Power Dynamics In The Kite Runner

Margaret Atwood's infamous novel The Handmaid's Tale, as well as the #1 New york times bestseller, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, introduces the idea that power dynamics have a strong influence on an individual's personal identity. Throughout time, the free will in the power dynamic shapes the individual into who they are and who they associate with. These dynamics may affect the sense of self and how others perceive these individuals. During both novels, the main character's struggles dive into the indifference of having to face the ability to have power and the inability to have any complete power at all. To others, each dynamic is portrayed to be another strong bond, tied between two individuals but looking deeper the bond changes the

The idea of power, in a relationship, creates a power dynamic which creates the way you act and the way you perceive yourself in the relationship. Jaime Bell's article on, The main types of unhealthy power dynamics, dives into the idea of the way power changes people psychologically. The article states, ¨Possession of power changes the human psyche, usually in ways that we aren’t aware of¨. This demonstrates of when power comes into play it changes the structure of the relationship. With power associated in the relationship, this then creates an imbalance where one person thinks that they are higher than the other so they start to act on it. As shown in The Handmaid's Tale, when a person is exhibited to be in a higher place than yourself, you start to belittle yourself into creating diversity, and at times, without being aware of

In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the main character Amir, is indicated to have a mirrored half, Hassan. Hassan and Amir are half brothers that have gone through life together and have never left each other's side “[they] fed from the same breasts. [they] took [their] first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, [they] spoke [their] first words” (Chapter 2, Amir) Although Hassan and Amir grow up by each other's side, there is a clear indication that they are not entirely alike, Hassan is a Hazara while Amir is Pashtun. Since they are both different ethnicities, Hassan is given the life of working for Amir as his servant. ¨[He] was a Pashtun and [Hassan] was a Hazara, [he] was a Sunni and [Hassan] was a Shi´a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing¨ (Chapter 4, Amir) Even though there is a clear difference in both lives, Hasssan still sees Amir as his other half, and vice versa. But because Amir has some sort of power over Hassan, he continuously abuses his power in many different ways. During the novel, Amir reads to Hassan in an old cemetery under a pomegranate tree, since Hassan is a Hazara he is incapable to read and write. During this Amir uses his knowledge as a weapon by completely making up his own story and simply pretending that that is what the book was saying.