A Thousand Splendid Suns

Mariam and victimhood?

What does Mariam learn about victimhood?

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Mariam learns that she is a victim simply by design. Mariam grows up in a small shack outside of the city of Herat. She was brought up to know her place in society as a 'harami,' or bastard child. She learns as a child that her lot in life is to be a victim in every sense of the word. She learns that, at some point in her life, she must fight against it. Despite the futility of her situation, she must grasp for some shreds of dignity while she is still alive.