Date of Award

Spring 5-2019

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

English

First Advisor

Linda Allen

Advisor Department

English

Abstract

While the canon of post-colonial literature has been heavily researched, little scholarship can be found connecting post-colonial theory to instances of colonial tropes within autonomous nations, an event which may be described as “domestic colonialism.” This thesis will examine Khaled Hosseini’s work, The Kite Runner (2003), as a modern work of post-colonial literature, as it reveals the methods of domination present in 20th century Afghanistan. I will evaluate the text based on the definitions of traditional settler colonialism and anthropoligal classifications of intergroup domination in order to highlight the narrative of domestic colonialism that is present within the text. Through evaluating Hassan’s role as a subjugated character within the work, including the methods through which his subjugated status is maintained, I assert that The Kite Runner is an allegorical text that warns against social hierarchies and illustrates domestic colonialism within Afghanistan.

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