the pain and sorrow Rasheed has caused her, as well as the joy and love she feels with Laila, force her to kill Rasheed. At first, Mariam is motivated by righteous anger and a sense of justice. Throughout her marriage, Mariam has accepted what fate has brought her, asking nothing of Rasheed or anyone. During her battle with Rasheed, she realizes just how little she's asked and how little cruelty she's deserved; she's lived life like a martyr. But now, when the person she loves most is threatened, Mariam realizes that all of her endurance hasn't once increased her worth in Rasheed's eyes. For the first time, Mariam sees her worth and believes that she's never deserved the anguish she's had to endure.