AFGHANISTAN’S SOCIOPOLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN THE KITE RUNNER: A NEW HISTORICIST PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study examines The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini as an accurate portrayal of Afghanistan during times of war and turmoil. Numerous wars and conflicts were inflicted upon Afghanistan due to the interests of Russia and America. Russia's invasion of Afghanistan resulted in the emergence of the Taliban, leading to war, famine, insecurity, and a refugee crisis in the country. Russian soldiers had ravaged Afghanistan's village, school, and natural resources. Taliban also banned cultural practices such as kite flying. They demolished both the Hazara ethnic group and the Buddha cultural heritage in Bamiyan During the Cold War, America indirectly supported the Taliban against Russia. The political landscape shifted dramatically after the 9/11 attacks in New York City, leading America to seize control by framing it as a fight against terrorism, thereby exerting dominance over the Afghan people. Hosseini's seminal fiction portrays this cultural crisis and ethnic conflict. This qualitative research utilizes the novel as the primary data source, interpreting it through the theoretical lenses of New Historicism and Foucault’s concepts of history, power, and discourse.