“Nearly all man can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power,” Abraham Lincoln. The theme abuse of power is firmly portrayed In the novel The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra and the film The Kite Runner directed by Marc Forster. There is a clear correlation between the characters of both the novel and film. Characters such as Atiq from Swallows and Assef from Kite Runner share a significant connection when it comes to authority. Furthermore the exploration of symbols between the novel and film such as the whip and sling shot may carry distinct meanings in regards to power. In the case of characters in Swallows they abuse their authority significantly.
Many characters in The Swallows of Kabul are very …show more content…
First and foremost, Assef belittles Hazara people by treating them as if they were a lower class of human beings. A demonstration of his hatred is when Assef rapes a young Hazara boy named Hassan (Forster, 2007). Assef like Atiq belittles others and have feelings of superiority because of their apparent “higher status”. One of the Soviet Union soldier in this film had feelings of contempt towards Afghans. As an example, when Amir as a child and his father escape Afghanistan in a vehicle they encounter a soviet soldier who will only let them pass if he gets to rape one of the women in the vehicle. Amir’s father is infuriated at the contemptuous soldier and stood up to him, and consequently the Soviet aimed his rifle at him (Forster, 2007). The Soviet and Taliban soldier from the novel are alike not only because they are both marshal men, but because they both abuse their military position for their own satisfaction weather it is to feel powerful or for pleasure. Last of all, Zaman who was the orphanage caretaker in this film uses his authority for righteous reasons. One particular instance this is demonstrated is when he makes a decisive decision to sell a child in his orphanage to the Taliban to protect the rest of the children, and spends the money he earns on them instead of himself (Forster, 2007). Although his does not have much power in the society he is in, he uses his power …show more content…
The slingshot in this film is a symbolic of safety and security. A specific instance of the use of a slingshot was when Shorab, like his father Hassan used it to evade danger from Assef. Although the whip from Swallows was a weapon like the slingshot, it was carried to do harm to others whereas the slingshot was used to be protected from harm. Next, rifles in this film signify the superiority of the Taliban in the film. A demonstration of the use of a rifle was when the Taliban shot Hassan and his wife to death on the streets of Kabul. Rifles were used in both Swallows and Kite Runner to brutally murder someone which clearly displays the Taliban lack for compassion and clemency. The final symbol, Beards is used to reveal the oppression of males by the Taliban. A particular illustration of this is the “Beard Patrols” the Taliban would have to check if the males of Kabul had beards. This connects to the symbol of Turbans in Swallows because the Turbans were customary and forced on the males like how the beards are forced upon males in the film. Symbols in the novel and film are both connected and distinct in the revealing of power and authority
Many characters in The Swallows of Kabul are very …show more content…
First and foremost, Assef belittles Hazara people by treating them as if they were a lower class of human beings. A demonstration of his hatred is when Assef rapes a young Hazara boy named Hassan (Forster, 2007). Assef like Atiq belittles others and have feelings of superiority because of their apparent “higher status”. One of the Soviet Union soldier in this film had feelings of contempt towards Afghans. As an example, when Amir as a child and his father escape Afghanistan in a vehicle they encounter a soviet soldier who will only let them pass if he gets to rape one of the women in the vehicle. Amir’s father is infuriated at the contemptuous soldier and stood up to him, and consequently the Soviet aimed his rifle at him (Forster, 2007). The Soviet and Taliban soldier from the novel are alike not only because they are both marshal men, but because they both abuse their military position for their own satisfaction weather it is to feel powerful or for pleasure. Last of all, Zaman who was the orphanage caretaker in this film uses his authority for righteous reasons. One particular instance this is demonstrated is when he makes a decisive decision to sell a child in his orphanage to the Taliban to protect the rest of the children, and spends the money he earns on them instead of himself (Forster, 2007). Although his does not have much power in the society he is in, he uses his power …show more content…
The slingshot in this film is a symbolic of safety and security. A specific instance of the use of a slingshot was when Shorab, like his father Hassan used it to evade danger from Assef. Although the whip from Swallows was a weapon like the slingshot, it was carried to do harm to others whereas the slingshot was used to be protected from harm. Next, rifles in this film signify the superiority of the Taliban in the film. A demonstration of the use of a rifle was when the Taliban shot Hassan and his wife to death on the streets of Kabul. Rifles were used in both Swallows and Kite Runner to brutally murder someone which clearly displays the Taliban lack for compassion and clemency. The final symbol, Beards is used to reveal the oppression of males by the Taliban. A particular illustration of this is the “Beard Patrols” the Taliban would have to check if the males of Kabul had beards. This connects to the symbol of Turbans in Swallows because the Turbans were customary and forced on the males like how the beards are forced upon males in the film. Symbols in the novel and film are both connected and distinct in the revealing of power and authority