Luke O'Neill in The Thorn Birds has so many negative characteristics that most of the characters in the other two novels could be considered his opposite in numerous ways. In The Kite Runner, the young boy Sohrab is clearly the opposite of Luke. Through showing courage and generosity, Mariam in A Thousand Splendid Suns can be seen as Luke’s opposite.

Luke is portrayed as a self-centered man who is ambitious to the point of greed. His reason for marrying Meggie is to gain access to her family’s property. The cold, harsh man does not value Meggie or their children as people but only for how they can help him accomplish his goals. He is so driven to succeed that he cannot form empathy for others, and Meggie finally takes the children and leaves.

Sorhab, the son of Hassan, becomes orphaned and is later adopted by his uncle, Amir. As a young boy, Sohrab is innocent and blameless. His role as a temporarily parentless child shows a clear contrast to that of a father who emotionally abandons his children.

Mariam can be seen as an opposite character because she is not the biological mother of any children. More importantly, as she overcomes her initial jealousy, Mariam shows true generosity of spirit on behalf of Laila and her children—even risking her life to save them.