannedtofleeagain,butwhentheyleft,Mariamchosetostayandtaketheblame.Asforthenewbook,namedAThousandSplendidSuns,HosseiniexplainedthatthetitleofthebookoriginatedfromapoemaboutKabul.“ThispoemwaswrittenbySaib-e-Tabrizi,a17th-centuryAfghanpoet,aftervisitingKabul.Thefinalphraseofthepoem,‘Athousandbrilliantsuns’,fitsthethemeofthenovel.“AThousandSplendidSunsisanovelofsimpleandunadornednature.Itssinceritywillstillmovemillionsofreaders.Althoughlifeisfullofbitterness,thewarmsunshineofhopecanbeseenineverysadsituation.1.3AimsandObjectivesThisthesisisbasedonSpivak’spostcolonialfeministtheory,whichaimstostudyhowAfghanwomenareoppressedbypatriarchyandimperialism.Inaddition,wewillstudyhowAfghanwomenconstructtheiridentityinoppression.Throughtheanalysis,wetrytoanswerthefollowingquestions:HowdidMariamandLailasufferfromtheoppressionofpatriarchyandimperialism,andhowdidtheyaffecttheirwholelife?Intheprocessofbeingoppressedbypatriarchyandimperialism,whatattitudesdidtheyadoptandwhatcausedthesetwodifferentattitudes?HowdoesSpivak’spost-colonialfeminismmanifestitselfinthisnovel?Whichtheoryisit?HowdidMariamandLailaaccomplishidentityconstructionandfinallyachieveself-redemption?Theanswerforthesefourquestionsisexpectedtobehelpfulinunderstandingthenovelanditsauthor.Itishopedthattheinterpretationintheoryofthetextwillbefullyexploredandelaboratedthroughthediscussion.1.4TheOrganizationoftheDissertationThedissertationcontainssixparts.Thefirstpartisabriefintroductiontotheauthorandthetexttobeanalyzed,andtheaimsandobjectivesofthisdissertation,aswellastheorganizationofthisdissertation.Thesecondpartisareviewonthepreviousstudiesonthenovelathomeandabroad.Thethirdpartestablishesthetheoreticalframeworkforthestudy,emphasizingonSpivak’spostcolonialfeministtheory.Theforthpartistheanalyticalpartofthisdissertationindetailwiththetheory,whichspecificallyanalysestheharmofpatriarchyandimperialismtothetwoheroines.Thefifthpartmakesaconcreteanalysisofhowthetwoheroinesaccomplishtheiridentityconstruction.Thelastpartcoverstheconclusionsofinterpretation,aswellasthelimitationsexistinginthestudyandsomesuggestionsforfuturestudies.2.LiteratureReviewAsabestseller,AThousandSplendidSunsarisesmanyscholars’interest.Butthebookwaspublishedafewyearsagoandthewriterisanewcomerinthewritingfield.Sotheessaynomaterforeignordomesticisnotveryrich.2.1ReviewsontheStudiesofAThousandSplendidSunsAbroadInthefirstweekfollowingitsrelease,AThousandSplendidSunssoldoveronemillioncopies,becominganumber-oneNewYorkTimesbestsellerforfifteenweeks.Timemagazine’sLevGrossmanplaceditatnumberthreeintheTop10FictionBooksof2007,andpraiseditasa“dense,rich,pressure-packedguidetoenduringtheunendurable.”JonathanYardleysaidintheWashingtonPost“BookWorld”,“Justincaseyou’rewonderingwhetherKhaledHosseini’sAThousandSplendidSunsisasgoodasTheKiteRunner,here’stheanswer:No.It’sbetter.”Asforforeignresearches,Dr.Md.SahidulIslamhaswrittenadissertationcalled“GenderDiscriminationandTheWretchedConditionofWomeninArundhatiRoy’sTheGodofSmallThingsandKhaledHosseini’sAThousandSplendidSuns”inArts&EducationInternationalResearchJournalin2015.Inthatdissertation,theauthorsaid:”Inanutshell,KhaledHosseinihaveraisedaseriesofseriousquestionsregardingthesafeguardofwomeninpatriarchalsociety.Atthesametime,theauthorshavegivenpartialsolutiontotheproblemthroughthewomencharactersinthenovelswhohintedatadrasticchangethroughtheirprotesttobringarevolutionarychangeinthesociety.ThisishowHosseinibroughtintolightthegenderinequalityinthesocietyasreflectedinAThousandSplendidSuns.”“Theimpactofideologyonlexicalchoicesinliterarytranslation:AcasestudyofAThousandSplendidSuns”iswrittenbyFatemehMansourabadiandAminKarimniafromAkdenizLanguageStudiesConferencein2012.ThisdissertationattemptstodiscoverideologicaldifferencesbetweenHoseinAThousandSplendidSunsanditstwoPersiantranslations,byGanjiandSoleimaniandGhebrai.AccordingtoFairclough,ideologyindiscourseisencodedinthelexical,grammaticalandtextualitemsandchangesintheseitemsindicatedifferentideology.Hence,lexicalchoicesofthesourcebookandthetwotranslationswereanalyzedbasedonFairclough’sapproachtoinvestigateideologicaldifferencesbetweenthem.Theresultsofchi-squarerevealedthattherewerenoideologicaldifferencebetweenthesourcetextanditstwotranslations.Moreover,thetranslatorsselectedsimilarvocabulariesforrepresentingtheideologyoftheoriginalauthor.2.2ReviewsontheStudiesofAThousandSplendidSunsatHomeComparedwiththeliteraturereviewofthenovelabroad,thenumberofdomesticresearchonthenovelisremarkableaftertheChineseversiontranslatedbyLiJihongpublishedintoChinesemarket.Mostscholarsmainlymakeresearchonthefollowingperspectivessuchasecologistperspective,newhistoricismandgrowththeme.“AnEco-feministReadingofAThousandSplendidSuns”iswrittenbyJiang(2012)fromLiaoningChiliquanfromInnerMongoliaUniversityhadwrittenadissertationcalled“RepresentationofAfghanMiseryinHosseini’sNovels—ANewHistoricistReadingofTheKiteRunnerandAThousandSplendidSuns”in2013.HisdissertationinterpretsHusseini’stwoworks“TheKiteRunner”and““FacesbehindBurqa,RaysbeyondDarkness一AnInterpretationofAThousandSplendidSunsfromthePerspectiveofEthicalLiteraryCriticism”(2018)iswrittenbyShangLiqingfromBeijingJiaotongUniversity.ByusingthemethodofLiteraryEthicscriticism,thisdissertationdeeplyinterpretsthedimensionsoffeminineethics,familyethicsandsocialethicscontainedinTheThousandSplendidSuns.Astheprotagonistsandrepresentativesoffemalecharactersinthenovel,MariamandLailahaveundergoneatransformationfrommutualexclusiontosymbiosis,whichhighlightsthebrillianceoffemaleethics.3.TheoreticalFramework3.1IntroductiontoSpivakGayatriChakravortySpivak,borninIndiain1942,istheworld’sleadingliterarytheoristandculturalcritic.Sheisoneofthemostinfluentialandcontroversialpost-colonialtheoristsafterSaid.TogetherwithEdwardSaidandHomiK.Bhabha,sheiscalled“thethreeswordsmenofpost-colonialtheory”byRobertYoung.ShenotonlyinheritsanddevelopsSaid’spost-colonialtheory,butalsoabsorbsanddrawsonmanytheoriessuchasMarxism,deconstruction,psychologicalanalysisandsoon,andappliesthesetheoriestoherresearchonpost-colonialfeministtheory.SpivakisafemaleintellectualofIndianAmericanorigin.Basedonherspecialculturalidentity,sheconsidersthelivingconditionsofthepeopleatthebottomofthepost-colonialareas,especiallythewomenatthebottom,andmakesaprofoundanduniqueanalysisoftheculturalhegemonyofimperialism.Itisespeciallycommendablethatsheintroducedfeminismintopost-colonialcriticism,thusmakinggreatcontributionstothetheoryofpost-colonialfeminism.3.2IntroductiontoSubalternThestudyofthesubalterninwesternacademiadidnotbeginwithSpivak.TheresearchofthesubalterninSpivakwasnotbornoutofnothing.Ithasaprofoundacademicbackgroundandpractice.Gramsci,MarxandFoucaultallplayedanimportantroleintheemergenceanddevelopmentoftheunderlyingtheory."Subaltern"asatheoreticaltermhasbeendevelopedinGramsciandIndianBottom-LevelResearchGroups.Gramsciinitiallyusedtheterm"Subaltern"torefertotheunstructuredruralpeasantsinsouthernItaly,whoarevulnerabletotheinfluenceandleadershipoftherulingclassbecausetheyhavenosenseofcommunityandsocio-politicalconsciousness.BoththeIndianBottom-LevelResearchGroupsandGramscibelievethatoneofthecharacteristicsof"Subaltern"isthelackofsubjectconsciousness.SpivakisoneofthemembersofIndianBottom-LevelResearchGroups.Herparticipationandtheoreticalconstructionhavepromotedthedevelopmentofsubaltern'sresearch.Spivak'sdefinitionof"subaltern"inheritstoacertainextentbyGramsciandIndianBottom-LevelResearchGroups.Spivakalsobelievesthatsubalternisaflexiblesignifier,withouttherigoroftheory,canchange.3.3IntroductiontoPost-colonialismItisgenerallybelievedthatthetheoryofpost-colonialismoriginatedinthe1950sand1960s,startingwithFarnon’s“BlackSkinandWhiteMask”publishedin1952.Shapedinthelate1970s,SaidpublishedOrientalismin1978asasymbol,whichattractedwideattentionintheacademiccircles.Post-colonialismbecameawidelyinfluentialtrendofthoughtinWesternsociety,whichwasinthelate1980sandearly1990s.Theso-calledpost-colonialismisusedtorefertoanationanditspeople,suchasthepost-colonialcountryandthepost-colonialintellectuals,whowereoncecolonizedbutnowhavegainedindependencefirstly.Secondly,istorefertothestudy,reflectionandcriticismofthehistoricalfactsandconsequencesofWesternculturalcolonization,suchaspost-colonialtheoryandpost-colonialcriticism.Thirdly,itreferstotheglobalpolitical,economicandculturalpatternsaftertheendofthecolonialera,suchasthepost-colonialworldandthepost-colonialera.Fromthenumerouspost-colonialtheoriesintheWest,wecanseethatpost-colonialismreferstotheculturalhegemonyofthesuzerainoveritsformercolonies.3.4GayatriC.Spivak’sconceptofPostcolonialFeminismWhereverSpivak’snameappears,withoutexception,therearealotofmodifiers,“Deconstructionism”,“Feminism”,“Marxism”,“Post-colonialism”,“Psychoanalysis”andmanyothergrandtheorieswhichhavebeenwidelyembodiedinherbody.SpivakinheritedSaid’sideasandintroducedpost-colonialcriticismintofeminism.Sheadvocatesnotonlyfromtheperspectiveofclassandrace,butalsofromtheperspectiveofgender,thusexpandingthescopeofpost-colonialresearchandconcern.ThemostindispensablepartofSpivak’spost-colonialtheoryisthestudyof“subaltern”.Sheextendsthescopeofthestudyof“subaltern”fromhistoricaltextstoliterary,culturalandsocialtexts.Shealsofeelsthelackoffemaleperspectiveinthestudyofthecommonpeopleandpaysattentiontothewomeninthecommonpeople’sstratum,whichdirectlypromotesthedevelopmentofthestudyof“subaltern”.Asaresultoftheconspiracybetweenimperialismanddomesticelitism,theunderclassinthethirdworldhasbecomesuppressedandimbalanceshavearisenwithintheThirdWorlditself.Underclasspeople’sculturalconsciousnesswillinevitablybecontrolledbycolonialcultureandeliteculture,sotheycannotconsciouslymaketheoverallvoice.Theirvoicesareobliteratedbytheelite,so“Subaltern”isusedtorefertoallgroupsoutsidetheelite.SheisalsoconcernedaboutthesituationofthebottomgroupoutsidethedevelopedcountriesoftheWest,namelythesituationoftheThirdWorldinthecontextofglobalizationandinternationallabourdivision.Secondly,Spivakfocusesmoreonstudyingtheunderlyingsituationfromtheinternaldifferencesoftheunderlyinggroups.Shepaysspecialattentiontogenderdifferences.Spivak’sdeconstructionapproachandherfemaleidentitymadeherbegintopayattentiontothespecialgroupofwomenatthebottom,andextendedtheperspectiveofthebottomresearchtogenderdifferences.In1985,SpivakpublishedanarticleentitledCanthesubalternspeak?Inthearticle,theauthordrawstheconclusionthatthesubalterncan’tspeak.Themostimportantreasonwhythesubalterncannotvoiceandbecomethesilentothersliesinthelackof“subjectconsciousness”ofthesubaltern.ThelackofsubjectconsciousnessisalsothecoreofSpivak’sresearchonthesubaltern.WhenSpivakstudiedthesubaltern,shelaunchedalotofresearchanddiscussiononthesubalternwomen.Shebelievedthatwhilethemainbodyofthesubalternwaserased,genderdifferenceswerealsoneglected,especiallyforwomenatthebottomofsociety,theysuffernolessdiscriminationandoppressionthanmenatthebottom.4.DualoppressionofpatriarchyandimperialismAfterathoroughexplorationandreflectiononIndia,whichhasbeenundercolonialoppressionforalongtime,Spivakpointedoutthatunderthecircumstancesofclassoppressionandgenderdiscrimination,imperialismhasbeenrunningthroughit,andwomenhavebecomevictims.“Betweenpatriarchyandimperialism,betweensubjectconstructionandobjectformation”,womenhavenodignity,nostatusandareoppressed.Theycanonlyliveinhumanlives.Obviously,exploitationandoppressionsufferedbysubalternwomenaretwofold.Thelackofsubjectconsciousnessmakesitimpossibleforthesubalterntoformaunifiedwholetoresisttheoppressionoftherulers.Inordertoconsolidatetheirdominantposition,therulinggroupneedstomaintainthestatethatthesubalterncannotbeunifiedcontinuously,thusbeinginthedominantposition.Therefore,undertheruleofpatriarchyandimperialism,thesubalterncannotspeakforthemselvesandlosetheirsubjectiveconsciousness.InSpivak’sview,theworldandconsciousnessaremadeupofwords.Wearecontrolledbywords,sowecan’ttakethem.Wordscontainthescopeandconsciousnessoftheworld.Bycontrast,Afghanwomenaredominatedbypatriarchyandimperialism.Afghanwomenhavetobecomeasilentgroup.4.1Mariam’sExperienceunderPatriarchyPatriarchyisasocialsystem,whichmeansmenplayaleadingroleinpoliticalleadership,moralauthority,socialprivilegesandpropertycontrol.Somepatriarchalsocietiesarealsopatrilineal,meaningthatpropertyandtitleareinheritedbythemalelineage.AfghanistanisatypicalIslamicpoliticizedandpatriarchalcountry.Womendonotenjoyanyrightsinthiscountry,includingeducation,healthcare,andwork.AdrienneRich,ascholar,believesthat“patriarchyexistsintheideologicalsystemoffamilysociety.Inthissystem,mendeterminewomen’srolesthroughstronganddirectoppression,orthroughtradition,language,custom,etiquetteanddivisionoflabor,whileputtingwomenunderthecontrolofmen.”TheunfortunateexperienceofMariam,theheroineofAThousandSplendidSuns,firstcomesfromtheoppressionofpatriarchy.Thenovelbeginswith“Harami”,whichMariamfirstheardattheageoffive.“Harami”meanillegitimatechildreninAfghan.InAfghansociety,apersonwhowillnotberecognizedbylawandwillneverlegallyenjoyandown“suchaslove,family,recognition,etc.”Mariamisanillegitimatedaughterwhosemotherisamaidinherfather’sfamily.Herfatherwasawealthylocalbusinessmanbutalsoaselfishandhypocriticalpatriarchalmalerepresentative.AfterMariamwasborn,hedroveMariamandhermotheroutofthehouse.AfterNanahangedherselfandcommittedsuicide,inordertomaintainhisso-calledimageandfamilyface,Jalildidnotcareaboutherdaughter’sdesireforfather’slove.Hemarried15-year-oldMariamtoashoemakerinKabul,awidowedmanover30yearsolderthanMariam,whosenamewasRasheed.Mariamwasbornwithoutlegalstatus,andherlifewasdestinedtobefullofsadness.WhenhermothercommittedsuicideandwasforcedtomarryfarawayfromKabul,Mariamplungeddirectlyintoanothermiserydevastatedbylifefromthemiseryoflosinghermotherinheryouth.Rasheedisbrutalandcruel.HeregardsMariamashispersonalpropertyandatoolofsuccession.Aftersixmiscarriagesandlossoffertility,Mariambegantobeatandkickherandtrampleonheratwill.MariamwasdeeplyinfluencedbyhermotherNanawhenshewasyoung.Shewaspatientandbelievedthatherfatewasdestinedtobelikethis.Mariamwasbornanillegitimatechild,lackinginethicalidentity,unabletoobtainnormalchildhoodlifeandhappiness.Inthefaceofhermother’sdeath,shedidnotdowhatshehadtodotoarrangeaftermathandclaimcompensation.Shelostheridentityasadaughter.Inthefaceofmarriage,shehasnochoicebuttoloseheridentityasawoman.Facingthefamily,shecanonlybeleftatthemercyofherhusband,withouttherighttospeak,andlosetheidentityasawife.Influencedandoppressedbypatriarchalideasforalongtime,Mariamlostherselfcompletelyandhersocialandculturalidentitywaslost.InSpivak’spostcolonialfeministtheory,Mariamisthesubalternofherhusbandbecauseshelosthervoice.Whenshefacedherhusband’sbeating,mockinganddomesticviolence,shewasmuteandsilent.Mariamwholosesherselfisnotapersonanymoreandsheisthesubalternofherhusbandwhocanabandonheratanytimesoratanyplaces.4.2Laila’smisfortuneunderImperialismWomeninAfghanistanwhobornindifferentfamilybackgroundanddifferentages,theycannotgetridofafactthattheyarethesubalternoftheirhusband.AThousandSplendidSunsreproducesthe30yearsofwarandturmoilthatAfghanistanexperiencedinthe1960sand1980s.TheSovietUnion’sinvasionofAfghanistanhasledtoconfusioninAfghanistan’sinternalpoliticalsituation,continuouschangeofgovernment,tyrannicaltotalitarianTalibanregime,andAfghanwomenliveinfear,struggleandpain.Anotherheroine,Laila,isdifferentfromMariam.Lailawasprotectedbyherfather’sloveandcarewhenshewasyoung.Herfathergaveheranenlightenededucationandtoldherthat“Marriagecanwait,educationcan’t.Ifwomeninasocietyarenoteducated,thereisnopossibilityofprogressinthatsociety.”Laila’schildhoodwashappy,becauseherfatherattachedgreatimportancetoeducation,shehadtheopportunitytogotoschoolandhadagroupoflovelyplaymates,andshealsoexperiencedthepurelovethatallgirlsinadolescencelongedfor.However,allthiswasdestroyedbythesuddenwar.For30years,theAfghanpeoplehavebeenlivingindeepdistress.TheSovietinvasionofAfghanist