The Concept of Parenthood in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns

Abstract

Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are two heart-wrenching novels that glorify the power of indestructible love and affection. The protagonists of both of the novels Amir and Mariam undergo several psychological, familial, and political plights in their life. They show their undefeatable and unconditional spirits in their quests to overcome their predicaments–to achieve their desired identities. In this way, they slowly walk on the path to parenthood. In their pursuits of life, they struggle to protect Sohrab and Laila and to ensure a bright future for them. Their indomitable effort to decorate the life of Sohrab and Laila gradually eradicates all their discontentment of life and turns them into contented parents. The study aims to focus on the concept of parenthood portrayed in the novels. It analyses how parenthood offers a new meaning of life to Amir and Mariam releasing them from the havocs that they have experienced in their life.