Eurocentrism in Khalid Hosseini’s Selected Novels: A Post-colonial Perspective

Abstract

This research paper explores the Euro-centric representations in Khaled Hosseini’s And the Mountains Echoed and A thousand Splendid Sun. On a close reading of the exhibit Eurocentric influence constructed by the author. . In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini chronicles the lives of Mariam and Laila, two Afghan women whose paths intertwine amidst the socio-political upheavals in Afghanistan. The novel, while showcasing Afghan culture and the brutal realities of its female protagonists, occasionally leans towards Western perceptions of oppression and liberation. The narrative implicitly endorses Western ideologies of feminism and freedom, portraying the characters' salvation as partially reliant on Western intervention and ideals. For instance, Laila's eventual escape to Pakistan and her subsequent return to a liberated Kabul post-Taliban invasion underline a narrative resolution steeped in Western notions of redemption. Similarly, And the Mountains Echoed spans multiple generations and continents, portraying a complex nature of interconnected lives from Afghanistan to the Western world. The novel's structure and thematic elements often contrast Afghan experiences against Western settings, inadvertently creating a dichotomy that elevates the latter. The study has employed post-colonial perspective to analyze Eurocentric representation in the selected texts.