Cultural Issues In The Kite Runner

Throughout The Kite Runner, culture is shown as a major theme. As the book progresses, multiple instances of the Afghan culture are referenced. In particular, the Afghan culture is accurately displayed and challenged through kite running, family affairs and also celebrations. These instances are evenly displayed throughout the book in various ways. Many of these cultural expressions are still seen today. Afghan cultures still express their traditional values through their celebrations and family affairs. Through the text, one is able to gather insight on Afghan daily life both before and after the Taliban 's control. Kite running is one of the major forms of cultural expressions in The Kite Runner, hence the name. Before the Taliban, kite

This comes in the form of the adoption of Sohrab and also through the marriage of Amir and Soraya. During the adoption process of Sohrab, many different issues were made apparent that are parallel to today’s Afghan adoption process. The Embassy of Afghanistan states in their Frequently Asked Questions that currently there is no adoption under the Afghan law, only guardianship, which creates difficulty when trying to transfer a child from Afghanistan. This instance is seen in The Kite Runner through Sohrab’s lengthy and difficult adoption process. While Amir was attempting to adopt Sohrab, Raymond Andrews, an American Embassy official stated the difficulty in bringing Sohrab home. While discussing with Andrews, many different aspects were made apparent which would potentially prevent the adoption of Sohrab. These problems include the need for death certificates of Sohrab’s parents, and also proof that Sohrab is Amir’s half-nephew. This process is still necessary for today’s adoption process due to the Islamic laws. Due to Afghanistan only granting guardianship, the orphan must have proof of orphanage and also the adoption process has a better chance of becoming