Comparison Of Huckleberry Finn And The Kite Runner

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini are viewed as very different types of work on the face. One novel is a work of satirical fiction set in the American pre-civil war era whereas the latter is historical fiction set in modern day Afghanistan during a troubling time for the nation. Even though geographically these two novels seem unrelated, their premises remain the same. The narratives feature a developing young boy, psychologically affected by traumatic childhood experiences and the environment around him. These experiences are a catalyst for their behavior during their quest to freedom, to escape from the psychological abuse that is their childhood. In Huckleberry Finn, protagonist

Literary geography is often typically more about characters and psychological behavior. Geography is “anything place can forge in people who live there” (Foster 174). The story of Huckleberry Finn would not be the same story without it geographical setting. They are traveling on the Mississippi river toward the worst possible place to take Jim, the south. The people and their awful behavior that Huck and Jim encounter on their quest further reinforce Huck’s own bad behavior. The arrival of the Duke and the King begin the unraveling of Hucks moral development. Huck is trying to escape personal oppression in St. Petersburg, but ironically he is venturing into a place of oppression on a whole another level. “When Huck meets the Shepardsons and the Grangerfords, Huck sees geography in action” (Foster 174). The further south they go, the worst the characters are and the more Hucks moral sense degrades. Afghanistan faced disastrous effects of a civil war – followed by an invasion and occupation by the USSR from 1979-1989. (Britannica “Afghanistan”). Amir’s relationship with Baba improves as they migrate to America to escape the oppression felt in

In a character’s escape for freedom, the ‘flight’ or travel is a symbolic as reason for fleeing. Whether it is for an ethnic or environmental reason in The Kite Runner or for personal oppression in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In order for a journey to be considered a quest it must have “a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to do so, challenges en route, and a real reason to go there” (Foster). The real reason for the quest never involves the stated reason and is always self-knowledge. Huck Finn is planning to escape to Ohio with Jim, but instead continues down the Mississippi River. Amir and his father leave Kabul because of the Soviet invasion and seek safety, but to also continuing to develop his sense of self-identity, something he has longed for since he was a child. Even though Baba and Amir no longer live in Kabul, Afghan social procedures are still present in San Francisco. Amir’s courtship of Soraya and his assimilation of his father’s customs and values is what ultimately help him earn his father’s approval. Hosseini conveys this acceptance through vivid imagery. Amir’s growing connection to his father includes acknowledgment of their past in Kabul and Baba’s treatment of Amir. Both Amir and Huck find self-knowledge and self-identity along their trip. Huck begins to develop a sense of morale, he sees what is right and wrong: however, by the end of the novel, he