contextual background of the novel Faisal Bathawab IB1 Khaled Hosseini Born in Kabul in 1965 and is the oldest of five. Hosseini grew up with a comfortable lifestyle, loving American movies and flying kites. The immigrant experience in The Kite Runner is autobiographical, based on the difficulties that Hosseini and his parents experience in California. Historical context The Kite Runner progresses through much of the historical turmoil of modern Afghanistan. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the country became the Islamic State of Afghanistan, but violent infighting between parties continued. The Kite Runner ends soon after the September 11, 2001 Social context
Hosseini critiques the sexism and racism of Afghan
society throughout the book. . Men are forgiven for being promiscuous or flirting, but women will be shamed and gossiped about for life. Social Classes The book opens in Kabul in the early 1970s .At this time, Kabul is a populous and prosperous city in which various ethnic and social classes coexist. The protagonist ,Amir, is a wealthy Pashtun boy, while his best friend, Hassan, is a lower class Hazara boy. In these opening scenes, the novel’s setting in Kabul directly influences how these boys treat each other. Soviets, Pakistan and Refugee Life
Five years after Assef attacks Hassan, Soviet forces move in to occupy Afghanistan, and Amir and his father escape to nearby city of Peshawar in Pakistan.
This change of setting directly affects the main characters in two ways.
Through the disruption and destruction of his home setting, Amir’s character fundamentally changes for the rest of his life in the novel. California and Westernness
Amir and his father move from Peshawar to Fremont, California.
Amir and his father are forced to start over. Amir is slowly “westernized. The dual effect of the Fremont setting is to show how a Western setting can empower a youth culture, while destroying a traditional culture. Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan Amir is summoned back to his birthland by his dying friend, Rahim Khan, to rescue Hassan’s son from Assef. The effect of this setting demonstrates how dramatically Afghan culture changed since the Soviet invasion. Thank You !
