Intersecting Identities: A Critical Insight on Gender-Based Violence in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner

This research paper attempts to highlight the complex interplay of intersectionality and gender-based violence. Intersectionality is termed as the “experience of multilayers of marginalization” leading to conflicting repercussions on individuals as well as society. This intersecting oppression of different social signifiers like gender, social class, ethnicity and race mutually condemns justice and exerts hegemonic supremacy. The paper expounds on the issue of gender-based violence through the lenses of intersectionality in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner (2003). The novel contextualizes the systemic oppression faced by women and marginalized groups in the socio-political landscape of Afghanistan. Hosseini skilfully paints a picture of how the abuse of power, patriarchal hegemony, cultural norms and societal expectations compounds instances of gender-based violence in the novel through various characters. The critical and comprehensive analysis of the novel gives an insight into the complexities of gender-based violence and resilience in a war-torn society. The paper also underscores the necessity for a nuanced understanding of intersectionality in confronting gender-based violence. The novel The Kite Runner is a poignant commentary to understand the reality of gender-based violence more effectively. It also fosters empathy and creates awareness to advocate for an equitable society.

Keywords: Gender-Based Violence, Intersectionality, Patriarchy, Power, Ethnicity.