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Men and Women in The Kite Runner - Coggle Diagram
Men and Women in The Kite Runner
GENDER IN THE NOVEL
MEN
toxic masculinity in the text
Amir certainly struggles with his masculinity
Through the socialisation of his father, Amir is taught the expectations of his masculinity
presents men as violent and authoritative (Assef)
Amir’s journey to prove his masculinity to his father, leads to lack of responsibility and respectability
WOMEN
Absence of input from women
Symbolic of the lack of rights women had
Women are presented as victims under the authority of men
Comparison between how women are viewed in Afghanistan vs USA
Female characters in Afghanistan result in death
Only introduced to female characters as wives - no individuality/freedom
SIGNIFICANCE
Shows men abusing their power in different ways
Presents inequalities of Afghan society, traditional culture such as women having no choice in marriage
PERSPECTIVE
Clear gender imbalance throughout, mirrors sexism in 1970’s Afghanistan
The book centers around the male viewpoint in Afghan society
Through the use of first person narrative perspective:
past tense shows women oppressed and lack of female characters, through the death of Amir’s mother
present tense shows the future with his wife, strong female role, she has a career, educated
Present a progressive society in the US, emphasing juxtaposition
CONTEXT
Religion, Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, inequalities, power imbalances, cultural norms
1970s conflict between Russia and the Taliban:
hostile environment in the capital, Kabul
The destruction and violence of the Taliban are presented in the novel
when Amir returns to Afghanistan and sees no trees and only ‘rubble and beggars’
USA = friendly society, freedoms, Baba finds a job, found a community of Muslims, allowed to have a family unit, very happy (juxtaposition)
As the Western world we might view the culture as ‘backward’ or ‘inequal’
Highlights the lack of change across the world when it comes to ideals of gender
AO5 - Critical interpretations
Feminist Interpretation:
1970s literature, writers enjoyed exploring women’s limited roles and gender inequalities to promote change during the time of the 2nd wave of feminism
Paula McGrath (on gender):
"In the 1970s, feminist literary criticism exposed this bias and challenged the idea that the male-dominated canon represented a neutral, objective worldview."
The Kite Runner:
The role of women in the novel are to show women are shifting from their culture's traditions and creating a new social norm for themselves, fighting for equality and creating a balance within the society.