The Kite Runner Power Analysis

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Power is defined as possession of control, authority or influence over others. In many situations, power can be elusive; whether they are used positively or negatively. Many individuals who gain power may not even take advantages of it. However, some abuse the power that they have through authority, manipulating the victims of the power abuse and leads to terrible outcomes. In his novel The Kite Runner, Hosseini explores the abuse of power through characters and political events. Hosseini shows the abuse of power within the relationships of close-knit characters and the international conflicts that develops throughout the novel. In the novel The Kite Runner, author Khaled Hosseini argues that in modern Afghanistan, power is gained at the expense …show more content…
This type of abuse of power is shown when Hosseini writes about power being abused by a soldier of one of the oppressing nation in the book, the Soviet Union. Hosseini writes about the soldier demanding the Afghans by saying , “Said the soldier wanted a half hour with the lady in the back of the truck...The young woman pulled the shawl down over her face. Burst into tears.” (115). This highlights the abuse of power in a warfare by showing how power is gained using violence and force. If this man was not a soldier of an oppressing nation, he would not be able to force someone to engage in sexual behaviors with him. The phrase “soldier wanted a half hour with the lady” shows that his power is gained through his status as a soldier and he abused the power he had to order people around. When Hosseini writes “Burst into tears,” it shows that the mental and the physical domination that the soldier poses over the Afghans. Another way the author depicts the abuse of power in warfare is through Assef and the Taliban. Hosseini shows Assef’s power and his demands through abuse of power by explaining how he buys children off of orphanages. Hosseini writes, “‘He visits every month or two. He brings cash with him, not a lot but better than nothing at all.’... ‘Usually he’ll take a girl. But not always’... ‘He took Sohrab a month ago”’ (223). Assef is a character in the book who clearly shows his abuse of power over others. As a Talib and a Pashtun, he has power that comes with his social status. He uses this power to hurt and kill people for enjoyment. The phrase “brings cash with him” shows that his power also comes from his wealth, and he bribes the poor orphanage owners to get what he wants. The phrase “took Sohrab” shows that as someone with political power, he is in control of the helpless and