论文部分内容阅读
【Abstract】The Kite Runner was the first English novel created by an Afghan-American writer Khaled Hosseini.This novel has received widespread popularity since its publication in 2003，and it was translated into 42 languages.This novel tells a story of an Afghan boy Amir’s betrayal on friendship and his self-redemption.It not only expresses accusation against the war，but also reflects the racial and religious issues in Afghanistan.From the perspective of diaspora，this dissertation briefly introduces diasporic theory of Homi Bhabha and Said.As a post colonial writer，Khaled Hosseini has a dual identity.Therefore，this thesis studies The Kite Runner from the angle of cultural identity in order to put forward more research methods and deepen the understanding of post colonial writers and works.
【Key words】Khaled Hosseini； The Kite Runner； Exiles； Diasporic Theory； Cultural Identity
Chapter 1 Introduction
Khaled Hosseini was born on March 4th，1965 in Kabul，Afghanistan.He is an Afghan- born American novelist and physician.In 1988，Hosseini earned a bachelor’s degree in Santa Clara University.Then，he entered the University of California，where he got his master degree in 1993.This book tells a story of an Afghan boy Amir’s betrayal on friendship and his self-redemption.It not only expresses accusation against the war，but also reflects the racial and religious issues in Afghanistan.
Chapter 2 The Theoretical Foundation
2.1 The Definition and the Products of Diaspora
Diaspora is not a new phenomenon in the globalization era.It is a scattered population with a common origin in a smaller geographic area，it can also refer to the movement of the population from its original homeland.Diaspora causes the appearance of exiles.Exile refers to be away from one’s home，while either being explicitly refused permission to return or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return.
2.2 Research Status of Diaspora
According to Edward Said，a Palestinian American literary theorist，exiles will always have a sense of rootless.No matter where they are，no matter what they do，they just feel lonely and alienated.Therefore，pursuit of cultural identity undoubtedly becomes the center of diasporic literature.And another theorist Homi Bhabha wishes a “third space” can be created to replace binary opposites.Exiles are confused by who they really are，so the problem of seek for cultural identity is very important to them. Chapter 3 Lack of Cultural Identity
3.1 Cultural Identity
Cultural identity is the identity of a group or a certain kind of culture.The necessary factor of cultural identity is to touch different cultures.Identity occurs in culture contacts and collisions.In a multicultural society，immigrants，refugees and ethnic minorities all live in a world “between cultures”，they create their own cultural identities in traditional contradictions and conflicts.
3.1.1 The First Generation of Afghan Immigrants
As the first generation of immigrants exile in the US，Amir’s father and Soraya’s father all have a beautiful American dream in their heart，but due to language barriers，limited savings and lack of social support，it is very difficult for them to find a satisfactory job in the United States.Both of them can’t give up or change their inherent traditional cultures，and in the meantime，they can’t integrate into the new culture either.
3.1.2 The Second Generation of Afghan Immigrants
Amir and Soraya，on the contrary，quickly assimilated into American culture，and accepted American liberty，equality，individualism，but they spent their childhood in Afghanistan，so it is difficult to shake their culture root，they’re not completely assimilated by American culture.Their cultural identity is dual and dissociated.
3.2 Reflections of the Lack of Cultural Identity
3.2.1 The loss of Equality，Love and Right
The writing background of The Kite Runner is author’s motherland——Afghanistan.It is a war-torn country with racial conflicts and poverty.In Afghanistan，some races are destined to enjoy privileges，while some races are destined to be disdained and dispatched.Racial prejudices also make flesh and blood separated from each other.
3.2.2 The Origin of Religious Conflicts
The Kite Runner shows us a real picture about Afghan people’s sufferings and Taliban’s terror policy.In addition to the Soviet invasion that dragged Afghan people’s life into misery，the civil war after the Soviet withdrawal worsened the situation in Afghanistan.In 1996，the Taliban came to power，and they abandoned the kite fighting competition.After two years，they began a frenzied massacre of Hazaras.Therefore，living in a world full of racial conflicts，Afghan people，especially Hazaras，have no right to secure their life and to confirm their own cultural identity.
3.2.3 The Deficiency of a Shelter for Body and Soul
In a war-torn country，blood and violence exits everywhere.Homeless people wander all day.They have no job and no income thus becoming exiles in their own country.Hunger always threatens people.After Soviet invasion，many Afghan people chose to escape from the miserable land.Even in the exile，the only remaining dignity of Afghan people were trampled by the enemies. 3.3 Reasons for the Lack of Cultural Identity
3.3.1 Unequal Dialogue
The conflicts between Islamic culture and western culture can be seen in The Kite Runner，which are the different interpretations about the image kite.In The Kite Runner，the kite embodies the traditional values of Afghanistan.However，the image of the kite in Western civilization is a slightly derogatory offensive imagery.Therefore，in western culture，the traditional custom of Afghanistan is savage and uncivilized.Afghan people are unable to obtain integrated and equal identity recognition.
3.3.2 Racial Prejudice
Afghanistan has two main ethnic groups：Pashtuns and Hazaras.The conflicts between the two groups have never stopped.Afghan people never treat Hazaras friendly，either during the war or in peaceful times.They drive Hazara people away or just kill Hazaras.This cruel policy of racial discrimination even takes root in the heart of the new generation of Afghan children.
3.3.3 Dual Identities
Afghan exiles have complex feelings about their homeland Afghanistan.Wandering thousands of miles away in America，they have many beautiful memories about Afghanistan.In the new country，due to differences in historical traditions，culture and customs as well as languages，they are always excluded from American mainstream society as a marginalized group.As for their homeland Afghanistan where they were born and raised，they had many happy memories.However，exiles can’t go back to homeland because in other people’s eyes，they already abandoned their home country.So Afghan immigrants on the one hand can not be accepted in the home country，on the other hand can not obtain a sense of belonging and cultural identity in the new country.
Chapter 4 Exiles’ Pursuit of Cultural Identity
4.1 Different ways of Pursuing Cultural Identity
4.1.1 Hassan’s Pursuit by Keeping His Promise
In The Kite Runner，Hassan is a tragic character that arouses our compassion.He was loyal，sincere and virtuous.But he didn’t receive the same kindness from anybody.He struggled to live in the crack of the two races and finally became the victim of racial discriminations.Actually，Hassan achieved what he promises “For you，a thousand times over”.This is not a simple promise，it stands for Hassan’s value.He spent his whole life loving Amir and tried to narrow the gap between the two races.In the end，Amir regarded Hassan as his half-brother.So Hassan got hold of his cultural identity. 4.1.2 Baba’s Pursuit by Helping Others
Baba was a respectable and noble Pashtun in Kabul.However，a man like him also felt like an exile in America.In the United States，Baba was not ambitious and energetic like he used to be in Afghanistan，but he was still a kind and righteous man who was ready to help people at any time.Baba was a great man wherever he was.He influenced Amir and other people by giving his help selflessly and through this way，he found his cultural identity.
4.1.3 Amir’s Pursuit by Achieving Self-redemption
For Amir，America was a good place to bury those bad memories.There was no betrayal and misery.He had the chance to restart.At the end of the story，Amir saved Hassan’s son sohrab from Taliban successfully.When he saw the smile on Sohrab’s face，he finally had the courage to face the past and got hold of his cultural identity.
References：
[1]Hosseini，Khaled.The Kite Runner.2nd ed.New York：Riverhead Books，2007.
[2]Bhabha，H.K.Colonial Discourse and Post-Colonial Theory[M].New York：Columbia，1993.
[3]Said，Edward W.Reflections on Exile and Other Essays.Cambridge：Harvard University Press，2005.
[4]李争.张秀丽.身份认同的焦虑与找寻——读《追风筝的人》[J].学术界.2013（2）：229-236.
[5]毋婀幸.阿富汗流散移民的美国文化认同探析[J].新西部. 2014（15）：169-171.
[6]王琦.漂泊的心灵——论《追风筝的人》中流散者对文化认同的追寻[D].辽宁师范大学.2013（5）.
[7]赵月钞.论《追风筝的人》民族文化身份的缺失与追寻[D].湘潭大学.2013（6）.
【Key words】Khaled Hosseini； The Kite Runner； Exiles； Diasporic Theory； Cultural Identity
Chapter 1 Introduction
Khaled Hosseini was born on March 4th，1965 in Kabul，Afghanistan.He is an Afghan- born American novelist and physician.In 1988，Hosseini earned a bachelor’s degree in Santa Clara University.Then，he entered the University of California，where he got his master degree in 1993.This book tells a story of an Afghan boy Amir’s betrayal on friendship and his self-redemption.It not only expresses accusation against the war，but also reflects the racial and religious issues in Afghanistan.
Chapter 2 The Theoretical Foundation
2.1 The Definition and the Products of Diaspora
Diaspora is not a new phenomenon in the globalization era.It is a scattered population with a common origin in a smaller geographic area，it can also refer to the movement of the population from its original homeland.Diaspora causes the appearance of exiles.Exile refers to be away from one’s home，while either being explicitly refused permission to return or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return.
2.2 Research Status of Diaspora
According to Edward Said，a Palestinian American literary theorist，exiles will always have a sense of rootless.No matter where they are，no matter what they do，they just feel lonely and alienated.Therefore，pursuit of cultural identity undoubtedly becomes the center of diasporic literature.And another theorist Homi Bhabha wishes a “third space” can be created to replace binary opposites.Exiles are confused by who they really are，so the problem of seek for cultural identity is very important to them. Chapter 3 Lack of Cultural Identity
3.1 Cultural Identity
Cultural identity is the identity of a group or a certain kind of culture.The necessary factor of cultural identity is to touch different cultures.Identity occurs in culture contacts and collisions.In a multicultural society，immigrants，refugees and ethnic minorities all live in a world “between cultures”，they create their own cultural identities in traditional contradictions and conflicts.
3.1.1 The First Generation of Afghan Immigrants
As the first generation of immigrants exile in the US，Amir’s father and Soraya’s father all have a beautiful American dream in their heart，but due to language barriers，limited savings and lack of social support，it is very difficult for them to find a satisfactory job in the United States.Both of them can’t give up or change their inherent traditional cultures，and in the meantime，they can’t integrate into the new culture either.
3.1.2 The Second Generation of Afghan Immigrants
Amir and Soraya，on the contrary，quickly assimilated into American culture，and accepted American liberty，equality，individualism，but they spent their childhood in Afghanistan，so it is difficult to shake their culture root，they’re not completely assimilated by American culture.Their cultural identity is dual and dissociated.
3.2 Reflections of the Lack of Cultural Identity
3.2.1 The loss of Equality，Love and Right
The writing background of The Kite Runner is author’s motherland——Afghanistan.It is a war-torn country with racial conflicts and poverty.In Afghanistan，some races are destined to enjoy privileges，while some races are destined to be disdained and dispatched.Racial prejudices also make flesh and blood separated from each other.
3.2.2 The Origin of Religious Conflicts
The Kite Runner shows us a real picture about Afghan people’s sufferings and Taliban’s terror policy.In addition to the Soviet invasion that dragged Afghan people’s life into misery，the civil war after the Soviet withdrawal worsened the situation in Afghanistan.In 1996，the Taliban came to power，and they abandoned the kite fighting competition.After two years，they began a frenzied massacre of Hazaras.Therefore，living in a world full of racial conflicts，Afghan people，especially Hazaras，have no right to secure their life and to confirm their own cultural identity.
3.2.3 The Deficiency of a Shelter for Body and Soul
In a war-torn country，blood and violence exits everywhere.Homeless people wander all day.They have no job and no income thus becoming exiles in their own country.Hunger always threatens people.After Soviet invasion，many Afghan people chose to escape from the miserable land.Even in the exile，the only remaining dignity of Afghan people were trampled by the enemies. 3.3 Reasons for the Lack of Cultural Identity
3.3.1 Unequal Dialogue
The conflicts between Islamic culture and western culture can be seen in The Kite Runner，which are the different interpretations about the image kite.In The Kite Runner，the kite embodies the traditional values of Afghanistan.However，the image of the kite in Western civilization is a slightly derogatory offensive imagery.Therefore，in western culture，the traditional custom of Afghanistan is savage and uncivilized.Afghan people are unable to obtain integrated and equal identity recognition.
3.3.2 Racial Prejudice
Afghanistan has two main ethnic groups：Pashtuns and Hazaras.The conflicts between the two groups have never stopped.Afghan people never treat Hazaras friendly，either during the war or in peaceful times.They drive Hazara people away or just kill Hazaras.This cruel policy of racial discrimination even takes root in the heart of the new generation of Afghan children.
3.3.3 Dual Identities
Afghan exiles have complex feelings about their homeland Afghanistan.Wandering thousands of miles away in America，they have many beautiful memories about Afghanistan.In the new country，due to differences in historical traditions，culture and customs as well as languages，they are always excluded from American mainstream society as a marginalized group.As for their homeland Afghanistan where they were born and raised，they had many happy memories.However，exiles can’t go back to homeland because in other people’s eyes，they already abandoned their home country.So Afghan immigrants on the one hand can not be accepted in the home country，on the other hand can not obtain a sense of belonging and cultural identity in the new country.
Chapter 4 Exiles’ Pursuit of Cultural Identity
4.1 Different ways of Pursuing Cultural Identity
4.1.1 Hassan’s Pursuit by Keeping His Promise
In The Kite Runner，Hassan is a tragic character that arouses our compassion.He was loyal，sincere and virtuous.But he didn’t receive the same kindness from anybody.He struggled to live in the crack of the two races and finally became the victim of racial discriminations.Actually，Hassan achieved what he promises “For you，a thousand times over”.This is not a simple promise，it stands for Hassan’s value.He spent his whole life loving Amir and tried to narrow the gap between the two races.In the end，Amir regarded Hassan as his half-brother.So Hassan got hold of his cultural identity. 4.1.2 Baba’s Pursuit by Helping Others
Baba was a respectable and noble Pashtun in Kabul.However，a man like him also felt like an exile in America.In the United States，Baba was not ambitious and energetic like he used to be in Afghanistan，but he was still a kind and righteous man who was ready to help people at any time.Baba was a great man wherever he was.He influenced Amir and other people by giving his help selflessly and through this way，he found his cultural identity.
4.1.3 Amir’s Pursuit by Achieving Self-redemption
For Amir，America was a good place to bury those bad memories.There was no betrayal and misery.He had the chance to restart.At the end of the story，Amir saved Hassan’s son sohrab from Taliban successfully.When he saw the smile on Sohrab’s face，he finally had the courage to face the past and got hold of his cultural identity.
References：
[1]Hosseini，Khaled.The Kite Runner.2nd ed.New York：Riverhead Books，2007.
[2]Bhabha，H.K.Colonial Discourse and Post-Colonial Theory[M].New York：Columbia，1993.
[3]Said，Edward W.Reflections on Exile and Other Essays.Cambridge：Harvard University Press，2005.
[4]李争.张秀丽.身份认同的焦虑与找寻——读《追风筝的人》[J].学术界.2013（2）：229-236.
[5]毋婀幸.阿富汗流散移民的美国文化认同探析[J].新西部. 2014（15）：169-171.
[6]王琦.漂泊的心灵——论《追风筝的人》中流散者对文化认同的追寻[D].辽宁师范大学.2013（5）.
[7]赵月钞.论《追风筝的人》民族文化身份的缺失与追寻[D].湘潭大学.2013（6）.