The Growth Confusion In A Thousand Splendid Suns From The Perspective Of Initiation Story

Khaled Hosseini(1965-), a prominent Afghan-born American novelist, became famous overnight with the publication of his debut novel The Kite Runner in 2003. Hosseini won the United Nations Humanitarian Award, and was invited to serve as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2006. A Thousand Splendid Suns is his second work after The Kite Runner, for connecting the situation of nation with personal destiny, which marks the maturity of his writing skills. Set in Afghan wars, the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns presents women loss, despair as well as their cherished dream and hope, and it reflects the author?s focus on Afghanistan?s social reality and his thinking about living circumstances. Although life is full of pain and bitterness, every sad episode allows people to see the hope of the sun. The novel is filled with positive and optimistic spirit, and expresses the author?s deep concern for women and social situation in Afghanistan. A Thousand Splendid Suns has received great attention since its publication. Therefore, in order to better understand the novel, this thesis interprets it from the perspective of initiation story. By expounding the two female protagonists? growth experiences and the awakening process of self-consciousness, the author attempts to analyze the reasons of Afghan women suffering from persecution, and to explore the life and death friendship between the mother and daughter or between sisters in the female world, for arousing the reader s to understand the meaning of life.This thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter one is the introduction part, which gives a brief introduction of the author, the novel itself and the current research status of study at home and abroad. Chapter Two focuses on the origin, formation and development of initiation story, and combed the definition and characteristics of initiation story novels. And then the female initiation in American literature is introduced. Chapter Three uses female initiation story to analyze the confusion of Mariam about the disharmonious parents? relationship and her own marriage, as well as Laila?s confusion about Rasheed?s domestic violence and Mariam?s resigned attitude. Chapter Four discusses the process of female consciousness?s awakening and mentors of the female protagonists, including the positive and negative mentors. Chapter Five describes the growth ceremonies of the two female protagonists by four growth processes, i.e., happy childhood, unfortunate marriage life, resistance against unfortunate life, as well as the involvement in the reconstruction of the hometown. The Conclusion makes the summary of this thesis and briefly introduces the significance.The innovation of this thesis lies in the application of the initiation theory to interpreting the war novel A Thousand Splendid Suns,for few researches on this kind novel from the theory. Initiation story is concerned about the protagonist?s growth experiences, especially the psychological change from ignorance to maturity. This thesis employs the initiation theory to analyze the protagonists Mariam?s and Laila?s growth experiences, and explores their initiation under the influence of the initiation mentors which involves their growth in confusion, resistance in oppression, and the reborn hope in despair. The theoretical significance li es in the employment of the initiation theory in the analysis, which enriches the research content of the female initiation story, especially the theory of the Afghan-American female initiation story. The practical significance is reflected in two aspects. On one hand, through analyzing Afghan women?s growth experiences under the background of wars, the thesis attempt to enable the readers to learn about the harm of wars on women and children, and let people cherish the current peace and happy life. On the other hand, the two protagonists Mariam?s and Laila?s growth experiences have a practically educational meaning for the growth of females who are enduring confusion, and help to emancipate the oppressed females? mind and make them realize their self value.