Then and Now: Gender Equality

         A Thousand Splendid Suns begins with the life of a young girl named Mariam living with her mother, Nana. They reside in a kolba on the outskirts after they are cast out from Mariam's father, Jalil's, home. Nana refuses to allow Mariam attend school and tells her that the only thing she needs to learn is how to endure life. When Mariam wishes to spend time with her father, Nana hangs herself. Thus, resulting in Mariam moving in with Jalil where she is treated as illegitimate and is married off to Rasheed. Mariam is forced into marriage, forced into pregnancy, and forced to be an obeying wife. Rasheed also forces her to wear a burqa, a garment that covers her face. He says that only he should be allowed to view her face. Mariam is treated as a possession. She is then forced to chew on rocks when Rasheed criticizes her food, claiming that bad food is the only thing she gives to him in the marriage. The story then switches to focus on Laila's life. While her brother's are praised and loved, Laila is pushed to the side. She is overlooked and neglected. Her school teacher supports gender equality and communism, but this doesn't reach the home life. Her mother then claims she wishes to stay alive for her boys, leaving out Laila. The women in this novel are suppressed and kept from breaking away and creating their own life. 

            Currently in Afghanistan, the country has a fourteen percent literacy rate for females. The Karzai government had also passed a law in 2009, legalizing rape in marriage and forbidding women from working without their husband's permission. This keeps women from rising socially and economically. Their society and government suppresses them. This also occurs in the United States under different circumstances. Typically, women are expected to cook, clean, and stay at home with the kids instead of following their own career path. This is portrayed in literature and other sources of entertainment. According to Dr. Pat Heim, gender roles are defined in childhood. From birth, boys and girls are treated different; boys receive blue blankets while girls receive pink blankets. During childhood, boys are taught the hierarchy through rougher play. They are taught to listen to the coach or superior, to man-up, and to get to the goal line, as well as how to handle losses. On the other end of the bell curve, girls are taught to play nice with others and that there is no top doll player. Women are treated separately and play different games even at a young age.  In the business world, women also often receive a lesser salary than a male coworker in the same position. This gender inequality is still occurring today in Afghanistan and our own country in various settings.

Cultural Relativism: Insightful or Misleading?

This article lays out the truth and the misleading concepts in the theory of cultural relativism. This theory focuses on the belief that there is not a universal truth in ethics and that the society decides what is morally right and what is morally wrong. One thing I strongly agree with in this theory is that we should tolerate the practices of other cultures and not judge the conduct of other people. In Things Fall Apart, this is shown throughout the novel. The Umuofia clan, caught in their cultural ways, attempted to resist the influence of the Christians, defining them as evil for believing in something different. On the other side, the Christians were not willing to work with the Umuofia clan and coexist. To the  This also applies in today's society. We as humans judge one another and label people of other cultures. Those who follow their own traditions are often outcasts in different societies, which leads to racism of varying degrees.
While the theory holds truth, it is also misleading. The theory implies that we should not say that certain customs in other societies are morally wrong. One example given in the article is a society waging war on its neighbors to gain slaves. This is morally wrong and harming others, but since it is in their culture, other societies should not step in to stop the harm.In Things Fall Apart, the Christians are destroying villages and forcing people to convert to their "superior" religion and culture. Since this is part of their culture's religion and they view it as right, it must not be wrong. Ignoring the theory, it is obvious what they are doing is wrong and harmful to others. Today, in society, there are still murders done by cults and in different societies, making it acceptable in their eyes. Since it is okay in their culture, should the law dismiss it? In some perspectives, that is what the theory implies.
All in all, there are multiple ways to interpret this theory. Some interpretations are positive while others are negative. In the end, the theory just teaches us that there is no rational standard and that we should keep an open mind. If the many villages had an open-mind to Christianity, they could have avoided a lot of the suffering they experienced. If the Christians had an open-mind, they could have worked with the various villages and still expanded their religion. Understanding this theory can lead to a more peaceful existence.