A True and Genuine Character

I am currently reading " A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini for my independent novel study. In this novel the protagonist is named Mariam. A name given to her by her father, Jalil, meaning in persian, "the tuberose...a lovely flower" (p.12). During the first chapters she's describing her childhood, a time where we can learn a lot about oneself. She is a girl who lives with her mother, Nana, in the outskirts of Gul Durman, Afghanistan, but she was born in the nearby province of Herat where her father lives. Every Thursday, she would long for because Jalil would come and spend time with her. Her father is a wealthy man, he owns a cinema; has three wives and nine other children. Mariam knows none of his other children nor his wives, she lived in a small village with Nana. Nana made Mariam's childhood a tough upbringing. Constantly Nana would call her names, tell her she is not good enough and that everything positive is a lie. This doesn't discourage Mariam to still have wonders of the better world, get lost in other people's stories of great feats and discoveries and to long to have an education in a proper school environment; something her mother finds unnecessary. Although she's spending more time with her mom than her dad, Mariam doesn't follow her mom's negativity. She is ambitious, respectful, smart and curious, but she doesn't get carried away or is gullible of all that she hears. Mariam reminds me of another character, Cinderella. They both have a strong love for their fathers, but receive a lot of criticism from the mom. Mariam is like Cinderella because they're strong, loving, ambitious, someone who longs for something better but doesn't complain. They apreciate and accept where they're at, but in a way don't accept because they dream and wonder of greater things.