Swallows Of Kabul Analysis
Kabul, a mysterious city with darkness lurking in its streets. The Taliban is in power. The people are slowly going insane, and with the city on a course of horror, the demons will be driven to madness. One man who intends to leave Kabul. Something is driving him back. The question is, what is it that's holding him back? Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra tells a story of Kabul, a city in Afghanistan. The story features two protagonists and their wives, whom dramatically change throughout the novel due to the influence of Kabul. The protagonists are Atiq Shaukat, a jailer in Kabul who slowly changes into a person with feeling, which in this culture, doesn’t apply. His wife Musarrat, is an ill lady who saved Atiq from near death, and they were
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married because of it. The other is Moshen Rahmat. He and his wife Zunaira are in a life of happiness, until due to the actions of Moshen and his confessions to his wife, she ends up killing him by accident and is thrown in jail. Atiqs’ whole nature changes after meeting Zunaira, and he wants to run away with her. In the end though, Atiq is killed over madness of trying to find Zunaira, Musarrat is killed in her place, and Zunaira is nowhere to be found. She was to be executed you see, and in turn disappeared.
Thesis: Nazeesh has a desire to leave Kabul because he believes he can change his life for the better and doesn’t want to let the city and it’s laws destroy his life or make his mental state worse.
Nazeesh wants to leave Kabul so he doesn’t upset God with his actions. During the novel, Nazeesh visits his old friend, Atiq Shaukat. He tells Atiq of his problems at home and of his 100 year old Father being an annoyance in his life. “So in order to avoid upsetting God, I spent most of my time outside. I even take my meals in the street.”(Khadra 65) Nazeesh strays from the dilemmas he has to deal with in his life at home. He is forced outside to prevent upsetting God. In Afghan culture, religion is very important. To not follow it means you destroy your very soul. This is something that drives people to retreat, or leave Kabul. To prevent upsetting God, Nazeesh wants to leave Kabul so those interferences will escape his life. Nazeesh’s actions refer to his everyday life. Upsetting God is like spitting in his face. To prevent dishonoring religion, people think to run away from their problems so they are not shamed upon. Since religion is top priority for most dwellers of Kabul, interests are not common. For example, Kabul does not have music, Nazeesh wants to leave Kabul because it does not have any music, in which he wants to find a place where there are not regulated laws. It's not definite Nazeesh would leave for only one reason. No entertainment is boring, “I’d like to hear a song, you can’t imagine how much I’d like to hear a song. A song with instrumental accompaniment, sung in a voice that shakes you from head to foot. Do you think one day or one night we’ll be able to turn on the radio and listen to the bands getting together again and playing until they pass out?”(Khadra 84) At this point, Atiq is apologizing for his harshness towards Nazeesh in a previous chapter. In which Nazeesh asks him about music, which leads to a new conversation. He said, “getting together again.” Either music was once allowed in Kabul, or there were radios and “bands” could mean friends and family, once got together and listened to music. If people wanted to leave Kabul, they have a motive or two. What drives Nazeesh to leave Kabul? He does not know, yet there are several possibilities. Music appears a lot to Nazeesh, as he refers to his childhood in the same page. With All of Nazeesh’s life details in the present, it's clear he is going mad.
his Father is still in his life, a nuisance. His sons killed in the Soviet-Afghan war. He was also put in an asylum, which many believe he is mad. Could his motive be he is in madness, and that this has been a 24/7 goal that it drove him crazy? According to Atiq, at the time of their first encounter of the story, they are old friends who met over a decade ago. He used to be a “muftin” in Kabul. Atiq also claimed he was a saint, and he went crazy. “He will never return to full possession of his faculties, but sometimes, in moments of lucidity, he withdraws completely to hide his shame at what he’s become.”(Khadra 66) By Atiq assumption, Nazeesh “withdraws completely to hide his shame at what he’s become.” by leaving Kabul, Nazeesh demonstrates hiding his shame from society of what he has turned into. With his previous, delicate life as a “muftin,” he is afraid of how society will accept him, and if they will agree with his choices. Because if he used to be a better person, he does not want to find out how people will think of him now. This can be the primary motive for Nazeesh leaving Kabul. to be afraid of society’s acceptance of him, it connects to the fact that he doesn't want to destroy his life. Relocating to a new area for reasons means he wants to restart his life and fix it for the
better.
New thesis: Nazeesh chooses to leave Kabul because he’s convinced he is going mad and life is on the edge of insanity if he remains in Kabul. In which he is going to rethink his choices in life for a brighter future, and to forget his past. Nazeesh was not a main character in the novel. He was a side character who represents an individual who believes Kabul is a horrible place after taking consideration of what it has done to his life, and what he has endured. He actually does end up leaving. “He’s decided to turn his back on the clamorous gunfire, to go and commune with himself on some wild, unspoiled beach, to see the ocean close-up.”(Khadra 106) You should know through the opinion and inference of Atiq, that was Nazeesh’s inspiration to overcome his fear and leave Kabul, while reflecting on the state of the city, and that he has made a correct decision when leaving. He also proved to Atiq he never goes back on his word.
married because of it. The other is Moshen Rahmat. He and his wife Zunaira are in a life of happiness, until due to the actions of Moshen and his confessions to his wife, she ends up killing him by accident and is thrown in jail. Atiqs’ whole nature changes after meeting Zunaira, and he wants to run away with her. In the end though, Atiq is killed over madness of trying to find Zunaira, Musarrat is killed in her place, and Zunaira is nowhere to be found. She was to be executed you see, and in turn disappeared.
Thesis: Nazeesh has a desire to leave Kabul because he believes he can change his life for the better and doesn’t want to let the city and it’s laws destroy his life or make his mental state worse.
Nazeesh wants to leave Kabul so he doesn’t upset God with his actions. During the novel, Nazeesh visits his old friend, Atiq Shaukat. He tells Atiq of his problems at home and of his 100 year old Father being an annoyance in his life. “So in order to avoid upsetting God, I spent most of my time outside. I even take my meals in the street.”(Khadra 65) Nazeesh strays from the dilemmas he has to deal with in his life at home. He is forced outside to prevent upsetting God. In Afghan culture, religion is very important. To not follow it means you destroy your very soul. This is something that drives people to retreat, or leave Kabul. To prevent upsetting God, Nazeesh wants to leave Kabul so those interferences will escape his life. Nazeesh’s actions refer to his everyday life. Upsetting God is like spitting in his face. To prevent dishonoring religion, people think to run away from their problems so they are not shamed upon. Since religion is top priority for most dwellers of Kabul, interests are not common. For example, Kabul does not have music, Nazeesh wants to leave Kabul because it does not have any music, in which he wants to find a place where there are not regulated laws. It's not definite Nazeesh would leave for only one reason. No entertainment is boring, “I’d like to hear a song, you can’t imagine how much I’d like to hear a song. A song with instrumental accompaniment, sung in a voice that shakes you from head to foot. Do you think one day or one night we’ll be able to turn on the radio and listen to the bands getting together again and playing until they pass out?”(Khadra 84) At this point, Atiq is apologizing for his harshness towards Nazeesh in a previous chapter. In which Nazeesh asks him about music, which leads to a new conversation. He said, “getting together again.” Either music was once allowed in Kabul, or there were radios and “bands” could mean friends and family, once got together and listened to music. If people wanted to leave Kabul, they have a motive or two. What drives Nazeesh to leave Kabul? He does not know, yet there are several possibilities. Music appears a lot to Nazeesh, as he refers to his childhood in the same page. With All of Nazeesh’s life details in the present, it's clear he is going mad.
his Father is still in his life, a nuisance. His sons killed in the Soviet-Afghan war. He was also put in an asylum, which many believe he is mad. Could his motive be he is in madness, and that this has been a 24/7 goal that it drove him crazy? According to Atiq, at the time of their first encounter of the story, they are old friends who met over a decade ago. He used to be a “muftin” in Kabul. Atiq also claimed he was a saint, and he went crazy. “He will never return to full possession of his faculties, but sometimes, in moments of lucidity, he withdraws completely to hide his shame at what he’s become.”(Khadra 66) By Atiq assumption, Nazeesh “withdraws completely to hide his shame at what he’s become.” by leaving Kabul, Nazeesh demonstrates hiding his shame from society of what he has turned into. With his previous, delicate life as a “muftin,” he is afraid of how society will accept him, and if they will agree with his choices. Because if he used to be a better person, he does not want to find out how people will think of him now. This can be the primary motive for Nazeesh leaving Kabul. to be afraid of society’s acceptance of him, it connects to the fact that he doesn't want to destroy his life. Relocating to a new area for reasons means he wants to restart his life and fix it for the
better.
New thesis: Nazeesh chooses to leave Kabul because he’s convinced he is going mad and life is on the edge of insanity if he remains in Kabul. In which he is going to rethink his choices in life for a brighter future, and to forget his past. Nazeesh was not a main character in the novel. He was a side character who represents an individual who believes Kabul is a horrible place after taking consideration of what it has done to his life, and what he has endured. He actually does end up leaving. “He’s decided to turn his back on the clamorous gunfire, to go and commune with himself on some wild, unspoiled beach, to see the ocean close-up.”(Khadra 106) You should know through the opinion and inference of Atiq, that was Nazeesh’s inspiration to overcome his fear and leave Kabul, while reflecting on the state of the city, and that he has made a correct decision when leaving. He also proved to Atiq he never goes back on his word.