Thursday, February 27, 2014

Using a social class lens, what are some examples of rich vs. poor in the novel The Kite Runner?

Analyzing literature by using a social class lens allows the reader to understand the differences between social classes, social status, and the occupations of various characters throughout the novel. Analyzing The Kite Runner through the social lens illuminates the socioeconomic disparity between certain groups of people living in Afghanistan and America. In Afghanistan, Baba and Rahim Khan are wealthy Pashtun businessmen, while Ali and Hassan are poor Hazara servants. In Afghanistan, the Hazaras are discriminated against because of their ethnicity and religious beliefs, which is why they occupy a lower social class. Later on in the novel, the Taliban take control of Afghanistan and occupy a higher social class. In Chapter 20, Amir meets a beggar who used to be a professor. The professor's current economic struggles depict his lower social status under Taliban rule. In America, Baba and Amir occupy a lower social class than they did in Afghanistan, but Amir is able to climb the social ladder after going to college and becoming a successful writer. Throughout the novel, characters who occupy lower social classes have relatively difficult jobs and are discriminated against, especially in Afghanistan. Individuals with less social status seem to be more religious and innocent, while characters who come from wealthy families tend to be immoral and selfish. Characters like Ali, Hassan, Wahid, and Farid are caring individuals who act selflessly. Wealthy individuals like Assef, and to a much lesser extent Amir, make selfish decisions which harm others.

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