Identify five ways in which culture and society have significant impact in The Kite Runner.

In Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner, culture and society have significant impact on the decisions and behavior of the many different characters. For this response, I will list five examples and briefly explain each. 

1. Baba's relationship with Amir: Afghan culture carries certain gendered expectations, many of which Amir did not meet as a child. Because Afghan culture dictated that Amir was failing at being a successful Afghan boy, the relationship between father and...

In Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner, culture and society have significant impact on the decisions and behavior of the many different characters. For this response, I will list five examples and briefly explain each. 

1. Baba's relationship with Amir: Afghan culture carries certain gendered expectations, many of which Amir did not meet as a child. Because Afghan culture dictated that Amir was failing at being a successful Afghan boy, the relationship between father and son suffered. 


2. Soraya's "shame": Soraya ran away, unmarried, with a white man, and lived with him for a significant amount of time before returning. Afghan culture sees cohabitation and sexual intercourse before marriage as sinful, particularly for women, and as such, Soraya carries a great "shame" within her Afghan community. 


3. Sohrab's "welcome" by Soraya's family: Soraya's father, upon Sohrab's arrival, refers to him simply as "that Hazara boy", revealing deep seated prejudice against the Hazara ethnic group. This aspect of Afghan culture is one that contributes to a genocide of the Hazara, but which Amir actively combats. 


4. Amir's greatest sin: Afghan culture did not openly discuss or confront issues of sexual assault and rape. As a result, Amir had no resources for coping with or proactively assisting in providing support for Hassan after his rape, which leads to their estrangement. 


5. The symbol of the kite: The kite, a major focal point for boyhood in Afghan culture, serves as a bookend for the cyclical novel, indicating hope and dreams can come again. This connotation would be impossible without Afghan culture.