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How is innocence presented in A Thousand Splendid Suns and Tess of the…

- - - - 'Your father built us this rat hole,' the use of hyperbolic metaphor perpetuates the sense of confinement felt by both Mariam and Nana, reflects confinement of women in wider society, foreshadows loss of innocence in this sense
        
        The Kolba is surrounded by 'white and bright yellow flowers,' a use of colour imagery to connote innocence in isolation, also reflects innocence in nature
  - - - Marlott is described with almost biblical imagery, whereby she is surrounded by a rural utopia of 'untrodden,' country
        
        'The vale of Blackmoor was to her the world, and its inhabitants the races thereof' (p29)
        
        'Every day seemed to throw upon her young shoulders more of the family burdens,' p30 -
        
        The almost Garden of Eden like imagery perhaps foreshadows her descent into the 'fallen woman,' as she takes the place of eve.
- - - - Indeed, the driver driving Laila, Tariq and Babi to the Bamiyan mountains expresses his concerns that the 'history' of Afghanistan is just 'one invader after the other,', Aghanistan's rich culture, upon which so much emphasis is placed in the initial chapters (Jalil calls Herat the 'city of poets,') becomes lost amidst tumultuous regime changes
        
        The Taliban's destruction of the mountains is a microcosm of their corruption of Afghanistan's natural beauty, which is reflected in Mariam's personal loss of innocence at the hands of Rasheed
        
        AO3: The timeline of the novel reflects the history of Afghanistan, beginning from the Soviet invasion in 1979, through the devastating civil war in the early 1990s, to the oppressive rule of the Taliban until 2001. The destruction of the Bamiyan Bhuddas was carried out by the Taliban in 2001, and they had previously been dated to around the 6th century (silk road), they had been a UNESCO world heritage site. Omar, regarding the destruction, said 'what are you complaining about? we are only waging war on stones?'
        
        The parallels about the prize fish, 'as Laila and the rest of the city watched as helpless as old Santiago watching the sharks take bites out of his prize fish,' p171
  - - - The double standards or hypocrisy of the aristocracy is explored through the facade that Alec D'urberville presents to Tess. Indeed, her move from Marlott to Trantridge becomes reflective of her departure from childhood, as she muses upon arriving at The Slopes that, 'I thought we were an old family, but this is all new!' p31
        
        Not only does this foreshadow the deception that Tess will fall victim to, but also is a thought process of Tess' employed to criticise the hypocrisy of the upper class, which is perpetuated by a growing class divide created by rapid industrialisation in the 19th century
        
        'The house was overrun with ivy, its chimney being enlarged by the boughs of the parasite to the aspect of a ruined tower,' p48 - the symbolism of the ivy as a means of obscurity, it paired with Hardy's comparison of it to a parasite, which reinforces his belief that industrialisation is corruptible
- - - - 'The springs creaked as the bed titled to his side,' - the rape acts as a climax of Mariam's loss of innocence, the fact that the bed tilts to Rasheed's side is reflective of his power over her, as he exploits her vulnerability for his own gain
        
        'There is no shame in this, Mariam,' 'It's what married people do. It's what the prophet himself and his wives did. There is no shame,' Rasheed weaponizes religion here to justify his behaviour showing how he further exploits Mariam's innocence to manipulate her
        
        Mariam's decision to sacrifice herself in order to liberate Laila is condemned as a irredeemable act. During the execution, 'Mariam imagined heads shaking when the loud-speaker announced her crime. But she did not look up to see whether they were shaking with disapproval or charity, with reproach or pity. Mariam blinded herself to them all.'
        
        Syndetic listing is reflective of the obscurity or distortion of morals that Mariam has been subject to since Rasheed began abusing her. There is some ambiguity shared by Mariam and the reader about whether she's innocent or guilty.
  - - - 'No one blamed Tess as she did herself,' and indeed 'her face was dry and pale, as though she regarded herself in the light of a murderess,' p28
        
        Tess bears the burden of her father's irresponsibility here.
      - Tess' vulnerability in then exploited by Alec at the slopes. Though ultimately Tess is blamed for this exploitation by Angel.
        
        The title of 'The maid,' directly juxtaposes that of 'Maiden no more,' which highlights the extent to which Alec has taken charge of her image as a virginal, pure maiden.
        
        'Forgive me as you are forgiven! I forgive you, Angel,' repetition of forgiveness and emphasis on 'you,' reflects Hardy's criticism of Victorian double standards.