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The Kite Runner Analysis

Decent Essays

Today, people around the world hear “Afghanistan” and immediately think about terror, destruction and brutality. This did not always used to be the case though. As depicted in Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner, Kabul, the capital city of the country, used to be an amazing place with modern ideals, infrastructure and, for the most part, peace. Throughout the novel, however, this narrative begins to change. Afghanistan begins to crumble after the government is overthrown and does not get much better, regardless of how many attempts to reset the government there are. As a result, the story's protagonist Amir is forced to leave his home and flee to America. Later, though, Amir returns to find his homeland even more destroyed and inhospitable. Cruelty throughout Afghanistan not only shapes the country, but the people in it as well.

The first time the reader is graced with just how cruel Afghanistan can be is when Hassan is raped by Assef. “He positioned himself behind Hassan. Hassan didn’t struggle. Didn’t even whimper.” (page 75). This scene is a defining one of the story. Not only does it set up Amir’s inner conflict for the rest of the story, it shows just how ruthless Kabul is starting to become. Amir realizes he is a Hazara and, hence, has no social status to defend himself with. Hassan realizes that if he fights it Assef and his gang may very well kill him and have zero repercussions to face. He is, afterall, just a lowly Hazara boy. Had the setting been America,

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