Kite Runner: Women's Influences- Homaira

Homaira, Rahim Khan's greatest love, was greatly mistreated and in the end separated from him. When he was eighteen, Rahim fell in love with his neighbours' servants' daughter. Her name was Homaira, and she was a Hazara. They would often meet in secret, sneaking away after midnight to ensure that no one would see them. They had many fantasies, and hopes that in the future, they would have a life together. Homaira was a beautiful girl, and such an influence on Rahim Khan that one day he told his father about his feelings. The outraged Khan family shipped off Homaira and her family to Hazarajat the next day! Now, although she is only in the story briefly, we learn a bit about women's roles here. Firstly, the culture makes it a long and difficult process for a man and a woman to be together, especially if the woman in question is a Hazara. Which brings me to my next point, Homaira gives us a unique insight on Hazara women. They get it twice as bad because not only are they women, but also Hazara's, and usually servants.

This means, that they are ordered around by men all their lives, are treated harshly, and basically cannot be with Pashtun men. This is illustrated in the quote, ''It was me and Homaira against the world...", (Rahim Khan, 8, 99). Rahim Khan's words tell us that the entire Afghan society is against Rahim and Homaira's union, simply because culture dictates it must be so. Another valid point that Homaira's role brings up, is that even though there are these injustices and unfair discriminations, as people grow up or are growing up, they "understand" them. Rahim Khan sees what happened as an adult, and says to Amir, "Probably for the best though...she would have suffered.", (Rahim Khan, 8, 99). He says this because now that he is mature, he sees that the union would only have brought pain and sorrow. Women in Afghanistan are mistreated and misvalued, none more so than Hazara women.