For Mariam and Laila to …show more content…
When Laila arrives at the hospital to have her baby the guards inform her that she must go to Rabia Balkhi a women-only hospital. The women-only hospital is overcrowded, dirty, and underfunded. The doctor tells Laila that she needs a Cesarean section, and “The hospital has no anesthetic” (Hosseini 291). Laila does not want to lose her baby. With Mariam by her side, Laila undergoes the procedure fully conscious. For Laila to undergo the procedure fully conscious takes an incredible amount of strength. The same strength is required by Mariam when she is abused by Rasheed. Rasheed makes Mariam chew pebbles as a punishment for preparing a bad meal. Rasheed says, “Now you know what you’ve given me in this marriage. Bad food, and nothing else” (Hosseini 104). Mariam has to endure both physical and emotional pain from Rasheed. Mariam never gives up on her life and remains both mentally and physically