In Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner, culture and society have significant impact on the decisions and behavior of the many different characters. For this response, I will list five examples and briefly explain each.
- Baba's relationship with Amir: Afghan culture carries certain gendered expectations, many of which Amir did not meet as a child. Because Afghan culture dictated that Amir was failing at being a successful Afghan boy, the relationship between father and son suffered.
- Soraya's "shame": Soraya ran away, unmarried, with a white man, and lived with him for a significant amount of time before returning. Afghan culture sees cohabitation and sexual intercourse before marriage as sinful, particularly for women, and as such, Soraya carries a great "shame" within her Afghan community.
- Sohrab's "welcome" by Soraya's family: Soraya's father, upon Sohrab's arrival, refers to him simply as "that Hazara boy", revealing deep seated prejudice against the Hazara ethnic group. This aspect of Afghan culture is one that contributes to a genocide of the Hazara, but which Amir actively combats.
- Amir's greatest sin: Afghan culture did not openly discuss or confront issues of sexual assault and rape. As a result, Amir had no resources for coping with or proactively assisting in providing support for Hassan after his rape, which leads to their estrangement.
- The symbol of the kite: The kite, a major focal point for boyhood in Afghan culture, serves as a bookend for the cyclical novel, indicating hope and dreams can come again. This connotation would be impossible without Afghan culture.
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