Afsoon

Afsoon is one of Jalil's three wives, the mother of his daughter Niloufar, and a central agent in the family's decision to marry off Mariam to the much older shoemaker Rasheed. She embodies the way women within a patriarchal household can become instruments of the very system that subordinates them, enforcing its rules on other women to protect the family's honor and their own positions.

Identity and Position in Jalil's Household

Afsoon is introduced as a tall, fair-skinned woman with reddish hair and long fingers. She is the mother of Niloufar, one of the younger legitimate daughters who, unlike Mariam, attends the Mehri School in Herat. Afsoon's status as a wife places her in a position of relative security within Jalil's wealthy household, a security she is determined to protect. When Mariam is brought to Jalil's house after Nana's suicide, it is Afsoon who escorts her back to the guest room and locks the door from the outside, a clear signal of the confinement and control that await the girl.

Role in Mariam's Forced Marriage

Afsoon is the most vocal and active of the wives in the scene where Mariam is told she will marry Rasheed. She speaks first, announcing that they have "very good news" and describing Rasheed as a suitable match. She emphasizes that Rasheed speaks Farsi, so Mariam "won't have to learn Pashto," and she minimizes the age gap, suggesting he is "forty, forty-five at the most." When Mariam protests, Afsoon delivers the final blow, revealing that Jalil has already given his answer and that the nikka will take place the next morning. She is the one who escorts Mariam back to her room and locks the door, cementing her role as the enforcer of the family's decision.

Relationship with Jalil and the Other Wives

Afsoon operates in concert with the other wives, Khadija and Nargis, presenting a united front to Mariam. They exchange glances and speak in a rehearsed manner, suggesting the decision was discussed and agreed upon beforehand. Afsoon's tone is brisk and pragmatic, treating Mariam's objections as unreasonable. She is complicit in the erasure of Mariam's will, and her actions reveal a deep-seated investment in maintaining the family's social standing by removing the living reminder of Jalil's scandalous affair with Nana.

Thematic Significance

Afsoon's character illustrates the complex dynamics of female complicity within a patriarchal system. She is not a passive victim but an active participant in the oppression of another woman, using her limited power to enforce the family's honor code. Her actions demonstrate how women can become the gatekeepers of patriarchal norms, perpetuating the cycle of suffering to secure their own precarious positions. Afsoon's role in Mariam's story is a stark reminder that the enemy of a woman in such a society is not always a man.