This week we had many discussions about the book Kite Runner, and there seemed to be this recurring idea of the role of 'blood' (or bachem in Arabic) and lineage and familial honor in the book. In particular, our class came to a conclusion that blood played a bigger role in the Eastern world than in the Western world, especially when it comes to marriage.
Amir's wife Soraya complained how she had to stay abstinent until marriage or you would be looked upon as a 'whore', whereas in America it is not uncommon to have sex before marriage. As Baba mentioned, in the Eastern world women try to marry a wealthy husband, and although Amir propositioned the idea of marrying Soraya, arranged marriages were not uncommon during the time.
I believe that marriage is a right, and you should marry out of love and not out of greed. I find it ironic that in America, where marriage is conducted based on love, the divorce rate is much higher than in other countries where there are arranged marriages. A lot of times divorces end up being because of economic problems.
Blood was also brought up in reference to familiar honor. Baba was known throughout Afghanistan as strong, powerful, and influential; so when Amir could not stand up to his father's name, Baba was disappointed because Amir would hurt the family reputation. Baba refused to take food stamps in America in fear of being seen by a fellow Afghanistan for precisely the same reason. Amir longed for a child who shared his blood, because he wanted his name to carry on. In the Western world this familiar honor is present, but not as prominent as in the Eastern world.
Through many of our discussions this week based on the novel Kite Runner, I learned that blood is interpreted as various things in different areas around the world.
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