At the end of chapter 39 in Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, Laila must endure a caesarian section because there are complications with the birth of her daughter. The Taliban has taken away all antibiotics and pain killers from the women's hospitals. Mariam holds Laila's hand while the doctor performs the surgery: "Mariam would always admire Laila for how much time passed before she screamed." Although this quotation is directly related to Laila's physical strength and perseverance, it is symbolic of the inner strength that Laila possesses. She recognizes that she is in this position because the men in the Taliban have ordered her life as a woman to a realm of suffering. Outwardly screaming shows the body succumbing to this suffering. Laila holds out for as long as she can as a way of protesting her situation. Therefore, in this moment she shows a tremendous amount of inner strength.
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