A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
VS. TESS OF THE D’UBERVILLES
Anya Pitt
BANCROFT'S SCHOOL
,Table of Contents
Possible themes.................................................................................................................2
Courage/Sacrifice..........................................................................................................................2
Loss...............................................................................................................................................2
Violence and Fear.........................................................................................................................2
Power/Powerlessness...................................................................................................................3
Guilt/Shame.................................................................................................................................4
Journeys/Locations/Geography....................................................................................................4
Love..............................................................................................................................................5
Religion.........................................................................................................................................5
Patriarchy.....................................................................................................................................6
Female Relationships with Men....................................................................................................6
Social class....................................................................................................................................7
Presentation of Women/Innocence..............................................................................................8
Change..........................................................................................................................................8
Fate/Injustice................................................................................................................................8
Perseverance................................................................................................................................9
Context..............................................................................................................................9
Khaled Hosseini............................................................................................................................9
Thomas Hardy.............................................................................................................................10
The Taliban.................................................................................................................................11
Classism and Rural Decline in Victorian England.........................................................................12
Women in Afghanistan...............................................................................................................13
Women in the Victorian Era........................................................................................................15
Social Classes in Victorian Era.....................................................................................................16
, Possible themes
Courage/Sacrifice
Mariam sacrifices her life in order to save Laila and her children similar to how Tess
sacrifices her childhood for the economic gains of her family.
Tess’s innocence and virginity are sacrificed which due to Victorian culture means she
struggles to find a later suitor similar to how Mariam is forced out her father’s home in order
to marry Rasheed which sacrifices her ability to marry another suitor later in life.
Tess sacrifices her chances with Angel because she thinks the other girls deserve him because
they are unspoiled and innocent, she denies him even though she loves him. Similar to how
Laila sacrifices her possible ability to marry Tariq so she can raise her unborn child.
Tess and Mariam are both servant girls (one a field worker, the other a domestic drudge) in a
sense, and both victims of their society.
Tess is subject to an ‘immeasurable social chasm’ – beyond the Pale of respectable society
(because of her illegitimate child), she will now be stigmatized by her society through no fault
of her own – a fate Laila avoids by her strategic, defensive marriage to Rasheed.
Tess marrying Alec would have been ‘snatching at social salvation’ – exactly what Laila
does in marrying Rasheed.
Hosseini’s novel ends on a note of optimism – emphasises how the resilient Afghans have
survived these invasions – we do not get this hopefulness in Tess. Hosseini’s novels tend to
end on a high note. Glorified fairytales? Contrastingly, Hardy does the complete opposite,
especially in his later novels, like Tess. Being non-religious, he believed that we live in an
arbitrary world where anything can happen. Fate rules and is motivelessly malignant.
Tess turns down Angel’s first proposal; Laila turns down Tariq.
Neither Tess nor Mariam fight and resist when due to be executed; they are proud and strong
women – accepting of their fates.
Loss
Destruction wrought by war and regime change in ATSS mirrors what Hardy saw as the
horrors of mechanisation e.g., the reaping machine in Tess.
Tess turns down Angel’s first proposal; Laila turns down Tariq.
Neither Tess nor Mariam fight and resist when due to be executed; they are proud and strong
women – accepting of their fates.
Violence and Fear
Both Alec and Rasheed have notable entrances – Alec through a ‘dark, triangular door’,
‘smoking’ appearing through ‘skeins of smoke’ creating a knightly but also mysterious,
sinister image. The smoke also alludes to his family’s roots in industry in the North. Rasheed
enters ‘heavy-footed’ and ‘lingering in the doorway’.
Tess and Mariam are both servant girls (one a field worker, the other a domestic drudge) in a
sense, and both victims of their society.
Alec thinks that, because he has slept with Tess, he owns her – similar views in Afghanistan.
Destruction wrought by war and regime change in ATSS mirrors what Hardy saw as the
horrors of mechanisation e.g., the reaping machine in Tess.
Tess says ‘He won’t hurt me. He’s not in love with me.’ The sad reality that Tess and
Mariam both see – love is tied up with abuse (both romantic love and parental love)
VS. TESS OF THE D’UBERVILLES
Anya Pitt
BANCROFT'S SCHOOL
,Table of Contents
Possible themes.................................................................................................................2
Courage/Sacrifice..........................................................................................................................2
Loss...............................................................................................................................................2
Violence and Fear.........................................................................................................................2
Power/Powerlessness...................................................................................................................3
Guilt/Shame.................................................................................................................................4
Journeys/Locations/Geography....................................................................................................4
Love..............................................................................................................................................5
Religion.........................................................................................................................................5
Patriarchy.....................................................................................................................................6
Female Relationships with Men....................................................................................................6
Social class....................................................................................................................................7
Presentation of Women/Innocence..............................................................................................8
Change..........................................................................................................................................8
Fate/Injustice................................................................................................................................8
Perseverance................................................................................................................................9
Context..............................................................................................................................9
Khaled Hosseini............................................................................................................................9
Thomas Hardy.............................................................................................................................10
The Taliban.................................................................................................................................11
Classism and Rural Decline in Victorian England.........................................................................12
Women in Afghanistan...............................................................................................................13
Women in the Victorian Era........................................................................................................15
Social Classes in Victorian Era.....................................................................................................16
, Possible themes
Courage/Sacrifice
Mariam sacrifices her life in order to save Laila and her children similar to how Tess
sacrifices her childhood for the economic gains of her family.
Tess’s innocence and virginity are sacrificed which due to Victorian culture means she
struggles to find a later suitor similar to how Mariam is forced out her father’s home in order
to marry Rasheed which sacrifices her ability to marry another suitor later in life.
Tess sacrifices her chances with Angel because she thinks the other girls deserve him because
they are unspoiled and innocent, she denies him even though she loves him. Similar to how
Laila sacrifices her possible ability to marry Tariq so she can raise her unborn child.
Tess and Mariam are both servant girls (one a field worker, the other a domestic drudge) in a
sense, and both victims of their society.
Tess is subject to an ‘immeasurable social chasm’ – beyond the Pale of respectable society
(because of her illegitimate child), she will now be stigmatized by her society through no fault
of her own – a fate Laila avoids by her strategic, defensive marriage to Rasheed.
Tess marrying Alec would have been ‘snatching at social salvation’ – exactly what Laila
does in marrying Rasheed.
Hosseini’s novel ends on a note of optimism – emphasises how the resilient Afghans have
survived these invasions – we do not get this hopefulness in Tess. Hosseini’s novels tend to
end on a high note. Glorified fairytales? Contrastingly, Hardy does the complete opposite,
especially in his later novels, like Tess. Being non-religious, he believed that we live in an
arbitrary world where anything can happen. Fate rules and is motivelessly malignant.
Tess turns down Angel’s first proposal; Laila turns down Tariq.
Neither Tess nor Mariam fight and resist when due to be executed; they are proud and strong
women – accepting of their fates.
Loss
Destruction wrought by war and regime change in ATSS mirrors what Hardy saw as the
horrors of mechanisation e.g., the reaping machine in Tess.
Tess turns down Angel’s first proposal; Laila turns down Tariq.
Neither Tess nor Mariam fight and resist when due to be executed; they are proud and strong
women – accepting of their fates.
Violence and Fear
Both Alec and Rasheed have notable entrances – Alec through a ‘dark, triangular door’,
‘smoking’ appearing through ‘skeins of smoke’ creating a knightly but also mysterious,
sinister image. The smoke also alludes to his family’s roots in industry in the North. Rasheed
enters ‘heavy-footed’ and ‘lingering in the doorway’.
Tess and Mariam are both servant girls (one a field worker, the other a domestic drudge) in a
sense, and both victims of their society.
Alec thinks that, because he has slept with Tess, he owns her – similar views in Afghanistan.
Destruction wrought by war and regime change in ATSS mirrors what Hardy saw as the
horrors of mechanisation e.g., the reaping machine in Tess.
Tess says ‘He won’t hurt me. He’s not in love with me.’ The sad reality that Tess and
Mariam both see – love is tied up with abuse (both romantic love and parental love)
