Orientalism in Khaled Hosseini's novels : the kite runner and a thousand splendid suns

Abstract

This thesis examines Edward Saids Orientalism and its associated terms: neo- Orientalism and self-Orientalism as they relate to Khaled Hosseinis novels: The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Hosseinis novels were written in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, where Orientalism became highly noticeable in the Western world and a new Orientalism emerged (neo-Orientalism). In my analysis of Hosseinis novels, I focus on how the cultural ideas inherent in the text can be read and perceived by readers. In his novels, Hosseini ignores the positive side of Afghanistan and Afghan people and focuses on the stereotypes with which Hosseini became familiar where he spent most of his life—the US. This thesis argues that the tendency toward self-Orientalization in many influential novels promotes the West-East duality. It sheds light on the traces of Orientalism even in quite contemporary literature and emphasizes that Orientalism can be displayed not only by Western authors, but Eastern ones, as well.