Hosseini's Protests in The Kite Runner's First Two Chapters

Hosseini explores a variety of social issues within the kite runner, protesting against the inherent racism present in Afghan society, overthrow of the monarchy and suggest the terrorist attack on the world trade centre in New York, through a variety of metaphors and language techniques. Hosseini presents socioeconomic conditions in Afghanistan demonstrating the disparity between the majority (Sunni Muslims) and the minority (Shi’a Muslims), and displays how people discriminate against each other based on physical appearance and religious beliefs. He clearly protests against this inherent racism present, aimed towards Hazaras, suggested from ‘an entire chapter, revealing the truth about education, and how history is in the hands of those who write it.

This is further emphasised from they called him ‘flatnosed,” exhibiting to the reader a blatant racism towards the Hazaras, as children should respect their elders, and yet it is seen as morally acceptable to be rude and racist towards them.

Hosseini is demonstrating how the Hazaras unfairly, have no protection.

Furthermore, Hosseini once again protests the inherent racism in Afghan society, through the use of animalistic imagery describing the Hazaras. For example, ‘load-carrying donkeys, demonstrates how the Pashtuns use negative language to describe the Hazaras as they view them as less than human and have no respect for them – which is comparable to the Nazi’s treatment of the Jews. This mind-set is presented to have been engrained into people’s minds through biased education. Hosseini further explore themes of racism towards Afghanistan through explore themes of the terrorist attack on New York (9/11), suggested from the date ‘December 2001, which is post 9/11.

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After the terror attack of New York, the World’s perception of Afghan culture became stigmatized and blemished, and Afghanistan became under the threat of invasion from America. Perhaps, Hosseini wrote based in this time period in order to change perceptions of Afghanistan. Hosseini, aims to eradicate this racist outlook from ‘politics, business, soccer,’ demonstrating to the reader a western feel to the novel, forcing the readers to feel a connection and relate to the characters, in order to display them as equals, and so aiming to question the motives and reasons behind the racist outlook.

Furthermore, Hosseini presents ideas about the overthrow of the monarchy, to suggest ideas about the loss of patriarchy. This is suggested from they are standing over a dead deer.’ This is a metaphor for King Nadir Shah’s assassination, and also demonstrates an end to the systems and liberal rule of the country – and so a loss of patriarchy. This loss of patriarchy is also demonstrated from Baba and Amir’s distant relationship. This is demonstrated from ‘but it’s Rahim Khan’s pinky my fingers are curled around, exhibiting a clear distance between Baba and Amir, and so hints at a loss of patriarchy. Perhaps, Hosseini is questioning those with power or even questioning a male dominated society. Hosseini establishes the ‘Kites’ within the novel as a key motif for his protest. The kites are ‘red with long blue tails, which are the colours of the American flag, so perhaps this is a criticism of the control America have over Afghanistan. Or perhaps, it is a criticism of America people the land of the free’ but oppresses people. In the novel’s political theme, kites represent Afghanistan’s “glory days” of the monarchy, as the Taliban later bans kite flying At the end of the book Amir flies a kite with Sohrab, symbolizing hope for redemption for both Amir’s sins and Afghanistan’s.