Kite Runner Essay
Maharnilad Aguirre
9/28/06
The Kite Runner
Despite all the propaganda surrounding the political issues in Afghanistan, one might expect Khaled Hosseini's, The Kite Runner, to be another example of exploitation of the war in order to boost sales of a book, but this is not so. The Kite Runner is a timeless story that does not rely on propaganda to be successful. The story is not meant to change the views of the post 9/11 society. It can stand on its storyline alone, and does not rely on its setting and time. The story focuses more on Amir's path to manhood and the relationships he has along the way, than the political happenings in Afghanistan. When Afghanistan is brought up, it is merely to create a setting.
The story could have easily taken place in another country during another era. Because Afghanistan is a polyethnic country, conflict is inevitable with the different groups. It is inevitable for different groups living in the same country to have conflicts because of different beliefs and morals they might have, such as with religion. In Kite Runner, Hosseini's main character/ narrator, Amir is a Pashtun and Hassan, Amir's protagonist, is a Hazara. The Pashtuns and Hazaras are two different ethnic groups that do not get along in Afghanistan. The Kite Runner did not really stress the reasons for their disagreements. It merely stated conflict between the two groups. With that said, the story could have taken place in Germany during World War II, in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, or in the current Sri Lanka conflict. Amir could have been German, a Tutsi, Sinhalese, or Turkish. Hassan could have been Jewish, a Hutu, Tamil, or Armenian.
When Amir first faced Assef again during his return to Afghanistan, he saw Assef as just a Taliban member. He referred to Assef as "the Talib." Later, he comes to realize who Assef is, and no longer considers him "the Talib", but as his childhood enemy. He finds relief and closure in his life after facing and overcoming his childhood enemy, not a Taliban member. The book does not go deep into Assef's position with the Taliban, but gives great description of him as a child bully. "If you were a kid living in Wazir Akbar Khan section of Kabul (city in Afghanistan), you knew about Assef and his famous stainless- steel brass knuckles, hopefully not through experience... Some of the boys in Wazir Akbar Khan had nicknamed him Assef Goshkhor, or Assef the Ear Eater." The reason Hosseini made Assef a Taliban member was to give background and set a tone for the story, not because he wanted to put the Taliban in bad light. The Taliban are already viewed in bad light with Americans. Hosseini must know this, and it gives reason for him portraying Assef as a Taliban member. Hosseini was relying on the feelings his audience already had about the Taliban. He did not rely on facts he made about the Taliban. The only made up fact Hosseini created was Assef’s character really existing, but one can argue that he does exist because he is viewed as a stereotypical Taliban member. I personally believe that Hosseini description of Assef as a Taliban member was right on point. I can turn the television onto the news to see Taliban members being portrayed as bad people. I did not need Hosseini's book to tell me that. Hosseini's book only confirms what I already know and how I already felt post 9/11. If The Kite Runner was really written as a means for propaganda, then Hosseini would have focused more on Assef being a Taliban member, and not as Amir's childhood enemy. Also, if The Kite Runner was propaganda, Hosseini would have further developed the ideas and facts about/ behind the war and the political issues happening in Afghanistan, instead of developing Amir and Hassan as characters.
"The strong underlying force of this novel is the relationship between Amir and Hassan" (from discussion questions in novel), and not the relationship between Pashtuns and Hazaras, which would have been seen as political propaganda. The novel develops the relationship between the two. It shows how Amir was afraid to be Hassan's true friend because he was jealous of his father's affection for Hassan and because Hassan was a faithful, honest person. Hassan was a person Amir hoped to be one day. Hosseini did not create and portray Amir's character to hate Hassan because he was a Hazara. Amir was afraid to be Hassan's true friend because he was jealous of his father's affection for Hassan and because Hassan was a faithful, honest person. A person Amir hoped to be one day. Amir ends his relationship with Hassan after the kite incident not because Hassan was a cowardly Hazara, but because Hassan was braver than him.
Had the novel been written as a form of propaganda, the title would have probably been something like Amir and Hassan against the Taliban instead of The Kite Runner. The Kite Runner is an appropriate title for the novel that is based on a story of coming of age and the relationships along the way.
The story could have easily taken place in another country during another era. Because Afghanistan is a polyethnic country, conflict is inevitable with the different groups. It is inevitable for different groups living in the same country to have conflicts because of different beliefs and morals they might have, such as with religion. In Kite Runner, Hosseini's main character/ narrator, Amir is a Pashtun and Hassan, Amir's protagonist, is a Hazara. The Pashtuns and Hazaras are two different ethnic groups that do not get along in Afghanistan. The Kite Runner did not really stress the reasons for their disagreements. It merely stated conflict between the two groups. With that said, the story could have taken place in Germany during World War II, in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, or in the current Sri Lanka conflict. Amir could have been German, a Tutsi, Sinhalese, or Turkish. Hassan could have been Jewish, a Hutu, Tamil, or Armenian.
When Amir first faced Assef again during his return to Afghanistan, he saw Assef as just a Taliban member. He referred to Assef as "the Talib." Later, he comes to realize who Assef is, and no longer considers him "the Talib", but as his childhood enemy. He finds relief and closure in his life after facing and overcoming his childhood enemy, not a Taliban member. The book does not go deep into Assef's position with the Taliban, but gives great description of him as a child bully. "If you were a kid living in Wazir Akbar Khan section of Kabul (city in Afghanistan), you knew about Assef and his famous stainless- steel brass knuckles, hopefully not through experience... Some of the boys in Wazir Akbar Khan had nicknamed him Assef Goshkhor, or Assef the Ear Eater." The reason Hosseini made Assef a Taliban member was to give background and set a tone for the story, not because he wanted to put the Taliban in bad light. The Taliban are already viewed in bad light with Americans. Hosseini must know this, and it gives reason for him portraying Assef as a Taliban member. Hosseini was relying on the feelings his audience already had about the Taliban. He did not rely on facts he made about the Taliban. The only made up fact Hosseini created was Assef’s character really existing, but one can argue that he does exist because he is viewed as a stereotypical Taliban member. I personally believe that Hosseini description of Assef as a Taliban member was right on point. I can turn the television onto the news to see Taliban members being portrayed as bad people. I did not need Hosseini's book to tell me that. Hosseini's book only confirms what I already know and how I already felt post 9/11. If The Kite Runner was really written as a means for propaganda, then Hosseini would have focused more on Assef being a Taliban member, and not as Amir's childhood enemy. Also, if The Kite Runner was propaganda, Hosseini would have further developed the ideas and facts about/ behind the war and the political issues happening in Afghanistan, instead of developing Amir and Hassan as characters.
"The strong underlying force of this novel is the relationship between Amir and Hassan" (from discussion questions in novel), and not the relationship between Pashtuns and Hazaras, which would have been seen as political propaganda. The novel develops the relationship between the two. It shows how Amir was afraid to be Hassan's true friend because he was jealous of his father's affection for Hassan and because Hassan was a faithful, honest person. Hassan was a person Amir hoped to be one day. Hosseini did not create and portray Amir's character to hate Hassan because he was a Hazara. Amir was afraid to be Hassan's true friend because he was jealous of his father's affection for Hassan and because Hassan was a faithful, honest person. A person Amir hoped to be one day. Amir ends his relationship with Hassan after the kite incident not because Hassan was a cowardly Hazara, but because Hassan was braver than him.
Had the novel been written as a form of propaganda, the title would have probably been something like Amir and Hassan against the Taliban instead of The Kite Runner. The Kite Runner is an appropriate title for the novel that is based on a story of coming of age and the relationships along the way.
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