Women and Their Independence

I think that there was a major issue in a Thousand Splendid Suns concerning women and their independence.  I had such a problem with Nana's inability to function and be happy without a man.  Yes he was a jerk but she needed to get over it and face society and be there for her daughter.  It would have been hard, but she definitely could have done it.  Part of the problem though was the society that they lived in.  They oppressed women, and still do, to the point that they thought the most important thing in life was to be married and have children. That is just so wrong to me because there is so much more out there.  What bothers me even more is that there are so many people out there, not just in the  Middle East but also in America, who think the same way.  Some of these people are even women and they think that there is nothing else for them but a husband and children.  I am not saying that being a housewife is bad but that not realizing that there are other choices out there is.  I bet plenty of women are housewives because they think that there is nothing better for them to be or aspire for.  They do not need a man to survive and be happy.  All women should know that they can be independent and that there is nothing wrong with being independent. Nana seemed to not know this, which was part of her problem.  She was just so bitter about her situation that she couldn't even consider that she could over come it.