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Middle Eastern-American Literature: The Kite Runner

Middle Eastern-American Literature: The Kite Runner. Background information & themes. About the Setting: Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s main ethnic composition includes the Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara , Uzbek, Baluci , and Turkoman people.

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Middle Eastern-American Literature: The Kite Runner

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  1. Middle Eastern-American Literature: The Kite Runner Background information & themes

  2. About the Setting: Afghanistan • Afghanistan’s main ethnic composition includes the Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Baluci, and Turkoman people. • The Afghan nation is a very heterogeneous population, comprising at least 22 languages, of which Dari and Pashto are officially recognized in the constitution.

  3. Religion • Practically everyone in Afghanistan is Muslim representing both Sunni and Shia Muslims. • Until recent times, other religions were also represented in Afghanistan. In Kabul and in a few other urban cities, exclusive communities of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jews coexisted within the Muslim population.

  4. Culture & Tradition • Afghan traditions have been preserved because of the prevailing influence of religious customs and tribal culture. • In Afghanistan, the Pashtuns are the last ethnic group still having an operational tribal system, known as Pashtunwali (Code of the Pashtuns). • However, the Pashtuns are divided into hundreds of tribes and clans.

  5. Geography • Afghanistan is a mountainous, arid and landlocked country often called the ‘heart of Asia’, sharing borders with Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and China. • Not only has the geographic location of Afghanistan been important strategically, but it was also a highway for trade, raids, and military marches.

  6. Political Unrest • Afghanistan has been a land of political disturbance and government upheaval for centuries. • However, during the time of the novel (1960’s to 1990’s), there are power struggles, government changes, and a general atmosphere of unrest.

  7. These themes can be discussed while reading the novel and at its conclusion. • Bullying • Role of books, literacy • Friendship, guilty & redemption • Fathers & sons • Coming of Age • Resilience of the human spirit • Man's inhumanity to man • Discrimination, prejudice, bigotry, class structure • Master/slave relationships: loyalty & devotion vs. duty

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