Cultivating a Culture of Fear

This image shows a shadow appearing to point to a man, while he covers his face and runs from the light into the shade. This shadow represents a variety of factors that causes the Afghan people to fear exposure or suspicion by the Taliban. Amir's visit to Afghanistan uses his perceptions to reflect more broadly on the Afghan experience during the time of the Taliban. A literal example of the pointing figure is the old man with the blanket who stands in Amir's room and looks at him for an abnormally long time. While he could just as easily be a mental patient or an elderly man taken aback by Amir's dramatic injuries, when Farid mentions that the Taliban could be tracking them, Amir very seriously snaps back to that memory and identifies the old man as a potential Taliban searcher. In reality the person casting the shadow could just as easily be pointing elsewhere; the man runs into the shade and away from the spotlight because the consequences of waiting, like Amir staying in the hospital, could be dire. In a country where honor and valor are so highly valued, staying in the light, like Baba against the Russian soldier, seems like the most noble course of action. But, as the Afghans have learned, staying in the shadow and avoiding the light may be the best course of action. This is made clear when Farid and Amir are walking in the street and Amir looks at the Taliban -- anyone who becomes remotely noticeable, according to Farid, and does not fade into the background could be the Taliban's next victim of random violence. The same situation exists in Zaman's world, where letting Assef take the child has the consequence of feeding and saving the rest of the children.