Dissecting Hegemonic Masculinity in Khaled Hosseini’s 'The Kite Runner' and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'

Abstract

Hegemonic masculinity explains the nexus between gender roles and male dominance over women and other minority men, determining their position in the social strata. Over the years, masculinity has been weighed as an amalgamation of these three attributes: strength, honor, and action. Lack of these qualities contributes to the emergence of toxic masculinity that dissects the notion further into lack of masculinity in the first place. This paper examines the existing gender roles in a contemporary patriarchal society, as depicted in Khaled Hosseini’s laudable novels, The Kite Runner, and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Study of the former novel delves deep into Amir's struggle with internalizing the masculine codes of conduct that are set and followed by the patriarchal environment he grew up in, especially under the wing of his macho father who favors the housekeeper's boy, Hassan, more than his own son. The relationship of Amir’s father with Hassan leads to the resultant jealousy felt by Amir, making him act out in toxic manners. This dissertation argues those emotions of expectations of a father and the subsequent anxiety faced by sons in making their fathers feel proud of them. It also questions the idea of hegemonic masculinity and the pressure it builds on young boys, and how inadvertently, it makes them feel different from societal “ideal” men. This idea of masculine hegemony gets furthered in Hosseini’s second novel that investigates the causes of hegemonic male dominance and the consequent sexism observed in Rasheed's treatment of his wives. The research widens its scope to toxic masculinity and generational oppression of women. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to scrutinize traditional masculinity and what it really means to be masculine.