"...It's like shining a spittoon"

This passage reveals a lot about the idea of male dominance in the culture of Afghanistan. Throughout the story it very clear that male children as well as men in general are valued more than women in the social hierarchy of Afghanistan. Hosseini uses the literary device of figurative language; he writes the simile "teaching a girl like you is like shining a spittoon." through this the reader can interpret that female education is most likely rare and not expected. This line also reveals that the role of women is seen as the house taker and loyal wife. This implication foreshadows the future events of the novel and help emphasize the overall theme of women being lesser than men in the Afghanistan culture.