The Kite Runner: Story about Friedship

The Kite Runner can be seen through many different literary lenses. Marxist Theory is a perspective I found to best describe The Kite Runner. Marxist views society on the economic and cultural theory of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles. They assume that each society is made up of a set of concepts, beliefs, values and ways of how the classes struggles within the societies based on who has the power and money and who doesn’t. They also look at what role does power, money, class and religion play in the society.

It is clear to say that The Kite Runner is a book filled with different classes and the struggle of power between the societies. The Pashtuns have enough power and money in the Afghan society that allows then to put down the Hazaras. If you are a wealthy person in Afgan this shows that you have power. “ Then, Baba and I drove off in his black Ford Mustang – car that drew envious looks everywhere because it was the same care Steve McQueen had driven in Bullitt, a film played in one theater for six months.

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This shows how the wealth of Amir’s family effects how he is seen by others.

Amir is also more fortunate than others. Amir is not made fun of by other kids while Hassan is always teased because he has no money. The Pashtuns and the Hazaras are different ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Amir was Pashtun and Hassan was Hazaras. Afghan people are in both groups, but there is a big difference between the physical appearance and ethnicity.

The Pashtuns put down the Hazaras because they are a different religion. The Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims and Hazaras are Shi’s Muslims. “The following week, after class, I showed the book to my teacher and pointed to the chapter on the Hazaras.

He skimmed though a couple of pages, snickered, handed the book back. “That’s the one thing Shi’a people do well,” he said, picking up his papers, “passing themselves as martyrs. ” He wrinkled his nose when he said the word Shi’a like it was some kind of disease. Amir is treated differently because of his ethnicity and religion. Amir who is Pashtun, sees that his people are putting down Hassan only because of his religion. The Pashtuns have more power therefore they feel like their religion is better than Hazaras.

The appearance between the two groups plays a role in the Marxist theory. “ a boy with a thin –boned frame, a shaved head , and low-set ears, a boy with a Chinese doll face perpetually lit a harelipped smile. ”  this quotes shows that because of the differences in their physical appearance makes it easier for the Pashtuns to recognize Hazara. The Pashtuns people felt that they were the real Afghans and the Hazara were not. Marxist theory also focuses on the differences in religious beliefs and how it affects society. Amir knows that because of his religion and society he is not supposed to be friends with Hazara boys. “ Because history isn’t easy to overcome. And neither is religion.

In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi’a. And nothing was every going to change that. Nothing. ” This quotes shows that the Pashtuns hold the power in society and look down to the Hazaras. Amir points out that he and Hassan is different religion, which are two types of Muslim which are similar. Religion is one way the Pashtuns hold the power in Afghanistan. Another Marxist theory is the standard of living. The Hazaras do not get the same rights as the Pashtuns.

The Pashtuns are taught to read and write, but the Hararas are not. Hassasn and Amir spent a lot of time as kids in a tree talking and reading. “as I read him stories he couldn’t read for himself. That Hassan wold grow up illiterate like Ali and most Hazaras had been decided the minute he has been born”(hossenini 28). This shows that because Amir is Pashtun he was taught in school how to read and write and Hassan couldn’t read or write because he was Hazara.

Since Pashtun can read and write this gives then the opportunity to get a job in society allowing then to make money and provide for their families. The Hazaras who were never taught to read and write are forced to do labour jobs even jobs of slavery.

Since the Hazaras are not working in the same jobs the Pashtuns once again have one more on them and feel they are better than them. Having different jobs that don’t pay the same will lead to financial struggles. Since Hazara doesn’the education he can’t get a good paying job. It leaves him with less money for his family to provide them with a better house. Amir and Hassan lived close to each other but there houses are not the same. “I went past the rosebushes to Babas mansion, Hassan to the mud shack where he had lived his entire life” (Hossein 6).

This quotes shows that it doesn’t matter if Amir and Hassan are friends they come from different worlds . Since the Pashtuns have paying jobs they have the chance to buy big homes. The Hazara don’t have that chance because they don’t have the qualification to get those jobs because they never got the same education. This leaves then vulnerable to society. The Kite runner is a book that shows the power and struggle between two friends who are from two different parts of the same country. Their friendship puts them through so many tests which involve the difference in their religion, money, and class, because of their differences they are treated differently by society but yet still remain loyal to each other.