The Kite Runner

Context is an integral part in a narrative, allowing the composer to represent values and attitudes of their time. The Kite runner by Khaled Hosseini draws upon his personal, social and historical context, as well as the context of the world around him to represent the life and culture in Afghanistan. Hosseini bases his novel around the true events in Afghanistan such as the war and the taliban to convey the struggle of Afghanistans and their context which shaped modern day Afghanistan. The novel integrates various ideas and themes, and portrays the struggle during the migration experience, the violence against minorities during the time and the contrast between the old afghanistan, and the corrupted country after taliban rule. Through his novel, published soon after the 9/11 attacks, Hosseini aims to inform and educate the audience of his country before the war, and highlight the growing atrocities such as gender inequality, government corruption, and a country in ruin. He aims to teach his audience about life in Afghanistan and position them to reflect on the struggle of others in the world around them.

Hosseini exposes and condemns the harsh racial discrimination and prejudice placed upon the Hazara ethnic group in his country, and promotes equality and moral justice. His motivation and desire to convey this to the audience originated from his own relationship with his Hazara cook in Afghanistan, which is paralleled in The Kite Runner as the relationship between Hassan and Amir. Hosseini uses the characterization of Hassan to express the importance of human morals and placing friendship above discrimination. Hassan is represented as so morally and definitely ‘good’, as he treats Amir with undying love and loyalty. Despite their friendship, the nature of Afghan culture creates certain imbalances between the two. “Let’s see. ‘Imbecile.’ Smart, intelligent.” is an example of Amir abusing his socio-economic power over Hassan, highlighting their ethnic division....