100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
Previously searched by you
Compare the ways in which the authors of both novels explore loss (Tess of the d’Urbervilles but Thomas Hardy and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini)£8.49
Add to cart
Compare the ways in which the authors of both novels explore loss (Tess of the d’Urbervilles but Thomas Hardy and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini)
This essay explores how within both novels, loss, is linked to patriarchal oppression. It uses an analysis of language form and structure to offer a close comparison and backs up arguments with a range of contextual factors.
HOW IS LOSS PRESENTED IN
THE TWO NOVELS
Within both novels, the idea of loss is intrinsically linked with the patriarchal oppres-
sion women are faved with within their societies; societal oppression is not only the
cause for intense loss, it also exacerbates and amplifies the profound suffering loss
causes. In ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ and ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ both authors of-
fer a devastating portrait of how women faces intense loss in there personal lives but
also, the authors position themselves as incisive social critics to expose how societies
judgemental eye magpies their profound suffering caused by loss.
Both authors explore tragic and catastrophic loss of innocence allowing them to ex-
pose the deplorable hyper fixation their societies place on the ideal if virginity. In ‘Tess
of the d’Urbervilles’, despite being censored bu polite Victorian sociaty, Hardy ex-
plores Tess; ruinous loss of innocence at the hands of Alec, and how the guilt imposed
on her by socio leads to her devastating inner turmoil, where as in ‘A Thousand Splen-
did Suns’, Hosseini offers a much more moving and explicit exploration of how Mariam
looses her innocence at the hands of Rasheed, calling Hosseini to expose the de-
plorable violence Afghan society permits. In ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’, when Tess first
encounters Alec, Hardy explores Alec’s cunning manipulation as he attempts to flirt
and corrupt the innocent Tess through the image of feeding her strawberries. Although
strawberries are a traditional symbol of love, Hardy subverts this by creating a sinister
tone as Tess protests Alec’s sly advances, exclaiming “‘I would rather take it in my
own hand’”. Hardy presents the sinister internal conflicts Tess faces between passivity
and autonomy as “in slight distress she parted her lips and took it [Alec’s strawberry]
in” as the adverbial phrase “slight distress” illustrates Tess’ moral objection to Alec’s
advancements yet the passivity in the dynamic verb phrase “took it in” highlights how
she feels unable to practise her own autonomy. Hardy strategically uses this sene as a
precursor to the rape seen in “the Chase” t vilify and antagonise Alec, by forcing the
reader to sympathise with Tess’ moral dilemma of objecting to her loss of innocence
but also societies expectation to be submissive to men. Through this, not only does
hardy effectively foreshadow the cataclysmic loss of innocence Tess will later face, he
also successfully constructs the readers sympathies to befall onto Tess, encouraging
them to challenge the victorian held notion that moral virtue is ties to physical purity.
Similarly, Hosseini also successfully also successfully foreshadows Mariam’s devasta-
tion loss of innocence, also he does so in a graphic and violent manner when Mariam
first marries Rasheed, Hosseini depicts how “his teeth rattles when she though of the
night, the time when Rasheed might at last decide to do what husbands did to their
wives: Hosseini creates a sense of fear in the reader through the ominous tone but
also through his use of the sensory imagery in the verb phrase “teeth rattled” encour-
aging the reader to sympathise with Mariam. Unlike Hardy, who encourages the
reader to consider what Victorian society does think is acceptable, Hosseini on the
other hand encourages his reader to challenge what Afghan society believes to be ac-
ceptable; violent and vulgar marital rape. The monosyllabic verb phrase “what hus-
bands did to their wives” exemplifies this, as women taken on a passive role within the
structure.
Within 1980’s Afghanistan, although struct Sharia law had not yet been imposed yet
legally, t wa still culturally forbidden for a wide to deny her husband sexual favours.
Additionally, rape within a marriage was not considered to be a crime and was the de-
plorable reality for many Afghan women. Hosseini uses graphic and vulgar imagery to
portray Mariam’s loss of innocence, along him to expose this abhorrent societal con-
vention. Hosseini further his use of sensory imagery as he describes how “Mariam be-
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller harriethumfress. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £8.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
