One’s upbringing and status ultimately affects their behavior and authority in society. The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, shows the difference in power between the Hazaras, who have been persecuted throughout Afghani history, and the Pashtuns, who hold superior status. The novel is set against the backdrop of a class-based society structure in Afghanistan. The hierarchical society determines occupation, status, and power in the social structure, and defines the social interaction amongst members of different classes. Using the Marxist lens to analyze this novel reveals the impact of different socioeconomic classes and offers a more comprehensive view of what life was like during a time of great political anarchy in Afghanistan. By …show more content…
Most are illiterate because they lack a proper education and work as servants. They are born into this occupation because of the class structure. As a young boy, Amir, a Pashtun, shares his stories with Hassan, a Hazara, under the pomegranate tree. Amir often teases Hassan, since he is uneducated. For example, Amir tells Hassan, “‘Imbecile.’ It means smart, intelligent. I’ll use it in a sentence for you. ‘When it comes to words, Hassan is an imbecile’” (Hosseini 29). Amir makes fun of Hassan in order to show that he is knowledgeable and has power over Hassan who has little control over his decisions because he is supposed to be loyal to Amir. Hassan would do anything for Amir “a thousand times over” (Hosseini 67). In addition, Hosseini writes, “I read him poems and stories, sometimes riddles-though I stopped reading those when I saw he was far better at solving them than I was” (Hosseini 28). When Amir realizes that Hassan is better than him at solving riddles, he stops reading him riddles, so that he can maintain his superior status. If Hassan becomes smarter than Amir, it will make Amir look bad, so he limits Hassan’s access to knowledge. Essentially, Amir puts his status and wellbeing over Hassan’s, so he can uphold his reputation and
Hosseini’s purpose of writing the Kite Runner was to teach the readers the different ethnic groups in Afghanistan. The main character, Amir, is a Pashtun and Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims, then there are Hazara’s that the Pashtuns do not get along with. Hazara’s are not welcomed by the Pashtuns because they are different social classes.
Throughout an individual's life, many of one’s moral decisions are made based on their experience in race, ethnicity and social class. In Afghanistan, many individuals are judged based on their cultural backgrounds and hierarchy, which has led to the diversity of their own kind. Throughout the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini focus on two types of castes: Pashtuns and Hazaras. Pashtuns are considered as the majority race and ethnic group in Afghanistan, while the Hazaras are viewed as the weakest and poorest race in Afghanistan, so they are easily insulted by Pashtuns. In this world, race, ethnicity and social class influences us to make the decisions individuals make. This is evident in the novel The Kite Runner
“I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan – the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past – and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran.” In Khaled Hosseini’s, The Kite Runner, Amir, the young protagonist, lives a lavish lifestyle with his father, Baba. Until the Soviets invade and the Taliban become the dominant influence in Afghanistan. Amir’s sumptuous lifestyle comes to an end, and the values of not only his father but also his society begin to impact him and he realizes how much he does not belong in his own culture. Amir is taught the virtues of being a good man, however when the opportunity presents itself to demonstrate his teachings; Amir realizes how different he is from the ways of his father.
The society of the Taliban is almost a polar opposite of that in the United States. The group looks at women as having little to no rights and believes that their holy book, the Quran, gives reasoning to the roles of women as virtually sexual objects in their society. Their political leaders were not elected into their positions, but took them by force. It operates fifteen courts of law in Southern Afghanistan in the...
It is difficult to face anything in the world when you cannot even face your own reality. In his book The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses kites to bring out the major themes of the novel in order to create a truly captivating story of a young boy’s quest to redeem his past mistakes. Amir is the narrator and protagonist of the story and throughout the entire novel, he faces enormous guilt following the horrible incident that happened to his closest friend, Hassan. This incident grows on Amir and fuels his quest for redemption, struggling to do whatever it takes to make up for his mistakes. In Hosseini’s novel, kites highlight aspects of Afghanistan’s ethnic caste system and emphasizes the story’s major themes of guilt, redemption and freedom.
In the literature, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the idea and representation of justice, and its relationship to that of the treatment of women in Afghan society, the ever-changing politics of Afghanistan, and the desired results of redemption and forgiveness, become illustrated through the novel’s characters and motives. Justice can be defined as the quality of being guided by truth, reason, and fairness. The Kite Runner illustrates the power of influence from an outside power and its effects on society, and the minds and lifestyles of the people. In relationship to the Cheverus High School Grad-at-Grad profile the actions and wrongdoings that take place in the The Kite Runner and in Afghanistan prove to be injustice.
His mother was a teacher at a high school in Kabul, while his father was a diplomat for the Afghan Foreign Ministry
Discrimination, bigotry and class structure are all very present in Afghan Society. This is outlined well in Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, where each character experiences or witnesses one of the aforementioned characteristics of society. The incessant use of discrimination in the novel is significant for many reasons, the most prominent of which is that these elements of society are still present today. The Kite Runner helps students understand how unjust life can be, and how fortunate we are to be so far removed from such circumstances. The three dominant points in the story about discrimination, bigotry and class structure are how women are viewed and treated; how Hazaras are seen as inferior; and the differences between Amir’s old neighbourhood versus the rest of Afghanistan.
On the outside you look, talk, and act like a man, but on the inside you are a young girl. There is a tradition in Afghanistan culture that was gone on for centuries called bacha posh where young girls grow up as men in a culture bound by women oppression. In Jenny Nordberg’s book The Underground Girls of Kabul she explores the Afghan culture and tradition on bacha posh. The bacha posh tradition is often seen as a practical to solution to women oppression that can lead to female empowerment and a higher family social status; although it can also leave negative psychological and mental affects that lead to issues later in life.
Baba once said that stealing is the worst possible crime and, yet it is revealed that Baba kept the biggest secret he had from two of the most important people in his life, stealing their right to the truth. In the fictional novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, atonement is influenced by two factors: socioeconomic status and guilt. These factors impacted Baba and Amir’s decisions to atone for their shameful acts of neglect, which affected the people they love.
The Afghan society comprises of mostly poor people, dominated by a small percentage of rich and powerful ones. “With 36% of its population living below the poverty line” (The Borgen Project), the gap between the rich and poor seems to be ever- increasing. This unstable and erratic condition of Afghanistan is taking advantage of by opportunists as they “only come to Afghanistan to help themselves get rich, or richer” (Busfield 35). Although, all of Afghanistan aches during this unfortunate time, people like Fawad are given a greater share of sorrow. The extent of Fawad’s sufferings is shown when the author makes a reference to Wazir Akbar Khan District, the home to The Kite Runner’s main character, Amir. “We aren’t rich like those in Wazir Akbar Khan District, Fawad” (Busfield 6), says Fawad’s mother. In The Kite Runner, Amir is shown to face the brutality of life in Afghanistan. However, Amir’s sufferings are overshadowed by Fawad’s, who, not only lost most of his family, but also continues to face the harsh reality of poverty. Despite being constantly reminded of his insignificant status in society, Fawad overcomes his struggles by standing up for what he believes is right. He helps make the seemingly impossible love life of Haji Khan and Georgie, possible. He also finds a job for Jamilla, a poor ill-fated girl like him, at the expense of his own
Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns features at the most basic level the compelling life story of a two women, Mariam and Laila, and their lives. However, the true heart of this work lies in a much broader issue through all of the characters and the events that took place in Afghanistan around the time of this novels story.Hosseini writes characters into his novel as characters in themselves on the surface, but can be seen as representations of a much larger population of Afghanistan. Hosseini uses individual characters as a window into the larger scene of the entire country of Afghanistan, and the many facets of its people, in order to illustrate the political issue in a new light so as to demonstrate to the audience Hosseini’s hope for the future of Afghanistan.
Everybody in this world has a talent. He or she can use his talent to express about himself or herself. Also, the writers can explain some themes from their societies in their articles, novels, and books. The artistic works can treat some problems and face the society with it. For an example, Khaled Hosseini on his novel The Kite Runner, explains some themes from the society like, how the children affected by their parents, how the society and the religious matter effect on the people, and the value of having someone by your side supports you.
Samad, Omar. "Ethnic Politics: A dangerous Fault Line." Afghan Analytica (2013): n.pag. Web. 18 Nov 2013.
In India there are still many villages which fall into the clutches of illiteracy in a worse manner than the others. The moneylenders, the zamindars, the contractors manipulate them into believing facts that further deteriorates their position. They are devoid of their basic rights, of the privileges that they are offered by the constitution of India as a measure to bring equality. Illiteracy has not only pangs of economic descent but also it is a major lapse in the overall growth of not only a person but the society as a whole. Illiteracy widens the gap between the rich and the poor. It limits the mentality of a person into thinking that the world is just a surreal blur and is confined to the four walls of their humble abode or the boundaries of their state. They live and die in darkness, building a home on the catacomb of their dreams. The effect of illiteracy is so deep rooted that people deny accepting that it is a curse on their lives. They continue to believe in the myths and fancies which is their further fall. Illiteracy not only attacks the self esteem of a person but he is forced to earn a meager income. He is