Unveiling the Trauma: Discovering Pedophilia in The Kite Runner

Authors

  • Aanchal Arora Chandigarh University, India
  • Manju Rani Chandigarh University, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jump.v8i1.6544

Keywords:

The Kite Runner, Bacha Bazi, PTSD, mental health and dancing boys.

Abstract

The sexual exploitation of adolescents has recently gained international attention and is a major problem in many countries. Afghanistan, a South Asian nation, is one of these countries with a startlingly high rate of sexual exploitation incidents; among these, the practice known as Bacha Bazi has attracted criticism from all sides. In The Kite Runner, Hosseini exposes the terrible Afghan culture of Bacha Bazi, which damages the social and sexual identities of many Afghan boys and has a negative impact on their mental well-being as a result of traumatic events that cause them to exhibit PTSD symptoms. This paper explores the issue of child sexual exploitation in general, as well as the arrival of Bacha Bazi in Afghanistan and its effects on children's mental health in particular, as depicted in The Kite Runner.

Author Biographies

  • Aanchal Arora, Chandigarh University, India

    AANCHAL ARORA, is a Research Scholar University Institute of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Chandigarh University, India.  Her major research interests lie in the area of Asian Literature.  Email: arora.aanchal10@gmail.com.

  • Manju Rani, Chandigarh University, India

    MANJU RANI, PhD, is a Professor at University Institute of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Chandigarh University, India.  Her major research interests lie in the area of Indian Literature. Email: manju.uila@cumail.in.

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Published

2024-04-30