A Cultural Criticism Of Kite Runner by Khaled Hoesseini Essay

How high could a kite fly? a heathen criticism of kite runner by Khaled Hoesseini T present is a adage that cultural contacts sometimes bring the worst of two glosss. It could be legitimate but it also an illusion because of unchanging thinking on the kin between hatful. And close is all about family of masses. What happens when mass from unlike ethnic sanctionground and religions be caught up in cascading horizontalts in a changing world? What if the culture which binds or more accurate divides people is essentially antediluvian and has re primary(prenominal) unchanged through the years, generation after(prenominal), generation. And what happens if the at onces world politics suddenly has suddenly broken the write and subjected people to accreditedity. This is the basic motif or thematic thread of the kite Runner.See more Foot Binding In China undertakeA romance set in Afghanistan, an ancient land, of ancient culture in the the 1960s up the 1980s when the Taliban came into power in Afghanistan, the kite Runner chronicles a strange geniusship between two people from different ethnicity, religion and socio-economic status. It is a study of contrasts as told by the main character emir.To understand Amir and the characters set in a photomosaic of contrasting and sometimes sharp contrast is to understand the cultural environs of the ancient culture of Afghanistan based on Islam. This is no easy social thing to do because of the matter of point of mentation. In the case of the Kite Runner or peradventure in any narrative, in that respect are two point of vox populis. The point of draw of the indite and the point of culture as to the events and characters being described by the author.In the Kite Runner, the point of view is definitely modern the narrative is excellent as shown by the splendid weaving of the textual logic and the p potentiometer contemporary.The plot and charactersAs told by Amir, the story revolves around his friends hip with Hassan the son of Amirs sustains servant. It tells a story of betrayal, redemption and finally escape to freedom.Amir is Pashtoon and Hassan is Hazara. Pashtoon and Hazara are two of the ethnic groups in Afghanistan. From the novel, it appeared that the Hazara is discriminated upon or looked down on as revealed in the the pursual passage when Amir and Hassan are maturement up One day, we were walking from my fathers house to flick Zainab for a new Iranianmovie, taking the shortcut through the soldiery barracks near Istiqlal Middle School-Babahad forbidden us to take that shortcut, but he was in Pakistan with Rahim Khan at the time.We hopped the fence that surrounded the barracks, skipped over a little creek, and broke intothe open dirt field where old, aband one(a)d tanks calm dust.A group of soldiers huddledin the shade of one of those tanks, sess cigarettes and playing cards. One of them sawus, elbowed the guy next to him, and called Hassan.Hey, you he said. I know you.We had never seen him before. He was a squatty man with a shaved head and black stubbleon his face. The way he grinned at us, leered, scared me. Just fall out walking, I muttered to Hassan. (Kite Runner, p 6-7) You The Hazara come across at me when Im talking to you the soldier barked He transferhis cigarette to the guy next to him, do a circle with the flip out and index finger of one progress. Poked the middle finger of his early(a) hand through the circle. Poked it in and out.In and out. I knew your mother, did you know that? I knew her real good. I took her from behind by that creek over there.The soldiers laughed. One of them made a squealing sound. I told Hassan to keep walking,keep walking.What a meanspirited little sugary cunt she had (Kite Runner, p 6-7)This passage revealed a lot on the mountain surrounding the two friends. Hassan was called by a soldier, Hazara and specifically pointed at Hassan just to taunt him, telling him that his mother is prostitute. Fr om this passage, the two lads are simply out to watch an Iranian movie partaking of what little untenanted their culture has to offer when they are confronted by the soldiers. It is understandable that Amir could non defend his friend and hence he took evasive action. It also showed the lowly character of Hassan.The characterization of Amir and Hassan is set early in the novel. The circumstances of their bring forths are telling of the subjugation and desperation of an ethnic group. The contrast is revealed in this passage It was in that small shack that Hassans mother, Sanaubar, gave endure to him one cold pass onter day in 1964. While his mother hemorrhaged to ending during babybirth, Hassan lost his less than a week after he was born. befuddled her to a fate most Afghans considered far worse than death. She ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancer. (Kite Runner, p 6-7) Both Amir and Hassan lost their mothers upon birth with Amirs mother dying of hemorrhage giv ing birth while Hassan was born with not overmuch problem as implied by the quick recovery of his mother. But she ran away apparently not abstracted the responsibility of raising a child. This passage is revealing of the harsh universe of Hazara woman and how harsh her reaction could be as depicted in the novel. the moment Sanaubar had given birth to Hassan. It had been a simple enough affair. No obstetricians, no anesthesiologists, no fancy monitoring devices. Just Sanaubar lying on a stained, naked mattress with Ali and a midwife helping her. She hadnt ask much help at all, because, even in birth, Hassan was true to his temper He was incapable of hurting anyone. A few grunts, a equalize of pushes, and out came Hassan. Out he came smiling. As confided to a neighbors servant by the garrulous midwife, who had then in deed told anyone who would listen, Sanaubar had interpreted one look at the baby in Alis arms, seen the whirl lip, and barked a bitter laughter. There, she had said. Now you have your own idiot child to do all your smiling for you She had refused to even hold Hassan, and just fiver days subsequently, she was gone. (Kite Runner, p 9-10) This early in the novel, how the characters would develop has already been foretold. The novels author, included the phrase true his nature, incapable of hurting anyone in referring to Hassan. A gentle soul, helpless and innocent amid the torrid racial, economic and semipolitical cauldron that is Afghanistan. Ethnic intolerance is a pervading theme in Kite Runner and there are umpteen scenes showing this. In another(prenominal) passage, Hassan was taunted and called him flat-nosed referring to the physical features of Hassan. It is interesting to point out, that this tale is in the point of view of Amir, a Pashtoon, an ethnic group which Amir found out later that his people have subjugated the Hazaras. This is the turning point of Amirs understanding of Hassan and critical to the development of the novel and Amirs actions much later in the book. The passage reflects the contrast between Amir and Hassan. whence oneday, I was in Babas study, looking through his stuff, when I found one of my mothers oldhistory books. It was written by an Iranian named Khorami. I blew the dust off it, sneaked itinto bed with me that night, and was stunned to find an entire chapter on Hazara history. Anentire chapter dedicated to Hassans people In it, I read that my people, the Pashtoons, hadpersecuted and oppressed the Hazaras. It said the Hazaras had tried to jump on against thePashtoons in the nineteenth century, but the Pashtoons had quelled them with unspeakableviolence.(Kite Runner, p 9)This is no easy revelation to a child. Difficult to grasp the extent of racial tension and subjugation, of a horrendous history separating him from a childhood friend, approximately a bond brother if not a loyal servant. This as mentioned earlier is the difficult part. Is Amir, undergoing a change as a tender -hearted master or into egalitarian person? The climactic culmination of the this relationship is portrayed in the kite manage wherein Hassan is the kite runner of Amir. apply abide by that the relationship of master-servant did not change so are the dreams of children. sweet contests or making a name to make someone happy. In this case, Amir necessitys to impress his father so he joined the contest.In one part of the novel is this passage showing that the relationship is stock-still is master and servant. This is important in the understanding the construct of the Kite Runner.Finally, I had my kite in hand. I wrapped the loose string that had poised at my feet around the spool, shook a few more hands, and trotted home. When I reached the wroughtiron gates, Ali was waiting on the other side. He stuck his hand through the bars. Congratulations, he said. 1 gave him my kite and spool, shook his hand. Tashakor, Ali jan. I was praying for you the whole time. Then keep praying. Wer e not done yet. (Kite Runner, p 67) Ali, here is the father of Hassan, note Amirs dialogue I gave him my kite and spool, shook his hand. It is plainly, a lad in confidence talking to a servant, as if saying, here take care of this will you? Like what Batman would have done with Alfred after a caper. Here Alfred, take care of my boomerang will you? The following passage shows the blissful innocence in triumph. I hurried back to the street. I didnt ask Ali about Baba. I didnt want to see him yet. In my head, I had it all planned Id make a grand entrance, a hero, prized trophy in my bloodied hands. Heads would turn and eyes would lock Then the old warrior would walk to the young one, breast him, acknowledge his Worthiness. (Kite Runner, p 67) The prize trophy being referred here is a blue kit which Amir won. Hassan is assessed to recover the prize in a kite war. But win events in an otherwise happy occasion of winning which Amir wanted to share with Hassan is not allowed by the auth or and the illusion of a champion in kiting as clashed with reality is varicolored squarely by Hosseini when Hassan was violated by Assef, the nemesis of Amir who would view as the dark symbol of the grim world of Afghanistan at the spring up of the Talibans in the 80s. The sexual violation or rape of Hassan, perhaps symbolizes the subjugation by use of powerful force over another. In one scene, perhaps to zero in on a contradiction in Afghan culture, Hosseini weaved this passage describing Amir as he looks for Hassan in brief after the kite contest and shortly before witnessing the violation of Hassan. By the time I reached the marketplace a few blocks away, from the Haji Yaghoub Mosque, the mullahbellowed azan, job for the faithful to unroll their rugs and bow their heads west in prayer. Hassan never lost(p) any of the five daily prayers. Even when we were out playing, hed excuse himself, draw water from the well in the yard, wash up, and unthaw into the hut. Hed come out a few minutes later, smiling, find me sitting against the wall or perched on a tree. He was going to miss prayer tonight, though, because of me. (Kite Runner, p 68) Here in this passage, Hassan is date as a devotee of Haj Yaghoub Mosque, religious, true to his faith innocent. A simple child devoted to a friend performing for him the task of a kite runner. He performed his task and recovered the blue kite of Amir but was intercepted by Assef. Amir saw the whole fortune but did nothing. Here is a symbolic twist in the novel. The incapacity of Amir to act to protect not only Hassan but himself. As we noted earlier, Amir is both a master and a friend of Hassan in terms of relationships, cultural and personal. As a master, he O.K. down to the superior force of Assef and friends, he knows he could not win so he whimpers just watching. As a friend, he suffered internally at the sight of the violation. The illusion of triumph in the kite contest shattered.When kites are let looseThe re solution of the tale of ethnic discord Kite Runner is framed by the author in the succeeding generation. It would be the redemption of Amir, when he rescued Hassans child who was taken captive by Assef who became a Taliban official. Amir was able to escape to atomic number 20 with his wife and Hassans child. Hassan was revealed to have been killed by the Taliban.As far as handling the themes of conflict and its resolution, the Kite Runner showed us symbolically, how change is close to impossible in an ancient setting. It would take perhaps generation after generation to a society more tolerant of each others differences. The novel is rich in symbols. The kite is highly symbolic, there is a thread that keeps it afloat, there is the wind. Cutting loose has significant importee as when Amir decides to escape to California. The kite of Amir has crossed the continents, from the ancient to the modern or post modern California.We are then left wing with one question, authenticity. It is not the objective of this paper to analyze what is Afghan culture and conflicts which tearing the country apart in flare ups of violence, we could only view the novel as woven by the author. Though in many ways, ethnic or racial discrimination has been a plague of mankind, and even stable techno-scientific economies has their share of racial disharmony and bigotry. Apartheid was just recently abolished in South Africa and there are racial and ethnic strifes in easterly Europe. What Kite Runner did is to open our eyes to such problems and maybe in the future, youthful dreams would come true.ReferenceHosseini, Khaled, Kite Runnerhttp//rahapen.org/RAHA_Literary_criticism_safar_hanifi2.htm (1 of 8)5/6/2006 13029 PMRAHA PEN A quick glance on Novel The Kite RunnnerWIKEPEDIA.com