extremely critical of the radicalization of Afghanistan through Taliban rule, it shouldn't be confused as him discounting the entire culture. There are numerous aspects that are worthy of admiration, which are portrayed positively and could be learned from. Hospitality is a big part of Eastern customs, along with the importance of parents and ancestors. The unity of families, you could say, is less pronounced in the more individualistic West—but of course that, too, is a generalization. The point is that while theTaliban is a terrible and backwards burden on Eastern societies, it doesn't invalidate the ancient cultures with roots that reach far further than the Islamic religion. Hosseini shows that through his more positive characters. Consider, for example, how united the refugee community is in the U.S. They have their prejudices, of course, and some of them bring the radical idea from home with them, but there are also those who are deeply kind and helpful, practicing the hospitable customs of their ancestors.

• A lot of characters disagree with the radical course of Afghanistan

There's a saying that I think applies well to the context, which reminds us that the first country the Nazis conquered was their own: Germany. The same could be said about Afghanistan. Before it became a political nuisance and a source of terror for the rest of the world, it subdued its own people. Easily enough, you could understand that women—already gaining liberties, attending school and working jobs— would not have willingly chosen the oppressive laws that the Taliban enforced. Men, who didn't lose as much of their freedoms, were also oppressed and terrorized. I say this to raise the question of whether the novel's antagonist Assef is a fair portrayal of the average Afghan man; is it more likely that the Taliban—like Assef—was a minority with a lot of power, able to control and damage the majority?

One could argue that only Afghans are shown to commit vile crimes, but we should also consider that these violent characters do not make up the majority of Afghans portrayed in the novel. Personally, I do not believe that Hosseini would vilify an entire nation (or culture), but that villains emerge, like bad apples do in all cases.

• The States are not a carefree haven

Finally, I would like to take a closer look at the portrayal of the West in the novel, represented by the U.S. Just as I do not believe Hosseini actually vilifies the entire East, I do not think he glamorizes the West either. It's true that no crimes comparable to the ones that happen in Afghanistan take place there, but it's not free of its own faults. As immigrants, Amir and Baba and others encounter plenty of racism and misunderstanding, along with people's sense of superiority, as the immigrants come from a "lesser" world. Almost all of the characters feel some sort of longing for their home—something that wouldn't make sense if the States really were objectively better like the New Orientalist view would have us believe. The immigrants do not miss the war, terror, and cruel system; they miss all the beautiful aspects of their homes, country, and culture.

Maybe that's where the proof is for my answer. The sadness and longing that the characters have for their home—destroyed on every level by the Taliban—shows that the East is not a hopeless, irredeemable, inferior place. It is just lost.

Essentially, New Orientalism is the prejudiced belief that Western culture and ideals are superior to those of the Islamic Middle East. Ideologies associated with New Orientalism include the beliefs that the Islamic Middle East is dangerous, undemocratic, politically underdeveloped, violent, and unjust. In his novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini favorably portrays America and Western civilization while he criticizes Middle Eastern culture and beliefs. One could argue that Hosseini supports and shares New Orientalist ideology in the way he associates America with freedom, opportunity, and safety while portraying Afghanistan as restrictive and dangerous. Hosseini even uses characters in his novel to advance the New Orientalist agenda. Assef loves Hitler, while Baba supports respected American presidents like Ronald Reagan. Throughout the novel, traumatic events only take place in the Middle East, such as child rape, brutal public executions, and social inequality. Amir and Baba's success in America severely contrasts with the overwhelmingly terrifying portrayal of the Middle East. Also, Hosseini suggests that many Muslims are in fact radicals with extreme viewpoints. Amir is portrayed as the hero traveling from America who has to enter into "the heart of darkness” to save Sohrab from a violent, dangerous life.