Unveiling Linguistic Oppression: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Gender and Power in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

This study critically examines the representation of gender and power through linguistic practices in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. Using Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the research unravels how language becomes a vehicle of oppression, subjugation, and resistance within the socio-political context of Afghanistan. The analysis highlights how male-dominated discourses perpetuate patriarchal control, silence women’s voices, and reinforce structures of inequality, while also tracing moments where female characters reclaim agency through acts of linguistic resistance. By foregrounding the interplay between language, ideology, and power, the study not only sheds light on the mechanisms of gendered oppression embedded in the novel but also contributes to broader discussions on the role of literature in reflecting and challenging societal norms. The findings underscore the importance of examining literary texts as sites of power negotiations and identity construction, particularly in contexts marked by gender-based marginalization.