Allusion: Nang and Namoos

Hosseini, like most other story creators, tends to put little easter eggs inside their work for devotees. Easter eggs are reference that connect to other stories. Since I read and enjoyed The Kite Runner, I chose to read A Thousand Splendid Suns for my ISU because I was already familiar to the author’s style of writing. The first easter egg I found in this book was the mention of nang and namoos.

                “I have customers, Mariam, men, who bring their wives to my shop. The women come uncovered, they talk to me directly, look me in the eye without shame. They were makeup and skirts that show their knees. Sometimes they even put their feets in front of me, the women do, for measurements, and their husbands stand there and watch…They don’t see that they’re spoiling their own nang and namoos, their honor and pride.” (Hosseini, 70)

                In this statement I learned about what kind of man Rasheed is. He is the kind of man that enforces rules on his wives and children and proves that he is the leader of the household. He doesn’t like the sight of women crying and that his nang and namoos is carried around by those he is related to.

                “ ‘Remember this,’ Baba said, pointing at me, ‘The man is a Pashtun to the root. He has nang and namoos.’ Nang. Namoos. Honor and pride. The tenets of Pashtun men. Especially when it came to the chastity of a wife. Or of a daughter.” (Hosseini, 153)

                The quote above is from The Kite Runner. Amir’s father, affectionately called Baba is lecturing his son on nang and namoos before he runs to hit on an ex-general’s daughter. To Pashtun men, their honor and pride must not only be protected by themselves, but also by their wives and daughter. This is why there is a misconception that husbands force their wives and daughters to wear hijabs or burqas. After reading both quotes from each book, I understand how each man can interpret nang and namoos in a different way. Rasheed has a more controlling interpretation of it where no matter the culture, all women must be covered. The ex-general seems to have a more relaxed grip on the ideal. He still watches his wife and daughter closely but he doesn’t forced them to cover, made evident by the fact that Soraya, his daughter, is seen wearing regular clothing.