Power, Privilege, and Abuse: A Marxist Examination of ‘Bacha Bazi’ in The Kite Runner

The term ‘Bacha Bazi’ is a commonplace term used in reference to the pervasive act of objectification and sexual abuse of preadolescent kids by predominant male patrons in the Afghanistan society, festering it rotten from inside. Existing in an unofficial, institutionalized setting, it often results in a culturally enforced and approved metamorphosis of young boys, affecting how they construct their social and sexual identity—which stays distinct and unaltered—as they are coerced into becoming dancing boys and male escorts for wealthy patrons compelling them to serve as both, a source of sexual pleasure and amusement. Bacha Bazi is a new social function that has been given cultural legitimacy by a society that is sharply split between the powerful and the powerless. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a sharp social commentary on the Marxist nature of this cultural malpractice from the points of view of Hassan and Sohrab. The current paper is qualitative research into the power play and politics of Bacha Bazi in the Afghanistan society from a Marxist perspective.