Identity Negotiation: Cultural Assimilation in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns

This paper examines the impact of cultural assimilation on personal identity among Afghan women in Khaled
Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. A qualitative analysis of the novel is conducted and it reveals that
Hosseini’s characters often experience a hybrid identity. The paper, in order to understand the interplay between
culture and identity, analyses the development of character and narrative structure. This study indicates that the
principal women characters experience tensions that arise due to conflict between tradition and modernity, and
their resilience, that helps them to overcome these struggles. The challenges faced by women clearly demonstrate
a conflicting identity, which is neither fully assimilated nor entirely disconnected from their roots. This identity
highlights the complexities of navigating between cultures.