Discussion Topic A

In the inspiring novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Hosseini uses literary elements to explore the issue of domestic abuse. More specifically, he uses elements such as imagery and diction to illustrate the influence domestic violence has on the people involved while also elaborating on the actions that result from those influences. By using these two literary devices the reader is then able to focus in on how the domestic abuse in the novel not only contributes to the formation of the characters throughout the novel, but also how it contributes to the story as a whole.
Diction comes to play when Rasheed exclaims "I swear you are going to make me kill you Laila." The words "swear" and "kill" obviously conotate something of the negative sort, but more particularly these words represent the level of seriousness in the threat he is making. Hosseini uses this threat as a deciding factor in the novel. It is after this threat that Laila realizes that she is truly no longer safe around Rasheed. The game of "love" he had for her is over and now its is simply survival of the fittest. Laila then proceeds to watch what she says and does around Rasheed as well as steal money from him in order to run away.
In terms of imagery, Hosseini uses it in a way that the readers feel as if they are really there, in the room, witnessing Rasheed beat his wives endlessly. In this case all the imagery percieved by the audience is mostly through the eyes of the victims of Rasheed's beatings. It is clear when Laila sees "[Rasheed] turned around all snarling teeth and blazing eyes". This is obviously the image of a relentless monster, not the human that she married. By making Rasheed so inhumane the audience can see the cause of Laila and Mariam's fear. With this the readers are more understanding to why the two women would be so afraid of Rasheed to the point where they want him dead. 
By using the most common literary devices Hosseini shows that domestic abuse is more of a story told by its victims. He allows the readers to see the injustice done through the eyes of Laila and Mariam. One can only believe Hosseini does this as to elicit a response of pity towards the wives and anger towards Rasheed. In doing this the readers then feel no harm done when Mariam proceeds to kill Rasheed. Khaled Hosseini directly shows that domestic abuse can only result in negative events for all parties involved.