They Say I Say Hosseini

An Example of a more complex “They Say- I Say”- Using sources & Entering the Conversation
“Proposal for Final Project: The Kite Runner: The Power of Sentiment in Turbulent Times” by (a master’s degree university student).
Annotated Bibliography
Algoo-Baksh, Stella. “Ghosts of the Past.” Rev. of The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.
Canadian Literature Spring 2005: 143-144.
This review explains how Hosseini’s story “mirror[s] Afghanistan’s political, social and religious tensions and complexities.” The review also discusses how Hosseini believes that “storytelling must be privileged in the novel” and how the intent of the author is to “keep Afghanistan and its travails in the public’s consciousness.” It emphasizes that this is a novel
about “personal salvation and the recognition of self,” which helps strengthen my argument about the novel’s striking similarities with Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Charlesworth, Hilary and Christine Chinkin.
“Sex, Gender, and September 11.” The American
Journal of International Law 96.3 (2002): 600-605.
This article briefly addresses how the U.S. media used gendered imagery and language to describe the situation in Afghanistan, specifically how Afghan women were the victims and the men (particularly the Taliban) were victimizers.
The authors emphasize the danger behind this dichotomous view and analysis of the situation in Afghanistan. This is an important point to make in my paper because Hosseini’s representation of Afghan males and females is unique because it does not fall prey to the gendered stereotypes of Afghan women and men.
Cline, Rob. “New Novel Impossible to Put Down.” Iowa City Press-Citizen 6 Jun. 2003: 5B.
This is an excellent article because it both criticizes and praises Hosseini’s book. Cline argues that The Kite Runner “should be a disaster of a novel” because it is filled with “stock characters traversing a tired plot driven by well-worn themes, a not-so-surprising plot twist and several staggering coincidences,” but it’s “just the opposite” because it “offers a surprising reward: an understanding of, and empathy for, the people of Afghanistan.” In the end, Cline argues that Hosseini’s novel “chang[es] the way readers think and feel about this country that is so often in the news.” This article will help my argument about the power of sentimental literature to sway public opinion and gain popularity by capitalizing
on the moral dilemmas of the modern times. Dobson, Joanne. “Reclaiming Sentimental Literature.” American Literature 69.2 (1997):263
- 288.
This article gives a good look at the literary history of sentimental literature in America. It includes the criticisms launched against this type of genre, and how sentimental writings have often been used to advocate for change in society. Dobson makes distinctions between good and bad sentimental literature. I will use Dobson’s article to describe the various “sentimental” qualities of the novel and describe how his text should be viewed not only as a form of cultural discourse but also as a legitimate form of literary expression. Hirschkind, Charles, and Saba Mahmood. “Feminism, the Taliban, and Politics of Counter- Insurgency.” Anthropological Quarterly 75.2 (2002): 339-354.
This article will help me explain how the media and Hollywood’s obsession with Afghanistan and women’s rights in the post-9/11 environment helped spark an interest in the American public’s imagination about Afghanistan. It enables me to explain how the political rhetoric of the times helped rally the public behind the moral imperative that the United States and its people must serve as a “defender of liberal freedoms.”