In Afghanistan, the Hazaras have been racially oppressed since the time that they arrived. They were viewed differently because of their Mongolian features and unknown history. The Taliban killed and targeted many of the Hazara people during their reign in Afghanistan. Before the Taliban took over Kabul, Assef tormented Hassan and Amir because Hassan was a Hazara and Amir Associated himself with Hassan. The theme of discrimination against a specific group of people in “The Kite Runner” was expressed through the use of similes.
Without a doubt the Hazara people have been persecuted, but the use of similes allows the reader to understand how they were viewed in the book. Hosseini used a simile to demonstrate how the Pashtuns scrutinized the Hazaras as outcasts. Assef tried to justify why he was in the Taliban and murdered so many
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Additionally, the Hazaras were being compared to trash because they were as unwanted as waste, according to Assef. This relates to the theme of discrimination because Assef believed that he was allowed to racially persecute Hazaras because he viewed them as peculiar. Another example of a simile used in the novel that expresses discrimination is, “A loyal Hazara. Loyal as a dog.” Assef was announcing that Amir’s servant Hassan was so loyal because Hazaras are like animals. As a result of the use of this simile the author was able to express the negative connotation. Some animals are viewed as cute and sweet, but because of the way the author chose to include this in the novel it is viewed as negative. Assef compared Hassan to a dog because he viewed him as an animal that someone owned. Through the use of this simile the theme of discrimination is also able to be
Comparatively, ‘The kite runner’, explores the disparity created by differences in cultural backgrounds. This connection manifests in the relationship between Amir and Hassan, though Amir is true to Hassan in private, he feels the need to relate to Hassan according to the prevailing social hierarchy in public. “Afghanistan is the land of the Pashtun’s…not the flat-nosed Hazara’s, these people pollute our homeland. They dirty our blood.” The inclusive language at the beginning of the quote is aimed at the Pashtun’s whereas the negative connotations of ‘pollute’ and ‘dirty’ emphasise the subservient position of the Hazara’s in the Afghani society and thus losing their sense of placement within society. Amir has to face that fact he is disloyal to his relationship with Hassan and begins personal growth. “He’s my servant! Had I really though that?” “Everywhere I turned I saw signs of his loyalty, his goddamn unwavering loyalty.” the absence of conjunction emphasises his thorough regrets that act as a barrier preventing him from
The Maze Runner by James Dashner is an action, adventure, science fiction book. It is about a teenager named Thomas, who arrives in an enclosed environment with no memory of his past. He lives with other teenagers, all boys. Everyday, they try to figure out a way to escape the maze, and seek freedom, but Thomas figured a way out. All of the gladers (the nickname of the people, due to them living in a place called the glade) ran out in the maze, most of them were killed by grievers (monsters that live in the maze), but some of them survived including Thomas. The survivors escaped the maze.
Hassan is a victim of discrimination, bigotry, and class structure in Afghan society. Hassan and Ali are members of the Hazaras, a minority group of Afghanis. Amir and his father are Pashtuns, the majority, who believes they are a better class than the Hazara. Religion was all that separated Amir and Hassan, as did tribe and class. Amir learned from his father that the Harara tribe to which Ali and Hassan belonged, were inferior people. Because of this bigotry and basic class structure, Hazaras are often victims of physical, emotional and psychological abuse. Thus when a crisis comes and Hassan is being attack, Amir not only doesn't come to Hassan's aid, but also allows him to be brutally abused. Morality lacks because of this class structure, which allows people to be treated as second-class citizens. Considerations towards morality and religion helps the reader to broaden there understanding of the novel and it would be impossible to appreciated the book lacking them.
In his novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini depicts his homeland Afghanistan as a host to many different cultures and classes, such as Pashtun and Hazara, Sunni and Shiite, with this dichotomy of beliefs and attributes being powerful enough to shape diverse, sometimes negative relationships amongst the characters of the novel and their behavior to each other, as well as establish that individual’s identity. Each person interprets the impact of the role of belief and social status differently, while all living in the same setting, adding to their complexity and depth as a character in the novel with many different figures tied together by the same geographical and cultural conditions.
Millions of people around the world are discriminated against, but Hazaras and Shias especially know the struggle of this, constantly being put at the bottom of the social class and knowing unfair treatment all too well. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the act of discrimination is portrayed throughout the novel and is the cause of many of the main events that occur in the novel. Hassan, a hare-lipped Hazara boy in the novel, feels the pain and torture of simply being who he was and endures the hardships of his ethnicity, but yet he never complains or wishes to change who he is, symbolizing his bravery. Therefore, discrimination and slander towards Hazaras in the novel gives a strong sense of unequalness among the two ethnicities, Pashtuns and Hazaras, and is not considered virtuous among societies today.
Every group of people has a leader, object or mantra that represents what the group needs or treasures the most. This can be observed in the newest fashion trends that symbolize beauty and sophistication to a group of teenage girls, the newest iPhone or tablet to symbolize wealth to a group of rich businessmen, or even a flag to symbolize our nation. William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies explores this concept of giving a normal object great power by using it to convey an ideology of a group of people. Golding describes a world where there is no civilization, and the only connection to the civilized world is through the objects that represent different aspects of it. This essay will
Sometimes whats ideal in a situation is not what the truth of the situation and can cause your ideals to be lost. In William Golding’s novel, “Lord of the Flies”, he demonstrates a shift in some of the characters from the thought of idealism to the reality and truth of the world. Ralph is a good example of this shift, he starts out thinking the island will be a fun place and they’ll have fun waiting to be rescued, but soon he realizes that there is going to be more hardship and struggles to keep up the moral and hope of rescue. In the book Ralph wanted to keep everyone safe and get them off the island, but Jack wants to be a leader and messes up his plans, making it so that Ralph is alone in his plan to get rescued.
The Kite Runner has shown the improper treatment of Hazaras on more than one occasion, the first point being the way Assef spoke about Hassan right before he raped him.
Guilt is a strong emotion that haunts us all, others hide it deep within themselves, some try to fix the wrong, and few people do good from it. The Kite Runner is the story of a boy named Amir, he struggles to find his place in the world, reason being of the all of the traumatic childhood events. He sends most of his time and life just sulking in guilt about the decisions he has made. Khaled Hosseini has given the idea that guilt can make you do good things, but all relies on what you're guilty about. The way this is portrayed is through the novel is through rhetorical strategies and imagery.
Clearly the Taliban did not value the lives of the Hazaras (www.Sparknotes.com). Assef was one of the cruelest of all the Taliban. He told Amir this “Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage" (Hosseini 284). Taliban influence in Afghanistan heightened discrimination and did not unite the country.
It seems like everywhere, Amir, the protagonist, looks society seems into two parts. From his childhood in Kabul ,Afghanistan, to living in America, there has been an invisible border restricting two parties from establishing into one. The disparity between social classes is evident in The Kite Runner between Amir and Hassan. Amir is a Pashtun, with a higher status and his servant , Hassan, is a Hazara. Hazaras are looked down upon due to their differences in appearance and beliefs. They are racially and socially inferior. If there was a Hazara residing in Kabul, the rumour was that he was either a beggar, servant or even both. The dreadful social division between the two groups led to the Pashtuns gaining higher social rankings than the Hazaras and were able to receive
In Afghanistan, there is a divide between the Pashtuns and the Hazaras; the Pashtuns are upper class citizens who are treated with respect while the Hazaras are lower class, minority citizens who are treated poorly. Because of the contrasting history of the two groups, their responses to the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul were complete opposites. The Pashtuns “danced on [the] street,” (Hosseini 200) while the Hazaras cried “God help the Hazaras now” (Hosseini 213). The conflict between the Pashtuns and Hazaras in “The Kite Runner” directly reflects the real life issues in Afghanistan starting in the late 70’s and continuing on past 2001.
Assef bullies Hassan to show him his place as a Hazara. Assef shows many forming of bullying. At first Assef is very verbally aggressive towards Hassan. Assef tells Hassan that he is loyal to Amir who would show him no loyalty. Assef makes a bold statement describing Hassan as “A loyal Hazara, loyal as a dog.” (Hosseini 77) Assef explains to Hassan that as a Hazara he is loyal to someone that would not show the same loyalty to him in return. While Hassan is cornered by the three bullies, Amir is just watching without any plan of stepping in. Amir wants to retrieve the kite to bring it back Baba to impress Baba. He
In the novel, Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the protagonist, Amir, is torn between two truths as he lived associated with different kinds of religious groups in Afghan society: Pashtuns and Hazaras. Each identity played a unique part in Amir’s life. Whether they had a positive or negative effect, both changed his values and beliefs. Individuals also shaped Amir’s character. Baba, Assef, and Hassan were major influences upon Amir’s growth throughout the book; their differences shaped Amir into the man he later became as all three represented a different side of Afghan society.
Sofia Cartaya Mr. Ceddia H English 10- Period D October 6, 2014 The Kite Runner Essay Mankind was not born with the internal inclement to hatred, but was taught to do so by his parents. For this reason the class distinctions in Afghanistan aids in the creation of the conflict between the young generations of characters in the novel. Written by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner is an all-time classic about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the personal view of just as small group of family and friends as they lived through it. To understand the novel, you must first understand the reason for the conflict between the Hazara and Pashtun classes.