Bare feet Quote by Khaled Hosseini
““He fished a sky blue burqa from the bag. The yards of pleated cloth spilled over his knees when he lifted it. He rolled up the burqa, looked at Mariam. "I have customers, Mariam, who bring their wives to my shop. The women come uncovered, they talk to me directly, look me in the eye without shame. They wear makeup and skirts that show their knees. Sometimes they even put their feet in front of me, the women do, for measurements, and their husbands stand there and watch. They allow it. They think nothing of a stranger touching their wives' bare feet! They think they're being modern men, intellectuals, on account of their education, I suppose. They don't see that they're spoiling their own 'nang' and 'namoos', their honour and pride." He shook his head. "Mostly, they live in the richer parts of Kabul. I'll take you there. You'll see. But they're here too, Mariam, in this very neighbourhood, these soft men. There's a teacher living down the street, Hakim is his name, and I see his wife Fariba all the time walking the streets alone with nothing on her head but a scarf. It embarrasses me, frankly, to see a man who's lost control of his wife." He fixed Mariam with a hard glare. "But I'm a different breed of man, Mariam. Where I come from, one wrong look, one improper word, and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman's face is her husband's business only. I want you to remember that. Do you understand?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, 2007
A man describes how some Afghan men treat women as objects, allowing public exposure and disrespect, while claiming his own stricter, honor‑based code.
In simple terms: Men sometimes treat women as property, but he claims his own code is stricter.
Recognize and challenge harmful cultural norms.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- marriage counseling
- women’s rights activism
- community education
- legal reform
- media advocacy
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do cultural traditions justify gender inequality?
- What can individuals do to change oppressive norms?
His “different breed” claim reinforces harmful patriarchy rather than solving the problem.