Stereotypes In The Kite Runner

Human gender not only defines physical and biological differences between the sexes, but also unique roles and norms. These norms can manifest in differences in equality; pay, power, professional obstacles, as well as education. That hasn't changed through time and different cultures have different setbacks, however, a common image is men have more power than women. That “norm” is highlighted in relationships. This is seen in popular songs such as “Human”, written by Christina Perri which is about love, and how it often involves self-sacrifice and becoming something more than human. The book The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini follows a life of a boy, Amir, through relationships with family, the stress on those relationships and how …show more content…
The Kite Runner hits the key points such as stereotypes as well as the “standards” that have been passed down for generations. One of the relationships introduces is that of his wife, Soraya’s parents General Taheri and Jamila. Amir, describes the rules that came along with marrying the General, “That she never sing in public had been one of the generals conditions when they had married. Soraya told me that her mother wanted to sing at our wedding, only one song, but the general gave her one of his looks and the matter was buried” (177). Despite the generals strong appreciation of music, he believed performing to th beneath their social stature, and he led the night to forbid it. As a result, Jamila not only abandoned her dreams, but accepted that without even talking about singing at her daughter's private wedding just with “one of his looks” shut down the entire idea. These actions demonstrate how unequal their relationship is - the man has the power in the relationship, the standard in most …show more content…
The song is about a relationship in which she is trying to please her partner, to meet their expectation, but they are expecting too much from her. In the end, they ask too much - she is only human and there's only so much she can handle before she breaks. In the song, she sings, “I can bite my tongue, I can stay awake for days if that's what you want” she has to almost tiptoe around him to please him ultimately becoming someone who she is not. Throughout the song,she talks about how a woman has to impress a man to be with him, has to be perfect and meet his expectations and if she doesn't he breaks her down. She has to consciously mold herself up to something she is not, because it is what he wants. He holds the power over her because instead of relationship of equals. It is the woman who is expected to conform to the men’s demands. She is to follow him instead of the two acting as