Presentation of the Kite Runner Essay

INTRODUCTIONThis paper copes with the analysis of Hosseinis kite Runner using Marxism approach. Marxist theory mainly deals with the literary relieve unriv completelyedselfs and evaluates the civilises by the examining of its historical, fond and economical background. Marxism evaluates the work how it is influenced by the time in which it was produced as well as social, political, economical cranial orbit (Chowdhury, 2011). Thus, this paper will focus on (1) The Marxist Approach To The increase Runner (2) The relationship among characters as a type of the differences between social classes (3) The relationship between Baba and Ali serve as a representation materialism versus spirituality (4) Baba as the representation of economic power in his society in the stop of time and (5) Cultural and political hegemony as representation of situation in Afghanistan.1.The Marxist Approach To The Kite RunnerThe marxist approach to literature is based on the philosophy of Karl Marx, a Ge rman philosopher and economist. His field of view argument was that who constantly controlled the means of production in society controlled the societywho incessantly owned the factories owned the culture. This idea is squawked dialectical materialism, and Marx felt that the history of the world was leading toward a communist society. From his buck of view, the means of production (i.e., the flat coat of power in society) would be determined in the give of the masses, who actually operated them, not in the hands of those few who owned them. It was a perverted version of this philosophy that was at the heart of the Soviet Union.Marxism was excessively the rallying cry of the poor and loaded all over the world (Kurtz). To analyse a work from a Marxist perspective, virtuoso must understand that Marxism asserts that literature is a reection of culture, and that culture posterior be affected by literature (Marxists believed literature could instigate revolution). Marxism is l inked to Freudian theory by its concentration on the subconscious mindFreud dealt with the individual subconscious, while Marx dealt with the political subconscious. Marx believed that oppression exists in the political subconscious of a societysocial pecking orders are inherent to any group of people. The four main areas of study are economic power materialism versus spirituality class conict art, literature, and ideologies.2.The relationship among characters as a representation of the differences between social classes On the beginning of the novel, Hosseini briefly contrasted the high class layer from kickoff class layer in some(prenominal) delegacys. a.From physical appearance of the characters.Baba and Ali.Baba and Ali are much different. Baba was a strong, and herculean man. It was Rahim caravanserai who first referred to him as what eventually became Babas famous nickname, _Toophan agha_, or Mr. Hurri sewere. It was an apt enough nickname. My capture was a force of natu re, a towering Pashtun specimen with a thick beard, a wayward garnish of curly brown hair as unruly as the man himself, hands that looked capable of uprooting a willow tree, and a black glare that would drop the devil to his knees begging for mercy, as Rahim Khan apply to say. At parties, when all six-foot- quintet of him thundered into the room, attention shifted to him wish sunflowers turning to the sun (ch.3). Ali was a weak, flawed and men. But acute anterior poliomyelitis had left Ali with a twisted, atrophied right leg that was sallow skin over bone with undersize in between except a paper-thin layer of muscle (ch.2), in other hand, the novel states that Alis face and his walk frightened well-nigh of the younger children in the neighborhood. But the real trouble was with the fourth-year kids (ch.2). emeer and HasanPhysically, emir and Hassan were different. Though ameer was older than Hassan, but Hassan was stronger than ameer. Hassan can run faster than Amir. When th ey were trail to catch the kite one day, Amir looked very tired. They called him flat-nosed because of Ali and Hassans characteristic Hazara Mongoloid features. For years, that was all I knew about the Hazaras, that they were Mogul descendants, and that they looked a little like Chinese people (ch.2)Sofia Akrami and SanaubarSofia Akrami, Babas wife (Amirs mother) was from a rich family. When people scoffed that Baba would never marry wellafter all, he was not of august bloodhe wedded my mother, Sofia Akrami, a highly educated woman universally regarded as one of Kabuls al virtually respected, beautiful, and virtuous ladies. And not only did she teach classic Farsi literature at the university she was a descendant of the royal family, a fact that my bring playfully rubbed in the skeptics faces by referring to her as my princess (ch.3). Sanaubar, Alis wife, was a beautiful woman. a beautiful but notoriously unscrupulous woman who lived up to her dishonorable reputation. Like Ali, she was a Shia Muslim and an ethnic Hazara. She was also his first cousin and then a natural choice for a spouse.But beyond those similarities, Ali and Sanaubar had little in common, least of all their respective appearances. While Sanaubars brilliant green look and impish face had, rumor has it, tempted unnumbered men into sin, Ali had a congenital paralysis of his lower facial muscles, a condition that rendered him unable to grin and left him perpetually grimfaced. It was an odd thing to see the stone-faced Ali happy, or sad, because only his slanted brown eyes glinted with a smile or welled with sorrow. People say that eyes are windows to the soul. Never was that more square(a) than with Ali, who could only reveal himself through his eyes. I have heard that Sanaubars suggestive gait and oscillating hips sent men to reveries of infidelity (ch.2).b.Tribes difference.Hosseini exposes two different tribes between Pasthuns and Hazara in some points of view. Oppression of Pasthun s to Hazara. Pasthuns is a high class layer while Hazara is a low class layer. This can be shown from the citations as follow An entire chapter dedicated to Hassans people In it, I read that my people, the Pashtuns, had persecuted and oppressed the Hazaras. It express the Hazaras had tried to rise against the Pashtuns in the nineteenth century, but the Pashtuns had quelled them with unspeakable violence. The apply said that my people had killed the Hazaras, driven them from their lands, burned their homes, and sold their women. The book said part of the reason Pashtuns had oppressed the Hazaras was that Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while Hazaras were Shia (ch.2).The insulting to Hazara.As it has been pointed out that Hazara was low class layer, Hazaras people were placed as a minority and they were mostly insulted by people around them. Ali, who belongs to Hazara, was go after by children around. They chased him on the street, and mocked him when he hobbled by. Some had taken to calling him _Babalu_, or Boogeyman (ch.2). Hassan, who was known as Alis son, was very often insulted by his neighbours when he walked with Amir. Amir says that It also said some things I did know, like that people called Hazaras _mice-eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys_. I had heard some of the kids in the neighborhood yell those names to Hassan. Amirs teacher even said that Thats the one thing Shia people do well, he said, picking up his papers, passing themselves as martyrs.He wrinkled his nose when he said the pronounce Shia, like it was some gracious of disease (ch.2). Assef really hated Hazara people. In another occasion, when he met Amir dan Hassan, Assef strictly said to Hassan His blue eyes flicked to Hassan. Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the dead on target Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here. His people pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood. He made a sweeping, grandiose question wi th his hands. Afghanistan for Pashtuns, I say. Thats my vision (ch.5). Amir and Hassan, on one day walked around and met Assef on the way. Assef says to Amir How can you talk to him, play with him, let him touch you? he said, his voice dripping with disgust. Wali and Kamal nodded and grunted in agreement. Assef contract his eyes. Shook his head. When he spoke again, he sounded as baffled as he looked. How can you call him your friend? _But hes not my friend_ I almost blurted. _Hes my servant_ Had I really suasion that? (ch.5).3.The relationship between Baba and Ali serve as representation materialism versus spirituality.physicalism refers to proneness for wealth and material possessions, while spiritualism refers to a philosophic doctrine, opposing materialism, that claims transcendency of the divine beingness (Empi, 2009). Hosseini opposites two characters between Baba and Ali. Baba is materialism as stated in the novel that Baba says that If theres a God out there, then I woul d hope he has more important things to attend to than my imbibing scotch or eating pork. Now, hop down. altogether this talk about sin has made me dry again (ch. 3). Baba also just only interested to talk about business, politics and football as the central topics on conversation with his friends in his room one day as stated that Baba and his friends reclined on black leather chairs there after Ali had served dinner. They stuffed their pipesexcept Baba always called it fattening the pipeand discussed their favorite troika topics politics, business, soccer (ch.2).When Amir told Baba about religious teaching of Islam at school that they learnt about Quran, Baba said to Amir that I see youve confused what youre learning in school with actual education, he said in his thick voice (ch.3). Baba also said to Amir that Youll never learn anything of value from those barbate idiots (ch.3). In contrast, Ali is a religious man who had memorized the Koran. (ch.3). In addition, it is cited that Hassans father, Ali, used to catch us and get mad, or as mad as someone as gentle as Ali could ever get.He would wag his finger and wave us down from the tree. He would take the mirror and see to it us what his mother had told him, that the devil shone mirrors too, shone them to distract Muslims during prayer. And he laughs while he does it, he always added, scowl at his son (ch.2). Furthermore, Ali and Hassan were religiously to Islamic Teaching, and he never left for praying. One day Amir got up late and found Hassan had already washed up, prayed the morning _namaz_with Ali(ch.4). Hassan never missed any of the five daily prayers. Even when we were out playing, hed excuse himself, draw water from the well in the yard, wash up, and disappear into the hut (ch.4)4.Baba as the representation of economic power in his society in the period of time. In Marxist theory society is divided into two classes based economical point of view. They are the upper class/bourgeoisies and the l ower class/labors/proletarians (Darma, 2013). Hosseini exposes the economic power characters in the novels in several points. Hoseini symbolizes Baba and Ali as the bourgeoisies and proletarians. Baba was a rich man. He has the most beautiful house in Kabul, while Alis house is small. It is stated in the novel that Everyone agreed that my father, my Baba, had built the most beautiful house in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, a new and affluent neighborhood in the northern part of Kabul. Some thought it was the prettiest house in all of Kabul (ch.2).On the contrary, Ali was a poor man which worked only for Baba as a servant. His house was small and lied behind Babas house. The novel states that On the south end of the garden, in the shadows of a loquat tree, was the servants home, a modest little mud hut where Hassan lived with his father. (ch.2) Baba was a favored businessman. When people around doubted him on his success, he run a business and he became a triple-crown merchant in K abul as stated that Baba proved them all wrong by not only running his own business but becoming one of the richest merchants in Kabul Baba and Rahim Khan built a wildly successful carpet-exporting business, two pharmacies, and a restaurant (ch.3). Baba also built an orphanage by his own money to show his economic power.The novel stated that In the late 1960s, when I was five or six, Baba decided to build an orphanage. I heard the story through Rahim Khan (ch.3) Baba give for the construction of the two-story orphanage, just off the main strip of Jadeh Maywand south of the Kabul River, with his own money (ch.3). Bourgeoisies way of life was identical to hedonism. It was stated in the novel that In 1933, the year Baba was born and the year Zahir Shah began his forty-year command of Afghanistan, two brothers, young men from a wealthy and reputable family in Kabul, got behind the wheel of their fathers Ford roadster. High on hashish and _mast_ on French wine, they struck and killed a Hazara economise and wife on the road to Paghman (ch.4).5.Cultural and political hegemony as representation of situation in Afghanistan. According to Encarta slope Dictionary (2009), hegemony is authority or control control or dominating influence by one person or group, especially by one political group over society or one nation over others. Hosseini describes the hegemony in culture and politics was presented in several way of his works The Kite Runner. a.Cultural Hegemony. The Pasthuns controlled Hazara by forbidding them to come to school. Hazaras people were identical with iliteral and servant of Pasthuns. This was be in the novel that Hassan will do anything whatever Amir takeed him. Amir was very often asked Hassan to do something impossibly. It stated in the novel that Eat dirt if I told you to, I said (ch.6).In addition, most Hazara people were servants, Amir says that I remember one kid, Ahmad, who lived across the street from us. His father was some kind of doctor, I think. Every morning , I watched from my bedroom window as their Hazara servant shoveled snow from the driveway, change the way for the black Opel (ch.6). Afghans were independent people. Pasthuns controlled Hazara in all aspects. b.Political hegemony. This was represented in Assef statement that Ill ask the president to do what the king didnt have the quwat to do. To rid Afghanistan of all the dirty, kasseef Hazaras (ch.5). In addition, Assef also ever told Amir that For a lot of Hazaras, Iran represented a sanctuary of sortsI guess because, like Hazaras, most Iranians were Shia Muslims. But I remembered something my teacher had said that summer about Iranians, that they were grinning smooth talkers who patted you on the back with one hand and picked your pocket with the other (ch.6).REFERENCESChowdhury, M. A. U. (2011). The Kite Runner in the light of Marxism. Retrieved 25 January, 2013, from http//jottify.com/works/the-kite-runner-in-the-light-of-marxism/Darma, Budi. (2013). Handout of Literary Criticism on Marxism. Presented on the P2TK class on Program Pasca Sarjana UNESA.Empi, Varun. (2009). Materialism Vs Spiritualism. Retrieved on January 24, 2013, from http//www.slideshare.net/varun_empi/varun-materialismHosseini, K. (2003). The Kite Runner. New York Riverhead Books.Kuntz, K. Teaching Khaled Hosseinis from Multiple Critical Perspectives. Retrieved on January 24, 2013 from http//www.prestwickhouse.com/PDF/SAMPLE/305052.pdfMicrosoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.