Feminism Case

Feminism is referred to as the movements which are aimed at establishing equal rights and equal opportunities for women; a key axiom that feminists hold is the concept that society oppresses women. It could be argued that we live in a patriarchal society, where some women may describe themselves as second class citizens. The whole concept of feminism originates back to the 18th century but, has only really come into vogue in the late 20th century; although there have been strong women in the past who have stood up for themselves, like Queen Victoria, feminist views have only recently been universally established. The Kite Runners main setting is mainly in Afghanistan, in a period where British had lingered and later the Russian invasion soon turns into reality. In addition, the period also introduces the rise of Islamic militant groups such as the Taliban, who adopt the Sharia law enforce it amongst the communities. One could make highly controversial assumptions that even the Sharia law oppresses women and starts the domino effect to total oppression over women.

Khaled Hosseini's interpretation of the relationship between the characters in the novel fundamentally questions ones perspective of society's attitude towards men and women. There is undoubtedly a sense that men are portrayed far more superior to women, this is conveyed through the masculinity of the male characters apart from Amir and the fragile and dainty natures of the women; Amir portrays his father as 'a force of nature' whereas his mother is conveyed as fragile and weak because she died from child birth. This is also later conveyed in Chapter 10 where Baba stands up to a Russian soldier who has full intentions of raping a young female Afghan refugee, which without his presence would have most likely would have resulted in the Afghan woman getting raped. Moreover this suggests that women rely heavily on their spouses for protection and do not really have much of a say in matters, it could be argued further that women were merely seen as possessions and to take an expressive role in the marriage, which would explain the adjusted treatment the received.

The prominent female character in the novel is Soraya, Amirs wife, who he meets at an Afghan flea market. Soraya herself has a guilty past which lays as a burden on her. She ran off with an Afghan for a month that was drug dependant, when she and her family were living in Virginia, America. Her family was deeply shamed and moved to California, the likelihood of marrying again would have been slim for a non virgin Afghan, and feminists see this as society judging people by their sex rather than as an individual. Feminists would argue that women's purity should not be judged on their marital status or their virginity. Furthermore, feminists go on to argue that women should have the option to marry whoever they wish rather than being matched to a suitor, normally through their parents.

Afghanistan has adopted the Sharia law, after the Russian invasion collapsed; the Taliban enforces the law through harsh and injustice punishments. Sharia law is particularly strict on females who do not abide by it. An example of it is portrayed in the Kite Runner, where a woman is stoned publicly on a football pitch for the crime of adultery. Islamic feminists strongly express their opinion as unfavourable towards Sharia law; they explicitly believe that it justifies suffering. A further point which Islamic feminists share, is that Sharia law and even some parts of the Qur'an, legitimates women as second class citizens or even lower, this is evident through the punishments men receive compared to women. On the contrary, 'men and women are equal before God' (Qazi), suggests how some feminists believe that the Taliban is manipulating the word of God, and therefore women are unjustly mistreated. This is why it is a male dominated society.

The Kite Runner clearly indicates that the class status of women in Afghanistan has decreased over time, mainly due to cultural beliefs and regime of the Taliban. This is expressed in The Kite Runner through Amir, as he states his mother had a much respected job: 'mother taught at a university'; for