CHAPTERl INTRODUCTION The issue of racial conflict has caused extensive controversy for many
centuries. Conflict which is incited by racism is often thought to be the worst of all
conflicts because it threatens humans' peace in their lives. Racial conflict arises when
prejudice or discrimination occurs in a society where understanding and respect for
others cannot be made between different races, especially between the dominant group
and the minority group. Racial prejudice and discrimination usually reflect behavior or
attitude of a person who is against others with different cultural background.
There are many scholars who define and explain the meaning of racial
prejudice. One of them is William James, a social scientist who explains that racial
prejudice is a prejudgment made about someone or something as a result of having
adequate knowledge and judging without accuracy (James, 1972). In addition, the
word "prejudice" is most commonly used to refer to a preconceived judgment toward
a group of people or a person because of race, a special type of attitude, and
something negative toward any group or ethnicity that is not of one's own social class
(Rosnow, 1972).
In history, people belonging to racial backgrounds other than the dominant
ones in society were treated differently, and often unfairly. For example, the United
States of America has had part of its history that records racial conflict between the
white and the black races. This is because of the slavery system. Although black
slaves were emancipated in 1863, racial conflict has been an issue in modem days. On
July 16,2009, Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., who is African­
American, was arrested at his Canbridge, Massachsetts home by a local police officer
responding to a 911 caller's report of men breaking and entering the residence.
Prosecutors later dropped the charges (Melissa, 2009). The arrest had been paid
attention from media and spurred a politically charged exchange of views about race
relation and law enforcement throughout the United States. In addition, Mahatama
Gandhi, the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India faced the
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discrimination directed at Indians. He was thrown off a train at Pietermartizburg after
refusing to move from the first class to the third - class coach while holding a valid
first-class ticket (Louis, 1962). Moreover, travelling farther on by stagecoach he was
beaten by a driver for refusing to travel on the foot board to make room for a European
passenger (Gandhi, 1940 : 99). In some countries where there are laws against
discrimination in some countries of any sort and people are created equally and racism
does not exist or the past. However, racial conflict is still addressed as the case of
Henry Louise Gate Jr.
The severe outcomes of racial conflict can be clearly seen along with the
issue of racial discrimination throughout literature such as Uncle Tom's Cabin which
was published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The novel was one of the most
contraversial novels set in a period in prior to American Civil War (Kaufman, 2006).
In addition, Absalom, Absalom (1931) by William Faulkner potrays raicial prejudice
in the American South. To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee published in
1960, was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Racial prejudice in
many literary works is written logically from the experiences of the authors and the
treatment of minority of that society. In addition, the authors expressed how them feel
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on the treatment of racism through their writings .
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In contemporary literature, The Kite Runner (2003), written by Khaled
Hosseini, an Afghan - American writer has received public attention from audience
around the world. The Kite Runner mainly represents Afghan culture and racial
conflict which related to a minority group, the Hazara in Afghanistan. The Kite
Runner consists of multiethnic groups and classification of being superior and inferior
ethnic group. Not only racial discrimination, but also the religious differentiation are
used to categorize people into classes and be treated in different ways. In this regard,
The Kite Runner represents discrimination against different religious denominations
and race (Minority Rights Group International, 2007).
The Kite Runner is about Amir, a Sunni Muslim, who struggles to find his
place in the world because of the post effects from painfulness in childhood. Amir is
the narrator of the story, starting from the present day in United States, and then the
novel goes back to Amir's childhood in Afghanistan. In his childhood, the beginning
of the novel shows relationship of major characters such as his father, Baba,
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detennining the nature of his relationship with Hassan, his Shi'a Muslim servant.
Along the way, readers are able to experience growing up in Afghanistan in a single­
parent family. One of the biggest struggles for Amir is learning to navigate the
complex socioeconomic culture he faces. He grows up in Afghanistan as a member of
the privileged class, but he does not feel like a privileged member of his own family.
Hassan and his father Ali are servants. Amir's relationship with them is more like that
of family members. In addition to the issues affecting his personal life, Amir must
fight with the instability of the Afghan political system in the 1970s. During a critical
episode, which takes place during an important kite flying tournament, Amir decides
not to confront bullies and aggressors when he has the chance to help Hassan who
being raped by Assef, an antagonist of Amir and Hassan. As Amir can not do
everything to help Hassan in that sexual abuse, he feels guilty, lies, and betrayals.
Eventually, Amir and his father are forced to flee Afghanistan because of the changing
political climate. Amir views coming to America as an opportunity to leave his past
behind.
Although Amir and Baba have a new life in the United States, for them the
horrible past is unforgetable. When time goes by, Amir has an important decision to
make, whether or not he should return to his homeland to face the dangerous and
decisions of his youth. The only one thing to redeem his guilt is by adopting Sohrab,
son of Hassan, and taking him to the United States. Unfortunately, Amir knew later
that Hassan was cruelly killed by Assef. In the end, Amir help Sohrab from Assef,
who later become a Taliban officer. Finally, Amir could adopt Sohrab and take him to
the U.S. The novel ends when they go to a park with other Afghans. People are flying
kites. Amir buys a kite and gets Sohrab to fly it with him. They spot another kite and
battle it. Amir uses one of Hassan's favorite kite tricks, they win. Sohrab smiles, and
as the losing kite flies loose, Amir starts to run the kite for Sohrab.
Throughout the novel, there are many occurrences that deal with pain and
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suffering because of racial conflicts between the Pashtun and the Hazara. There are
members of one race who always see themselves as being justifiably superior to other
racial groups. This is clearly demonstrated in The Kite Runner, when Assef, a Pashtun
antagonist character states, "Afghanistan is the land ofPashtuns. It always has been,
always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here.
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His people pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood" (22). From this
quotation, Assefhas a strong sense of ownership on the land. He also favors Hitler's
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ideology in the master race. In addition, Assef demonstrates racial prejudice in the
part where he says to Amir, "You're bothering me very much. In fact, you bother me
more than this Hazara here. How can you talk to [Hassan], play with (Hassan], let
[Hassan] touch you" (22). This excerpt shows Assef's racial prejudice against the
Hazara. Asset's attitude also expresses an inequality among Afghan people. Even
Amir, who is from Pashtun like Assef, can not change the unjust practice in Afghan as
he says, "In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara. I was Sunni and he was
Shi'a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing" (13). In fact, Amir and
Hassan play, eat together, and even experience family events together, but Amir has to
face racial prejudice in his country. It is interesting to explore racial prejudice as
depicted in the novel in many aspects of Afghan culture. To understand racial
prejudice in The Kite Runner, it is neccessery to study Afghan cultural aspects which
possibly cause characters to have certain attitude toward others. Understanding racial
prejudice should consider the details of societies. It can be seen that racial conflict
interrelates with culture in a way of people in society.
The Kite Runner is an appropriate source that protrays racial prejUdice
through characters and involves Afghan culture. Therefore, this research project will
answer the question if a racial prejudice exists in Afghan culture as represented in The
Kite Runner, and if so, what are the causes of a racial prejudice? Moreover, racial
discrimination as a result of a racial conflict would be also analyzed.
In conclusion, this study is an attempt to investigate the existing racial
prejudice and its causes which affect the characters. Moreover, Afghan culture will be
a scope for studying cultural aspects relating to racial prejUdice. In analyzing, the
dialogues and quotations of the main characters will be excerpted and analyzed to find
the causes of racial prejudice in Afghan culture such as social norms, religion, value,
attitude and ethnic groups. The procedure will be based on facts or real events in
history and theoretical concepts of racial discrimination. The results of the study are
useful for people who want to understand racial prejudice and causes of it. Moreover,
the study reflects how the researcher interprets a work of ethnic literature toward his
intercultural perspective.