Essay on Afghanistan: Khaled Hosseini

Submitted By calebandrus64
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Caleb Andrus 1/21/15 Period B2
In order to understand the book
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, one must first understand the country of Afghanistan and what it is like there. Many aspects contribute to the whole of the Afghanistan country, but one main focus is their language and ethnic groups, their food, and their customs. These topics will help to better understand the setting and plot of Khaled
Hosseini’s book.
Afghanistan has up to thirty­two languages and dialects spoken there. Two of the more dominant languages include the Dari and Pashto languages, with 50% of the population speaking
Dari and 35% speaking Pashto. Both are seen as official languages of Afghanistan. Dari is spoken more widely than Pashto, and has several dialects. It is most like the Persian language and is used for all business and government transactions. Pashto, on the other hand, has two major variants and many different dialects of it are spoken. Both languages are written using the
Arabic alphabet with few changes. An extensive collection of literature is written in both languages, but Dari is the better known of the two because poems in the Dari language are considered to be the best in the world. In areas where school is taught, the language the instructor teaches their students with depends on the dominant language of the area.
Food plays a large role in Afghanistan’s unique culture, as it expresses the countries traditions and lifestyle through what and how they eat. Afghan cuisine is considered to be “a tasteful blend of the regions that surround it (Afghanistan).” What food one may eat in
Afghanistan depends solely on the occasion or time of year. For example, Dogh, a yogurt­like drink, is a refreshing way to cool down on a hot summer’s day. Letee, a sweet soup made with

walnuts, is served to new mothers as it soothes them and is easy to eat. Afghans take great pride in their cooking, as it reflects the nature of their family and heritage. Afghan cuisine is extremely creative. No measurements are used in the cooking of Afghan foods, so no matter where you go, no dish will be exactly the same. This creativity is “just another element that contributes to the wonderful medley of flavors that make up Afghan cooking.”
There are many customs in Afghanistan when it comes to greetings. When two men greet one another, they can either shake hands or embrace with a pat on the back. If it is a long verbal greeting, the one speaking will place his right hand over his heart. Afghan men will not physically greet a woman, but they will verbally. Women, however, will greet each other with an embrace and kisses on alternating cheeks and sometimes a handshake, to be more formal. Some key greeting phrases
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