Power, a major influence throughout all of history. Wars, love, and countries all began with the same concept: power. Sometimes, power is used responsibly; other time the platform of prestige authority is used in a manipulative way. Power can stem from an individual, but it can also be rooted in memories that haunt people forever. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini writes an impactful novel, showing the brutality Afghanistan goes through as power is corrupted in the country. However, Hosseini also explores the theme of authority that family has over others and how dark feelings can rule people’s lives. Power is depicted in three different ways in the novel: the Taliban’s rule over Afghanistan, Baba’s pull on Amir, and the guilt Amir feels over himself. To begin, the most obvious form of absolute power in the novel is the Taliban in Afghanistan. After Russia is defeated, the Taliban emerge as the heroes; although they have dark intentions with the power, following the path of many organizations throughout history. First, they took away freedoms: “ 'They don’t let you be human . . . I was at a soccer game in Ghazi Stadium in 1998 . . . and by the way, the players weren’t allowed to wear shorts . . . Anyway, Kabul scored a goal and the man next to me cheered loudly. Suddenly this young bearded fellow who was patrolling the aisles, eighteen years old at most by the look of him, he walked up to me and struck me on the forehead with the butt of his Kalashnikov’” (Hosseini 199).