Nima Alian

Mrs. Thomas
UWRIT 1101
October 21st 2014
Genre Analysis

I had a very hard time writing this piece, because I had never written a piece like this
before. I spent a lot of time learning about genres and applied my knowledge to this piece. I
believe that my analysis of the texts was strong yet I had a difficult time conveying my message
into the essay. I hope you enjoy my piece about one of my favorite books of all time.
I chose The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini for my genre analysis. This remarkable
novel begins in old Afghanistan, before the Taliban rule when there was more freedom than ever
before. The setting of the novel shows a strong sense of change in the future. The main character,
Amir is the son of a very wealthy and highly regarded man in Kabul. Amir grew up with Hassan,
the son of his fathers servant. They are very close until the annual kite festival; Hassan is raped
by a group of bullies while Amir watches the terrible occurrence and then runs away like a
coward. Amir then accuses Hassan of stealing his watch, therefore getting Hassan and his father
kicked out of Amirs household. The guilt that Amir had from the rape incident causes him to
accuse Hassan of being a thief. Amir later leaves America as an adult for self-redemption, to
save Hassans son who is abducted by the Taliban. The novel brings upon major issues that
many are oblivious to, especially the poor treatment of the Hazara minority in Afghanistan, more

specifically in the capital Kabul. The Hazara minorities generally live in central
Afghanistan/border of China and have oriental-like facial structures. The story is an intriguing
collection of reality and lifes great symbols such as redemption, love and friendship.
The first article that I chose is a peer reviewed academic journal that is not directly about
the Kite Runner yet it has to do with one of the most important themes present in the novel. I had
a hard time finding this article and eventually found it by searching deep in UNC Charlottes
article database. The major theme is the poor treatment of the Hazara race throughout
Afghanistan. The academic article is a piece from the journal Afghanistan: the Status of the
Shiite Hazara Minority. This piece is written by Amin Saikal, who studied political science at
the Australian National University. He currently teaches political science at the Australian
National University. This article was published in March 2012. The article begins with a
description of Afghanistan as a whole nation. Saikal uses a metaphor by calling Afghanistan the
most mosaic state in the region. This is a metaphor because the regions bordering Afghanistan
are very diverse as well. He makes it quite clear that he moves from general points to more
specific points throughout the text. Saikal uses sophisticated diction throughout the article to
inform the readers about the mistreatment of the Hazara race. The sophisticated diction shows
that the author is educated and therefore trustworthy. The historical repression of the Hazara
people is described by political attacks. Most of the attacks are primarily geared towards the
central government of Afghanistan and to the former president Hamid Karzai. Saikal uses the
quote The government of Hamid Karzai who was installed in the wake of the U.S. led
intervention in Afghanistanhas proved to be incompetent. This attack is described in a
long sentence structure. Most of the article is written with long sentence structures. Therefore he
doesnt place much emphasis, but rather treats each piece of information equally. The article also

brings in Fayz Mohammad Katib, a famous Afghan researcher who is also a Hazara to add
validity to the article. Saikal portrays Hazara repression through his detailed information and
piece that evokes the readers attention by creating awareness.

The next piece that I explored is a photograph of a young Afghani girl. The photograph
was from the National Geographic. The distinct facial structure shows that the little girl is part of
the minority Hazara race. The young girl is wearing a head scarf which may have shown that she
actually has similar beliefs with the Pashtuns or majority group through Islam. The girl looks sad
or scared, therefore showing how poorly she was treatment. The young girl is probably old
enough to understand the circumstance that was created for them by the Taliban and Pashtuns.
The lighting of the picture is dim and creates a sad mood. The caption on the picture reads The
Outsiders- Afghanistans Hazaras. The caption uses the metaphor that compares the Hazaras

with outsiders or people who dont belong. This piece conveys ethos which convinces the reader
to sympathize with the young girl.
The next genre is a piece from the National Geographic. This is mainly an informational
piece. This is written by Saleem H Ali and M. Saleem Javed. Saleem H. Ali, the main writer is a
professor of politics and international studies at the University of Queensland Australia. He is
also a professional writer and has written several books. This article is similar to the academic
article because it describes the conditions of the Hazara race in Afghanistan. This piece starts
with historical information and then goes towards current treatment of Hazaras. The sentence
structure is long and does not show any particular emphasis on any topic. The author brings
outside sources and quotes them, for example London based minority Rights Group has
identified the Hazara race as the most under threat minority group in Afghanistan. This shows
that other agencies realize the threat of humanity. The piece finishes by stating that the peace of
Hazaras relies on Afghanistan and its allies which is pathos and creates sympathy within the
reader persuading him/her to contribute and bring about change.
The next piece is a blog written by Julianna on weebly.com. The author starts by
comparing The Kite Runner with A Thousand Splendid Suns which is the sequel. She uses lots
of rhetorical strategies to convey her ideas. She states that her favorite part of The Kite Runner
was Amirs journey from a cowardly boy to a mature man which shows characterization from
the beginning of the book to the end. This is one of the vital themes of the book. Julianna uses an
extended metaphor to compare Hassan with a Christ figure. She explains that throughout the
whole book Hassan sacrifices himself and always forgives others. She then dives into character
analysis and a summary of the book. She ends thee blog with quote A thousand times for you
over. This is a significant quote which is a symbol for Hassans pure kind nature. Juliannas

blog explains the significance of The Kite Runner through her own personal review of the story
and through her own style.
The Kite Runner is a significant novel about the struggles that the people of Afghanistan
have faced over a long period of time. The novel includes two major time periods of Afghan
history. The genres that I found to describe The Kite Runner were very similar and different
from each other. Two of them were mainly informational while one was a picture and the other a
blog about the story. Different genres may portray the same information in different perspectives
or lights. Each one uses specific rhetorical strategies to convey particular effects. Many of the
sources used ethos, pathos or logos. One of the main points covered in the novel is the repression
of the Hazara group which is apparent throughout the entire novel. It is important for everybody
to understand the struggles of the Hazara groups and to work for better treatment and equality of
the Hazara and other minorities around the world.