Comparative Study On The Novel The Kite Runner And Its Film Adaptation

The Kite Runner (2003) is a novel written by Afghan-American Khaled Hosseini, and has been adapted into the film by the German-Swiss director Marc Forster in 2007. It represents mainly the coming-of-age experience of an Afghan boy Amir against the backdrop of social and political turbulence of Afghanistan. Although the cinematic version is faithful to the novel mostly, comparatively big changes are made in the film adaptation. Since the release of the film, the studies have been done on the comparison of the novel and its film adaptation. However, the focuses of these studies are mainly on the gain and loss and limiting factors. This thesis adopts the method of comparative literature study and post-colonial criticism to analyze the novel The Kite Runner and its film adaptation, its purpose is to explore the tendency of orientalism in the film adaptation.This thesis is comprised of five chapters. Chapter one is introduction, including the novel and the film, literature review, as well as method, purpose and significance of this thesis. Chapter two compares how America is represented in the novel and film. Racial discrimination, prosperity and poverty, safety and danger are portrayed more realistically in the novel, while the cinematic version idealizes American image, presenting racial harmony, prosperity, safety and savior image. America’s superiority is implicated inevitably. Chapter three compares how Afghanistan is represented in the novel and film. Civilization and underdevelopment, safety and danger as well as duality of Afghan men are described more realistically in the novel. However, Afghanistan is depicted stereotypically as underdevelopment and danger in the film adaptation, and Afghan men are demonized as well. Obviously the film adaptation emphasizes Afghan inferiority. Chapter four expounds orientalism in the film adaptation, which is demonstrated by imaginative geography and American hegemony. The imaginative geography is embodied by Afghan as barbarians and Afghanistan as exotic backdrop, while the American hegemony is demonstrated by idealized depiction of America and westernization of Afghan-Americans. Chapter five is the conclusion. It reveals the tendency of orientalism in the film adaptation by comparing the novel The Kite Runner, which is influenced by American politics, culture, economic and the director’s Eurocentric stance to a large degree.