The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - Book Report/Review Example

Name Affiliate Institution Systematic Functional Linguistic and Multimodal Approach Introduction The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a novel published in 2003 under Riverhead books and produced as a movie in the year 2007. The whole text is a story of a young boy called Amir who hails from Wazir Akbar Khan, a district in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. The text is set during the upheavals that came as a result of the Afghanistan Monarchy’s fall due to the Soviet invasion, the migration of many people from Afghanistan and the subsequent rise of the Taliban. The author, Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan who lives in America as a refuge. He had moved from Kabul to Paris, France and then to USA where he earned a biology degree and subsequently a degree in medicine from the University of California. Amir, a well to do boy, Hassan, son of Ali who is a hazara, low class, and the boys lived in the same compound because Hassan’s father was a servant at Amir’s home. Kite fighting was the favorite game the boys participated, and Amir always tried hard to win so as to gain the father’s affection, Baba as Amir referred to his father. Baba was a wealthy merchant in Kabul he loved both boys but was ever critical of Amir because he was a lacked courage and thus considered weak. Amir found comfort at Rahim Khan, his father’s close friend, who encourages the boy to write. Assef, an older boy, is extremely violent and notorious, ever mocks Amir for socializing with Hassan, a low class citizen [a Hazara] he even tried to attack Amir but Hassan threatened to shoot him with the slingshot, Assef is forced back off but promises to revenge. Hassan was a good kite runner because he could predict exactly where the kite will fall while it is on the air. One day, Amir won the local kite tournament which meant getting Baba’s praise. As Hassan ran for the kite, he unfortunately, met Assef in the alleyway. Assef decided to teach him a lesson, be beats him severely and finally anally rapes him. These things happen as Amir Watches at a distance not knowing how he can assist Hassan. Amir feels guilty of what has happened to his friend Hassan but decides not to report it because it could expose his stupidity even more, he does not tell anyone about it. Amir decides to keep a distance from Hassan because he was jealous of Hassan being loved by his own father; he worries more that if Baba finds out about his cowardice and Hassan’s bravery, Baba could like Hassan even more. For comfort, Amir believes he should do away with Hassan in their home; he plants some money and a watch in Hassan’s bed so that Baba could make Hassan leave, Baba forgives Hassan and awards him the watch and money altogether, however, Ali and Hassan decides to leave. Amir continued to live under the shade of his cowardice because their departure served as a reminder to him always. In five years’ time, the Soviet invaded Afghanistan, Baba and Amir escaped to the United States of America, they are forced to settle in low class apartment, although they lived in a luxury and expensive mansion in Kabul, Baba works in a gas station as Amir takes classes in a community college after graduating at the age of twenty two from high school. They also sell used staff at Flea Market to get additional income; this is the place where Amir found Soraya Taheri, a fellow refuge, whom she later married. Baba assists Amir to get married and later succumbs to small cell carcinoma disease that kills him. After fifteen years of marriage although without a child, Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan who was dying as a result of an illness [Hosseini, 226]. He summons him to go to Afghanistan so as to be good again. In Kabul, Amir learns that a land mine had killed Ali. Hassan had been killed by the Taliban because he refused to let go Baba’s house, which he had come back to take care of; he was executed along with his wife. Khan reveals that Ali was sterile, and Hassan was Baba’s son and, therefore, Amir’s half brother, Khan directs Amir to save Sohrab, Hassan’s son from an orphanage. Amir discovers that Sohrab were in the hands of Assef, and he had sodomised him to dress in a woman’s clothes. Assef agrees to let Sohrab go on a condition that Amir goes down for canes, Assef cruelly beats Amir, but he is saved by Sohrab who shoots Assef’s eye with a slingshot as promised earlier by Hassan. Amir takes Sohrab to America at last. The text is best suited for the systemic functional linguistic and multimodal approaches, because Khaled has been inspired by the social and political events surrounding him, as an Afghan and the various atrocities that the people of Afghanistan are undergoing. The production of the Kite Runner movie in the year two thousand and seven [2007] made the text even popular, that shows the impact caused by the visual version of the work of art. Hossein Khaled has made use of various approaches used in works of art; the Marxist approach has been employed, the Feminism approach that has gained popularity of late in advocating for Women’s rights and finally the New Historicist approach in comparison of various cultures. Text and Visual Analysis The Marxist approach is evident in the text the Marxist approach is based the Karl Marx, Germany economist and philosopher, argument that the society is controlled by whoever who controls the means of production. The Marxist views bring on board the fact that literature is a mirror that reflects the society’s culture, the events in the text reflect the typical life of the Afghan people due to political unrest in their country. Political oppression in the political subconscious exists according to Marxism; this is clearly illuminated in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan as a show of their mighty and the subsequent take over. The rise of the Taliban is another example and the heavy-handed rule they impose in the country. The change in Amir’s social class when they went to the U.S.A, showed their inability of control of the means of production thus the fact that they are coerced to undertake menial jobs to sustain themselves. The approach advocates for power to be placed in the masses to control, and operate them, and not the few individuals who had the privilege like in the text, where the Soviet Union used the perverted version of it to conquer Afghanistan. The class conflict is brought out when Assef projects his anger towards Hassan on the basis that he is a Hazara, inferior tribe and meant to be servants, he even advises Amir not to socialize with Hassan which hastens the hatred even more. The economic power that is vested in some individuals contributes to the classifying of people in the society, and the subsequent treatment of people as per their economic power. In the Kite Runner, Amir’s family and genera Taheri find their way out of Afghanistan to America in search of peace, because they were wealthy and formed part of the ruling class while the poor citizens remained in the country to suffer the atrocities, the likes of Ali and Hassan met their death as a result of not being able to escape, due to their poverty state. As a newer philosophy in literature as a thought and as a study it is still evolving. Its basis is the fact that the world is fundamentally patriarchal since men are the ruler and the world are judged and viewed through the eyes of men. Earlier Women were thought to be illiterate, and unintelligent because they were not given the chance to education as their male counterparts and the movement picked momentum in the 1960s leading to the emergence of a literally theory. Feminists base their works on the negative portraying of women in the work of art and their exposition thereafter. Most works of art are dominated by the male; in historical records and the works of literature so the whole world literature has been masculine biased and the subsequent harmful and inaccurate image of women being brought out. This can be changed through balance creation in the works of literature, literature works by male and female about female should be judged on a different balance that enhances the feminine scale. In the Kite Runner, Hassan’s mother is impregnated by Baba and left alone simply because she belongs to the Hazara grouping, and as a female, this is aggravated by the Afghan culture which does not give women any chance on the face of the earth, Soraya, Amir’s wife, experiences a lot of freedom while, in America to the extent, that she elopes with her boyfriend, which is unheard of, for a Muslim girl. Soraya is an example of the few women who have fought hard to break the chains women have been tied to for a long time. Some women who went to America after following the Afghan culture for a very long time find it difficulty to bear with the behavior of the new generation; Soraya’s mother is a perfect example for such people. Women and Children are usually at the receiving end when there are wars in the world. Hassan’s mother is killed by the Taliban, and Hassan’s son is even sodomised as a result of vulnerability due to war. Hosseni tries to show that women if given a chance, they can make their own decisions that affect their own lives and people around them. New Historicism as an approach, is used, in the works of literature, to illuminate some light in the study of written literature because the presentation in the text is usually as it was or is in the text. The comparison between a foreign or a past culture with the presented culture is impossible as per the New Historicism approach. This is because the truth of the past or foreign culture can never be asserted as established and unchangeable. To understand the truth, the writer’s part, and the reader’s part should be interpreted accordingly. This is evident in the fact that, losers never get a fair play aftermath and the same applies even in their culture, which begins to erode due to overshadowing by the dominant culture. The dominated culture is finally lost in respect to history. The Afghan culture is nearly covered completely, mostly when it comes to the refugees that had sort asylum in other countries like Sonaraya who goes out with a male friend against the Islamic shrine. Culture and literature are as a result of one another, and they complement each other, Hosseini tries to bring into contact the two cultures; American culture and Afghan period which are highly divergent and further widened by the religious differences. Under New Historicism, the work of art reflects the culture under which it has been written and culture in which it has been set too. Literature is born out of the artist’s culture, which he is part of or the culture that he has lived within. Hosseni reflects his Afghan roots, and attachment to the culture in his work showing the culture he is affiliated to and the American culture has not been left alone. The ills of the Afghaniststan culture are exposed so as it improves it for the better. The Soviet Union’s role in destabilizing Afghanistan is exemplified; the Soviet’s attack of Afghan rendered many people homeless and the massive loss of lives. How the moral and social responsibility is being reflected in the text, brings out the Sociological approach. Baba knew exceedingly well that Hassan was his son, but decided not to take Hassan as his own son, simply because the society had condemned him to the low class citizen, hazara, and yet Baba was a wealthy man. He must have been unfaithful to his wife, and that must be why he keeps quiet about the son, Hassan, that he has got out of wedlock. Baba tries to clear his conscience by offering Hassan the fatherly love that Amir is jealousy of. The cruelty expressed by Assef towards Amir and Hassan, does not end even after graduating from children due to the deep rooted differences that were advocated in the society, since time immemorial. The attitudes and customs that the children are cultured with while they are young affects their lives in the future. The setting of the text is heavily drawn from Khaled’s personal experiences; the plot illuminates the historical realism since it includes dates that show chronological accuracy including the regime changes in Afghanistan. The nice childhood times of Amir were during the rule of king Zahir Shah, but in 1973 after the Russian had left, Dawood Khan became the president and this period is reflected in the novel by the bully Assef who even claims that the Hazaras should be eliminated. The Taliban rule banned the kite fighting in 1996 and the subsequent massacre of the Hazaras in 1998. The complex plot with several conflicts evokes empathy through the unjust treatment of some characters like Hassan. The external conflict explodes when Amir goes to Kabul to rescue Sohrab as a way to be good a gain The human rights and the legal system gap is the final conflict as the orphans suffer as victims of war. As a result, Sohrab even attempts suicide to cover up the shame and bitterness that had been inflicted on him. Hosseini’s striking of the balance between optimism and tragic emotion like the case where Sohrab talks one year after his attempted suicide. The approaches employed by Hosseini go hand in hand with the Gee approaches. The social languages used in the text, register, reflect the one using it and the place where they are used. “My whole life is a fuckin lie,” [Hosseini, 2003, p. 01] these words are said by Amir when Rahim reveals to him to untold past, which is haunting him. The expression shows the typical mode of conversation used by youths in America. Hosseini uses the social language sparingly to show changes in the setting as the novel progresses. The use of words like Hazara, a tribe in Afghanistan, and the general rural life of the Kabul city and the American life in California is perfected by the use of a language that fits the place at a time. Situated meaning helps to understand the text well, since different phrases can refer to different meanings, when used in different settings and to different people who come from different environments. In most instances, Amir uses the term ‘fuck’ to show the American influence on him and the subsequent American accent. The issue of being good again is brought out in the first page, at that moment, it is hard to understand it, but Amir knew very well what it meant because the underlying meaning referred to Amir’s tainted past. Amir claims that his first word on earth was Baba while Hassan’s first word was Amir. This digs deep to the relationship between Amir and Hassan as more than friends, Amir always looked up to his father because he loved him and wanted to gain Baba’s affection while Hassan always looked up to Amir because he loved him dearly of which Amir did not do the same in return. The words have deep illusions to shade some light on the Amir and Hassan relationship. Cultural models have been used perfectly used in the Kite Runner, to bring on board different situations in the text that requires specific treatment, in relation to its relevance to the character involved. The unexpected eloping of Soraya with his boyfriend, bewilders the parents considering their Islamic religion that does not allow boys and girls to indulge in relationships before marriage. Another incident that fits in the model is Amir’s faked beards, and the covering of his head so as to conform to the strict Islamic rules that are imposed in Afghanistan by the Taliban after the exit of the Russians. However, Assef, who was now an officer in the Taliban, discovers Amir because they had grown together in the city of Kabul. Under discourse, individuals are to give voice in interaction to various discourses since language is usually fully situated in the political and social; perspectives. Through these interactions, history can be changed and transformed since power operates in the interactions. Hosseini, in the Kite Runner, has brought out the suffering of people in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule. The world view concerning the effects caused by the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent rule of the Taliban which is authoritarian is portrayed well. The novel is centrally based in the sociological and political contexts of Afghanistan and the United States of America. Implications for Practice The Kite Runner is best suited for any adult who is willing to learn. The cross-cultural context of the text evokes intertextual connections that can contribute to empathized understanding of the lives that are brought out by the characters in the textual world that is created by The Kite Runner, and in the long run, the learners can be able to understand their own traditions and culture in general. Adult learners should be at a point of knowing what their culture is concerned with, this can help them to understand themselves and whatever that is expected of them by the general public and the societal norms. The Kite Runner provides the best sample for the need to understand ones culture, the rift between the tribes in Afghanistan is deeply rooted in the Afghan history, and it requires one to be keen to understand the whole drama [Banks, 2008] Since cultural diversity and value systems should be part of s the learning curriculum, literary experiences through language arts educators should be a reflection of the diverse backgrounds in various schools. Historically misrepresented, marginalized and excluded communities are addressed, through works of art, to affirm and legitimize their culture and the human race in general. [Diamond & Moore, 1995, p. 13]. The communities living in Afghanistan share certain things like Religion which binds them, although there are deep rooted differences, The Kite Runner, brings forth, the differences existing amongst the Afghan communities and the subsequent effects caused by the differences in place. The effects and atrocities fronted by this work of art serve, as a good example, to cultivate the understanding of the works of literature as a reflection of the society. The writing of The Kite Runner by an Afghan refugee living in America is a motivating point to most youths who live as refugees in different countries. Such learners who are refugees and others, need real examples of the few people who have exemplarily succeeded in life, although they have faced various challenges. Hosseni as an individual has excelled although he is a refugee in America. The learners will get encouraged to aim higher since they have better learning environments. References Barfield, T. Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics), Princeton University Press, ISBN- 10:0691154414 Danielson, C. [2011]. Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching, (2nd Ed.) ASIN- BOO5IHLK04, Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development Dworzak, T & Anderson, J.L (2004), Taliban, Wrth Publications, ISBN-10:09542264851, Eggins, S. (2005). Introduction to Systemic Functional Linguistics, Continuum, ISBN-10:0826457868 Gee, J.P. [2010], an Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method, [3RD Ed] London: Routledge Hosseini, K. [2004]. The Kite Runner, Riverhead Trade Publishers, ISBN-1594480001 Read More

 

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