Gender Roles In The Kite Runner

Amir is raised in a traditional culture with clearly defined rules; highly patriarchal, gender roles are strictly followed and constrain much of family life. Similarly, racial hierarchy is so ingrained as to be something of a caste system. In Kabul, it is common for people to believe that Hazaras are lesser than Pashtuns. This belief system can be seen when Amir describes his relationship with Hassan, “I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara. . . and nothing was ever going to change that” (Hosseini 31 - 32). To the young Amir, his restrictive cultural identity is completely impossible to overcome. This caste system makes the Hazaras less than human, as can be seen when Assef states, “And there’s nothing sinful about teaching a lesson to a disrespectful
Furthermore, Hosseini’s use of “disclosed” suggests that this information is private, as if Soraya’s disobedience can’t be publicly discussed, due to the vast disrespect for her family this disobedience conveys. In fact, the price Soraya must pay for her actions becomes clear when Baba calls her a “decent girl, hardworking, and kind. But no Khastegars, no suitors, have knocked on the general's door since” (Hosseini 157). Soraya is socially punished for disobeying Khastegari, and although she appears to be a reasonable choice for a mate, she’s has no offers because she is deemed completely untouchable and tainted. Hosseini uses the traditional word “Khastegars” rather than suitors to show how this patriarchal system affects the way Pashtun men view Soraya, from the general to Baba to the many possible suitors in her community. Although this situation is more subtle than the overt and jarring racism that Amir witnesses, both situations expose Amir to an imbalance of power which teaches him cultural prejudices: that Hazaras are inferior to Pashtuns, and that women must comply with the dominance of
As he watches Hassan’s rape, Amir cannot decide whether to get involved or run away from the scene. He begins to justify running away, and “The answer floated to [his] conscious mind before [he] could thwart it: He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (Hoseini 88). Amir’s racist culture is so ingrained within him that he instinctively thinks about the racial difference and uses it as an excuse not to get involved. Additionally, Amir refers to Hassan as “just a Hazara,” which conveys Amir’s belief that Hassan is truly lesser than he is, and that Hassan is disposable, as if he is less than human. Amir’s racist beliefs allow him to justify his inaction, consequently facilitating the brutal rape of Hassan, a living, breathing person who has saved Amir’s life numerous times in the past. Similarly, Amir displays his partial acceptance of Afghani patriarchal values when he follows the tradition of Khastegari in his marriage proposal to Soraya. He asks Baba to ask the general for Soraya’s hand. Amir’s preservation of tradition, though he now lives in America, shows that he remains colored by his culture’s system. Likewise, his reaction to her revelation that she is not a virgin shows that he is still influenced by Khastegari