Belonging - the Kite Runner

An individual’s sense of belonging stems from their notions of identity, personal context, and place. A lack in any of these areas may result in a thorough sense of alienation and pose as a barrier, which prevents belonging and facilitates an individual’s decision to exclude themselves from their surroundings. However, ironically, these barriers that present hardship can truly liberate an individual and help them in finding a more fulfilled state of belonging. These ideas are explored in Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It and Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner.

Barriers to belonging are evident in the play in ‘As you like it’ and are explored through gender paradigms, and social structures. Particularly through the relationship between Rosalind and Duke Frederick. Due to the usurpation of her father by the disloyal Duke Frederick, Rosalind is unfairly subjected to the harsh treatment by her Uncle. He creates suspicion and isolates Rosalind through his diction in, “Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste and get you from our court. “ “Me, uncle?” Here the employment of second person reveals the distancing of Rosalind from the hierarchy. His use of the imperative emphasises the barrier that will be created. Frederick is presented as a Machiavellian character whose threat, “or thou deist” emphasises the danger inherent in her vulnerable state. Her vulnerability due to her gender is also evident, when he alludes to the Christian practice of purgation “If purgation did consist in words” which is associated with a spiritual cleansing, of the body which suggests that Rosalind is impure He also confirms the notion of the impure female by his use of sibilance (to Celia) in “She is too subtle for thee and her smoothness,Her very silence” He uses juxtaposition between Celia and Rosalind to reinforce Celia’s “purity” “Thou wilt show more bright and virtuous.” Therefore, the issue of sexuality and female deviousness is alluded to. Furthermore, R’s separation by