Masculinity In The Kite Runner
Which techniques have been used by the writers of the texts to influence your attitude to and understanding of the ideas of power?
In Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin, and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner the idea of power in masculinity and the powerless of femineity is contrasted. Women in both texts are shown to have very little power as they are punished when they challenge the traditional roles they are expected to abide shown through dialogue and epistolary. Men are seen to be powerful and people whose opinions values should be respected and followed as portrayed through narrative point of view and a simile. Assef and Kevin are physically powerful as they commit evil crimes destroying those around them supported by dialogue. …show more content…
Both boys had an extremely sadistic nature as children, with Assef raping Hassen, and Kevin committing petty crimes. The different settings of these books portray how violence and masculinity are viewed in different societies. Assef’s savage character becomes more prevalent as he joins the Taliban. In the Taliban Assef is seen as strong and heroic, describing his work as good to Amir, “You don't know the meaning of the word 'liberating' until you've done that, stood in a roomful of targets, let the bullets fly, free of guilt and remorse, knowing you are virtuous, good, and decent. Knowing you're doing God's work. It's breathtaking.” (Hosseini, page 254) Kevin’s massacre gains national attention motivating him as he believes that people “watch people like me.” (Shriver, page 267) Though Kevin is disciplined for his act in the end, both had followers and admirers for their evil acts. Kevin and Assef both find their identity in their brutal actions and their tyranny over …show more content…
Shriver uses an epistolary, whilst Hosseini uses dialogue to convey the feeble lives that women are expected to lead. A simile and narrative point of view are employed to portray the value of opinions given to those who are seen to be powerful. Physical power is explored through dialogue in both texts describing their brutality. The correlation between masculinity and power, and femineity and powerlessness is successfully explored throughout both
In Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin, and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner the idea of power in masculinity and the powerless of femineity is contrasted. Women in both texts are shown to have very little power as they are punished when they challenge the traditional roles they are expected to abide shown through dialogue and epistolary. Men are seen to be powerful and people whose opinions values should be respected and followed as portrayed through narrative point of view and a simile. Assef and Kevin are physically powerful as they commit evil crimes destroying those around them supported by dialogue. …show more content…
Both boys had an extremely sadistic nature as children, with Assef raping Hassen, and Kevin committing petty crimes. The different settings of these books portray how violence and masculinity are viewed in different societies. Assef’s savage character becomes more prevalent as he joins the Taliban. In the Taliban Assef is seen as strong and heroic, describing his work as good to Amir, “You don't know the meaning of the word 'liberating' until you've done that, stood in a roomful of targets, let the bullets fly, free of guilt and remorse, knowing you are virtuous, good, and decent. Knowing you're doing God's work. It's breathtaking.” (Hosseini, page 254) Kevin’s massacre gains national attention motivating him as he believes that people “watch people like me.” (Shriver, page 267) Though Kevin is disciplined for his act in the end, both had followers and admirers for their evil acts. Kevin and Assef both find their identity in their brutal actions and their tyranny over …show more content…
Shriver uses an epistolary, whilst Hosseini uses dialogue to convey the feeble lives that women are expected to lead. A simile and narrative point of view are employed to portray the value of opinions given to those who are seen to be powerful. Physical power is explored through dialogue in both texts describing their brutality. The correlation between masculinity and power, and femineity and powerlessness is successfully explored throughout both