The Kite Runner - Essay Example

Afghanistan's culture is dominated by the Shariah law as embedded by the Taliban. The culture is very conservative and focuses on gender roles that are strictly implemented. The men are the breadwinners and the women are imposed to follow the cult of domesticity. In addition, it shows the dominance of the patriarchal society in which women have limited rights. In addition, children are exploited as depicted through Sohrab dressing in a feministic way. Before reading the book, I had a very biased view of the culture that was prevalent in Afghanistan. One might think that individuals do not want change and want to be modern and individualistic. However, due to the social implications of the Taliban rule, the mass population is forced to obey the Shariah law. One of the most critical challenges in Afghanistan is political stability. Before the rise of the Taliban, the Soviets attempted to invade and destroy the country. After the Afghanis drove the Soviets out of the country, the country was left in chaos and in need of leadership. Post 9/11, the country has yet to achieve the political stability it desires. In essence, the people want to live in harmony and eliminate any internal threats that have plagued the beauty of the country.

As an immigrant, I think the hardest part was to consider the clash between eastern and western ideals. As an immigrant, I wanted to fit into the homogenous American society but wanted to also maintain my eastern ideals. Although America is a “melting pot” of different cultures and traditions, it is still quite difficult for an immigrant to adapt to new traditions and understand the culture in which modernization is important. The true version of living the American dream can certainly become a reality for these individuals Read More