Insight Paragraph

After finishing the Kite Runner, I have gained insight on the economic situation in Afghanistan and the poverty that it is currently in by reading “Kabul's Beggar Children Working the Streets”. In my passage, Amir travels to Kabul once after many years only to find it in ruins compared to what it once was. The especially significant description was that of the beggars that were wandering around and the comparison between beggars before Amir's left to after he returned. Upon researching the poverty of Afghanistan, I found that Afghanistan only reached a great poverty after the Taliban returned to gain power in the nation. The Taliban were actually the cause of the poverty because they were reigning with strict rule which led to many Afghans losing their property and being fined heavily for the slightest offence. The most interesting article that addressed poverty and necessity is the article that explained the role of children in the society of Afghanistan (and more specifically- Kabul). This article explains the economic situation of Afghanistan since it states that children were now becoming beggars and workers in order to keep their families supported in some way. By stating that children were actually working and begging on the streets, it is inferred that people are no longer sending their children to take educational classes in schools. It appears to show that the necessity is so great, that people do not have the time, money, or motivation to attend school and become an educated individual. With the economic situation as it is in Afghanistan, it would not be surprising to state that teachers would not be paid and would have no motivation to teach since they have their own families to take care of. The important thing to note is that children are working busy streets and they have to worry about issues that other children around the world do not worry about until much later in life. The children in Kabul get worried even if they just accidentally spill their merchandise and that shows that they are too concerned with their actions and take thing seriously in order to support their families. Overall, this understanding helps me see the book in a new light. Now that I know how the economic situation in Afghanistan really is, I understand why Amir is in shock when he reaches Afghanistan for the first time in years. Afghanistan has become a place of child labor, poverty, and despair which are evident in almost every aspect of chapter 20 of Kite Runner.