Culture in the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
First of all, what is culture?
cul·ture
ˈkəlCHər/
noun
- 1.the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.
In other words, culture is our way of life. From our values, beliefs, customs and traditions, to the languages we speak, we are all influenced by culture.
I have learned more about life and culture in the Afghan region of the world from the Kite Runner than from any other source I've read. Hosseini tells this story from a first-hand understanding, while incorporating many true cultural facts within the novel.
The Kite Runner contains so much power in it's pages due to it's demonstration of the major contrast between the North American Culture and the Afghan culture. This comparison truly opens the reader's eyes to how different our way of life is here in Canada, and overall how fortunate we are to live in a peaceful, free country.
The way Hosseini weaves the Afghan value of culture throughout the novel teaches me that to the Afghan people - culture is everything. Hosseini's characters are so passionate about culture that it becomes a powerful cause which either brings people together; or tears them apart. From how Baba lives a life of lies in order to protect his cultural honor, to the way Assef and the Taliban murder innocent people because of their beliefs in religion and cultural codes of conduct, Afghan people immerse themselves in their culture.
This novel also teaches me that those who truly love and value their culture can preserve it and continue to cherish it no matter where they are in the world. Baba and Amir's move to America may have taken away a lot of their familiarity and comfort, but even all the way across the ocean in Western culture, the characters' passion for their culture is undying. They continue to speak their language among each other, they still practice the same traditions, and they still delight themselves in Afghan cuisine.
On the whole, Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner teaches the readers the importance of culture in Afghanistan as it is highly valued and deeply repsected by all Afghan people.
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ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. I have also learned more about culture in the Afghan world from The Kite Runner than any other source. The book was very well written and by incorporating how honor is so important to Afghans it really makes the reader understand the countries culture. I also like how you added the definition of culture to make your blog more creative.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you put in the definition of culture, it was very useful to your text. Also I have learned so much about the Afghan culture that I wouldn't have learned if I didn't read The Kite Runner. I agree about how Hossieni shows us that culture is everything to them.
ReplyDeleteYour ideas and understanding of the topic are completely true and very relate-able. You have clearly expressed your thoughts on the culture of Afghanistan through Hoessieni's novel. I agree in the context of Afghanistan life, "culture is everything." This is shown over and over again in the proof you gave, but also in other elements in the book. Do you feel you have a reasonable understanding of the Afghanistan life and the elements, environment, and contributing factors to it now that you have read this novel? Do you think that someone can read or educate themselves on Afghan culture enough to completely understand how to live an Afghan life? When you stated, "those who truly love and value their culture can preserve it and continue to cherish it no matter where they are in the world," are you considering other cultures and how they may affect this person's way of living? (Ex. the contrast of Baba adapting to American life vs. Amir's adaption) This is a very well written blog post you have given a debatable topic.
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