Compare the ways in which the writers of the two chosen texts present difficulties in the lives of women.
The lives of women and the struggle that came with it are both explored in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Bronte's use of marriage is the driving force of the novel and is also the same for Hosseini. Mariams escape from her marriage can be seen as the overarching plot of the story and the marriage of Catherine and Linton is the main reason for the whole revenge story. However, it is undeniable that Their marriages were down to societal pressures. Cathy cannot marry Heathcliff as he is a “gypsy”, and orphan who does not have the class requirements that would meet Cathy's desire to be the “greatest woman of the neighbourhood”. Marriage for victorian women was usually not through love but gaining a social standing and becoming financially stable, seen when she fantasises about Edgar, saying that “he will be rich” as if that is the most redeeming aspect of his character. It would also look good on the family's name as Nelly says, “Your brother will be pleased... the old lady and gentleman will not object”. This is also coming from Nelly, A women, and even though she says what she says, Bronte uses an ellipses which may show Nelly's uncertainty or her hesitation to give her this advice. Perhaps showing that even though it is more beneficial to Cathy to marry Edgar, Nelly slightly hopes that one day people will marry because of love. Even though it could be said that Catherine can never fully become the 'greatest woman' as there were distinct disadvantages for women, both financially and sexually, as the inequalities within marriage meant that men were provided with more stability, financial status and power over their homes and their wife. Emily Bronte never married and lived reclusive perhaps for this very reason, making the quote very ironic.
Khaled Hosseini also uses societal pressures to force...