Afghanistan. Home of the Taliban, Islamic Fundamentalists, Osama bin Laden, terrorist camps, mountains, caves and all things not so American. Or so I thought. These were my opinions of what Afghanistan was. A country that bred terrorists and that was bent on destroying America, two skyscrapers at a time. However, my perception of Afghanistan began to change after reading Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, an effective use of propaganda in a post 9/11 world. In his novel, Hosseini weaves a story of self-discovery, betrayal and redemption all the while, molding his readers’ preconceptions of what Afghanistan was and what it is today.
The power of propaganda is its ability to change the opinions previously held by an individual or group and shape them into something they had once believed to be untrue. At its onset, The Kite Runner did just that, however, it initially left a bad taste in my mouth. I found it hard to believe that Afghans drove Ford Mustangs, watched The Magnificent Seven, and had the money to pay for a plastic surgeon, or have a Schwinn bicycle. This was an Afghanistan I did not know, and like most people, I fear that which is unknown. Yet this was Hosseini’s way of teaching a historical lesson: Afghanistan was a country that had a prosperous past. The years prior to the Afghan Revolution and the manipulation by foreign governments were, according to Hosseini, times of happiness.
In contrast with its past, Hosseini paints a bleak picture of Afghanistan upon his return in June 2001 as a barren land inhabited by starving orphans, shells of once beautiful homes, and ruled mercilessly by the Taliban. This is the Afghanistan that the world, for the most part, knows. A country that is in constant turmoil, uncertainty and fear. Yet what was significant in Hosseini’s narrative is that Afghans were not in favor of Taliban rule, as I had once thought, but actually lived in fear that one cannot even begin to fathom unless experienced first hand. This is Hosseini’s way of telling the world, more so, telling the western world, that everything your government has said about this country has been misconstrued; misconstrued by Presidents, Prime Ministers, and the media.
One of the most effective allusions Hosseini illustrates is the description of the Afghan Dream: a large family, a house with large windows, and a white patio. The similarities between this and the American Dream are uncanny, and without a doubt, Hosseini’s way of saying Afghans are just like Americans, except instead of a white picket fence, Afghans prefer a white patio. What this does in the psyche of Americans is place Afghans on the same playing field, which is often hard for many to comprehend, especially in this country where many lead lives vastly different from the majority of the world. Yet the American Dream is not unique to just one country, and Hosseini’s attempt to demonstrate this is successful.
Furthermore, Hosseini avoids the cliché of new immigrants easily attaining the American Dream. Coming from a family of Mexican immigrants, I related to the struggles that Amir and his father experienced upon arriving in the United States: low paying jobs, culture shock, and assimilation. Those who experience prosperity within their first generation in this country are truly the fortunate ones, but typically despised by those who did not reach such success so quickly. Hosseini’s decision to end the prosperity of Amir and his father upon their arrival in the United States is a way of appealing to the majority of Americans who have yet to achieve the notion of the American Dream, even after generations of fruitless attempts
In addition to enlightening his readers of Afghan culture, Hosseini is also successful in portraying Islam in a positive light. Hosseini carefully describes the various factions within the religion and pays careful attention to educate those who may not know of the ethnic struggles within Islamic culture. Here too is another similarity to American history. As with the Civil Rights, Women’s Rights and Gay Rights Movements, Hosseini shows that even amongst the Islamic world, there are those that are treated less than human. By doing so, Hosseini is able to further perpetuate that Afghans are similar to Americans and that injustice reaches all corners of the globe.
Though the story is at times disturbing, I think that those that would be greatly impacted by Hosseini’s insight are American youth. As an adult experiencing the confusion, heartbreak, fear and anger in the aftermath of 9/11 it’s easy to forget that those feelings are undoubtedly magnified upon children who are rapidly growing up in a world never before experienced. The Kite Runner is in essence, Hosseini’s way of reminding Americans, particularly those cultivating their own ideas and philosophies of the world around them, that Afghans, and the Middle East as a whole, are not the enemy, but rather those who have manipulated the politics, economy and religion of the region. The novel could have been geared to a much older audience, but Hosseini’s decision to use the story of a boy, his best friend and their father is a fantastic tactic that lures not only children, but also adults who often reminisce of their childhood, therefore reaching a broader audience. The mass popularity of the novel further solidifies that Americans can relate and that Hosseini was successful in changing the opinions of his readers, many of which are influential mediums of information (if you don’t believe me, just read the reviews).
Afghanistan. Home of childhood memories, a vibrant history, culture; of turmoil and hope. This is the Afghanistan I have come to understand after reading The Kite Runner. Afghanistan, a country with people that have dreams and aspirations just like Americans and who have become the unfortunate epicenter of discord, chaos and hate. Hosseini, an Afghan, has successfully helped in the transformation of opinions of Afghanistan; planting the ideologies that may one day bring peace to his country, the Middle East, and the World.
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