Stoning In The Kite Runner

Throughout history, many tyrants have ruled without mercy, spreading their merciless regimes across countries that never wanted them in the first place. Often, the leaders of such grovernments, if they can be called that, have abused their power, and taken liberties with their people for no better reason than that they can. The stark reality of living in such conditions is shown in The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini’s novel provides a firsthand account of Afghanistan at the height of Taliban power, and all the atrocities that occured therin. In one later passage, Hosseini describes a stoning at halftime of a soccer game. The incongruity and horrific details of this passage drive home one of the main themes of the novel: those with power will often abuse it simply because they can. The passage, which begins on page 271, begins by describing a soccer game that the narrator, Amir, is watching. This seems innocent enough, but at halftime of the game, the situation shifts abruptly. As the stoning occurs, Hosseini includes minute details, such as the appearance of the Taliban performing the deed, “the sight of him drew cheers from a few spectators...his arms spread

Among the most moving sections of the book is near the end, when Hosseini describes the atrocities committed by the Taliban, including the stoning of two innocent people. Through the use of details and incongruity, Hosseini puts the Taliban’s brutality on full display, as well as the systematic abuse of power that took place during this period. This theme is central to the novel, as those in power repeatedly, and heart-wrenchingly exploit those beneath them. Though it has happened for all of history, the firsthand descriptions within The Kite Runner make it a powerful, riveting book with themes as prevalent in today’s world as they were in 1980s