Predetermined Identity

The Predetermined Identity Identity, the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. Defining oneself is not a simply a self determined process, it is influenced by religion, politics, relationships, and social constructs. Through the rhetorical strategies used by the authors of The Kite Runner, The Help, The Things They Carried, and Their Eyes Were Watching God their literature explains how characters develop throughout the novels and how their environments affect their lives. Religion and politics are the two most controversial and widely disputed topics because of their strong effects on an individual's character and moral questioning. Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner takes place amidst a period of political unrest in the Middle East

One’s sense of self is a reflection of those with whom the most time is spent. Both positive and negative relationships determine aspects of identity. Family relationships can often be the most complicated, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner tells a story about a difficult father-son relationship between Amir, the protagonist, and his father Baba. “I let myself dream: I imagined conversation and laughter over dinner instead of silence broken only by the clinking of silverware and the occasional grunt. I envisioned us taking a Friday drive in Baba’s car to Paghman... We’d go to the zoo to see Marjan the lion, and maybe Baba wouldn’t yawn and steal looks at his wristwatch all the time. Maybe Baba would even read one of my stories. I’d write him a hundred if I thought he’s read one.” (Hosseini, 56). Amir creates a vivid anecdote in this chapter of what his ideal relationship with Baba could be but his mind quickly returns to the realities of his life. Hosseini uses strong imagery to describe Amir’s ideal relationship with Baba and parallels it to his daily confrontations with him. Amir yearns for his father's love and attention. His lack of unity with Baba hurst his identity because he feels neglected which results in Amir’s inability to communicate his feelings and contributes to his resentment towards Hassan. Neglect is a form of abuse, although Amir was never physically hurt by his father he faced the challenges of being in a impugnment relationship. Often times people become trapped in verbal and physically abusive relationships, living in constant fear of staying or losing the ability to escape. Similarly, The Help contains a subplot between a maid, Minny, and her abusive husband Leroy.” ‘If I didn’t hit you, Minny, who knows what you’d become.’...’Who knows what I’d become if Leroy would stop goddamn hitting me’ “ (Stockett). The author inputs anaphora, the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of