Ke Runner jos gay pengus on top 10 books Amerins want banned | Fictn | The Guardian

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• KE RUNNER JOS GAY PENGUS ON TOP 10 BOOKS AMERINS WANT BANNED
• ‘THE KE RUNNER’ ON BROADWAY IS HOMOPHOBIC TRASHHERO TO ZEROTHE BROADWAY ADAPTATN OF KHALED HOSSEI’S BTSELLG NOVEL FEATUR A GAY RAPIST AND PEDOPHILE VILLA CENTER STAGE. IF NOTHG ELSE, “GROOMER”-OBSSED BIGOTS WILL LOVE .TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 21, 2022 9:44PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2022 9:00PM EDT JOAN MARCPERHAPS THE MAKERS OF THE KE RUNNER (TO OCTOBER 30, HAY THEATER) WOULD BE HORRIFIED TO THK THAT THE MSAGE OF THEIR BROADWAY SHOW ALIGNS SO CLOSELY TO THE HOMOPHOBIA AND POISONO PREJUDICE—“GROOMERS,” “PEDOPHIL” AND THE RT OF —ISSUG FORTH OM REPUBLIN AND RIGHT-WG MOUTHS OF LATE. BUT PERHAPS THEY WOULDN’T BE HORRIFIED; AFTER ALL, RIGHT THERE ONT OF , THEY PROUDLY PRENT A GAY PSYCHOPATH WHO IS ALSO A RAPIST AND PEDOPHILE AND THE VILLA OF THEIR SHOW. WHAT A DREAM NIGHT OUT FOR ANTI-GAY BIGOTS THEY HAVE CREATED.WE DO NOT KNOW MUCH ELSE ABOUT ASSEF (AMIR MALAKLOU). THE PRODUCERS OF THE SHOW—ADAPTED OM KHALED HOSSEI’S BTSELLG NOVEL SET 1970S AFGHANISTAN AND AMERI THE 1980S AND NEAR-PRENT DAY—SIMPLY MAKE ASSEF EXTREMELY TERRIBLE. THE MANIFTATN OF THIS EVIL IS HIS SEXUALY, WHICH THE PLAY EXTRIBLY TI TO HIS PERVERTED VLENCE AND VILLAY, WHICH—LIKE A LOT THE PLAY—IS NOT DISCSED OR MA CLEAR, BUT STILL BLUNTLY EXPLOED FOR PLOT PURPOS THIS OBNOX PRODUCTN. THE PLAY’S OFFENSIVE SHALLOWNS IS EXACERBATED WHEN NSIRG THE PRENT-DAY PLIGHT OF LGBTQ AFGHANS, EHER TRYG TO STAY ALIVE FOLLOWG THE TALIBAN’S TAKEOVER OR SPERATELY TRYG TO PE THE UNTRY FOR THEIR LIV. HOW IRONIC THAT THE LAST PRODUCTN THIS THEATER WAS BASEBALL DRAMA TAKE ME OUT, WHICH EXAMED ISSU OF SEXUALY AND MASCULY (TOXIC AND OTHERWISE) A FAR MORE NUANCED AND TELLIGENT WAY. THE CHEAP EXPLOATN OF THE KE RUNNER STANDS STARK NTRAST. (WARNG: SPOILERS AHEAD.) PROTAGONIST AMIR (AMIR ARISON) NARRAT THE SHOW THROUGHOUT AS AN ADULT, WHILE SIMULTANEOLY PLAYG A TEENAGE BOY HIS OWN STORY—WHICH LOOKS AND SOUNDS ODD AND STILTED. IN THE WTER OF 1975 KABUL, ASSEF FIRST BULLI AMIR AND HIS IEND AND SERVANT HASSAN (ERIC SIRAKIAN), BY LLG THEM “FAGGOT.” THE VERY MENTN OF THIS WORD ELICED SNICKERG LGHTER OM SOME OF THE DIENCE THIS CRIC SAT AMONG.PERHAPS, ONE MAY THK CHARABLY, THE KE RUNNER IS MAKG THE SE THAT ASSEF IS CLOSETED, OR THAT HIS ABE SOMEHOW ORBS ABOVE ANY KD OF CLASSIFITN OF SEXUALY. IF THIS IS THE SE, THERE IS NO EXPLORATN OF THE SOURCE OF HIS SELF-HATRED AND VLENCE, OR WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LIKE TO HAVE BEEN A SCREWED-UP YOUNG GAY MAN 1970S AFGHANISTAN; AND DON’T BOTHER TO CHART HIS JOURNEY OF, SAY, A SELF-LOATHG TEENAGER TO RAPIST TO VLENT, CHILD-TRAFFICKG PEDOPHILE AND RAPIST. ASSEF IS JT A CIPHER FOR EVIL. THE KE RUNNER CREAT A BOO-HISS MONSTER, BUT IS NOT A JOT TERTED HIS GENIS.ASSEF IS ALSO A SNOB, SEEKG TO ALIGN HIMSELF WH THE UPPER-CLASS PASHTUNS HE AND AMIR ARE, AS OPPOSED TO HASSAN, WHO—ALONG WH HIS FATHER ALI (EVAN Z)—SERVE AMIR AND HIS FATHER BABA (FARAN TAHIR) AND ARE OM THE POORER HAZARAS. AMIR AND HASSAN ARE IENDS, JT LIKE THEIR FATHERS, CLASS DISTCTNS VAPORIZED BY LLECTIVE VOTN.THE BOYS LOVE AMERIN WBOY MOVI, DUBBED TO FARSI— IS THEIR MOL OF GOOD MASCULY; SIMPLE STORI OF HETERO, MASCULE HERO VANQUISHG VILLAS, RATHER LIKE THE IA THE KE RUNNER HAS OF SELF. HASSAN, AS WELL AS BEG “THE KE NNER” OF THE PLAY’S TLE, PROUDLY FETCHG KE-FLYG CHAMPN AMIR’S KE, IS A WHIZZ WH THE SLGSHOT, SUMMONG UP IMAG OF DAVID SLAYG GOLIATH. ASSEF SEEMS TO FLIRT, LIGHTLY, WH AMIR. HASSAN IS THEN THE VICTIM OF HIS VLENT RAPE. THIS RAPE IS OBSERVED CLOSELY ENOUGH FOR AMIR TO SEE HASSAN’S BLOOD STA THE SNOW ON THE GROUND BLACK. HOWEVER, THE VLENCE HAPPENS AWAY OM OUR EY, WHICH, NSIRG HOW CENTRAL THE ACT IS TO THE KE RUNNER, IS A BIZARRE CHOICE ON THE PART OF PRODUCERS WHO LIKELY THK THEY ARE BEG TASTEFUL AND RTRAED. IN FACT, SEEMS VASTLY MORE EXPLOATIVE THAN SHOWG OVERTLY.THE ACT OF A MAN BEG RAPED BY ANOTHER MAN—PLAYED AS AN UNFIVABLE TRPASS ON THE EDIFICE OF MASCULY, RATHER THAN A HORRIFIC VLATN AND AN EXPERIENCE OF VLENT CRIME SELF—IS THE THROBBG DISGT AT THE CENTER OF THE KE RUNNER. THE PLAY ASKS, BUT NEVER AQUATELY ANSWERS, WHY AMIR DID NOTHG TO HELP OR SAVE HASSAN THAT DAY.FROM HERE ON, A EIGHTED SILENCE REIGNS, AS WELL AS A SHEDLOAD MORE SADISM. HASSAN, WHO IS NIED ANY VOICE APART OM DOE-EYED EXPRSNS OF LOYALTY TO AMIR, DON’T TALK ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HIM, THOUGH HE REMAS LOYAL TO AMIR, WHO BE A WHG, ANNOYG, SELF-JTIFYG WARD FOR THE RT OF THE PLAY UNTIL S CLOSG MOMENTS. “THERE IS A WAY TO BE GOOD AGA,” IS THE NTATN THAT OPENS AND CLOS THE PLAY—BUT IS LYRIL NONSENSE. AMIR IS ALWAYS ON STAGE TELLG HIS THOUGHTS, TRYG TO JTIFY HIS LACK OF LOYALTY TO HASSAN AND HIS ABILY TO DO THE RIGHT THG. HE WANTS HIS FATHER TO BE PROUD OF HIM, HE DON’T WANT TO SHAME HIS FATHER, AND TO PLEASE HIM—AND ON AND ON HE GRIP. THIS IS NOT ENARG. UNTENTNALLY, MAK HIM TO ANOTHER VILLA. “'THE KE RUNNER' LERALLY SILENC A VICTIM OF RAPE THE SERVICE OF A BOG, UNNVCG JOURNEY OF REMPTN UNRTAKEN BY S HERO.” AMIR TREATS HASSAN WORSE AND WORSE AFTER THE RAPE. HE HS HIM. HE IS TO HIM. HE ISOLAT HIM. HE TREATS HIM AS A SERVANT RATHER THAN IEND. HE TRI TO AME HIM FOR THIEVG, AND—BEE HE IS SO LOYAL TO AMIR—HASSAN GO ALONG WH THIS AWFUL, ADDNAL JTICE DONE AGAST HIM, AND HE AND HIS FATHER EVENTUALLY GO TO A SELF-IMPOSED EXILE. MORE VLENCE AND ATH AWA THEM, AGA OFF STAGE, AGA UNSEEN AND UNHEARD. HASSAN AND ALI’S RELATIVE MUTENS AS CHARACTERS FEELS LIKE AN TERNAL SNOBBERY OF THE KE RUNNER’S, WHICH LERALLY SILENC A VICTIM OF RAPE THE SERVICE OF AN UNNVCG JOURNEY OF REMPTN UNRTAKEN BY S HERO.IS AMIR DISGTED THAT HIS IEND WAS RAPED? HE DON’T SEEM TO RE THAT HIS IEND HAS HAD AN APPALLG ACT OF VLENCE DONE TO HIM. IS HE DISGTED THAT HE DIDN’T DO ANYTHG TO HELP HIM? THAT SEEMS TO BE THE PLAY’S SELF-THIS—THE STORY CERTALY NNOT SEEM TO MOVE BEYOND AMIR’S EXPERIENCE OF GUILT, AND WANTG TO PLEASE HIS FATHER—BUT IF THAT’S THE SE, WHY DO AMIR TREAT HASSAN SO BADLY? WHY DON’T HE TREAT HIMSELF BADLY IF HE FEELS HE'S A FAILURE? AMIR ARISON AND ERIC SIRAKIAN "THE KE RUNNER."JOAN MARC HIS ANGER AND VLENCE TOWARDS HASSAN READ AS FURTHER DISGT AT THE VLENT ACT HIS IEND ENDURED, RATHER THAN HIS IEND’S EXPERIENCE OF VLENCE. WHY WOULD YOU PERSECUTE A IEND YOU ALLEGEDLY RE FOR, VERBALLY AND PHYSILLY, AFTER SEEG THEM BTALIZED? THE KE RUNNER DON’T SAY; REALLY NEVER DIGS TO S WOON CHARACTERS.WE SEE ASSEF TALKG SHIFTILY TO A MALE SERVANT AT A PARTY HELD FOR AMIR (Y, GAY, WE’VE GOT BY NOW, THANK YOU!), BEFORE WAR AND DISPLACEMENT LEAD AMIR AND BABA TO SAN FRANCIS 1981, TO BUILD A NEW LIFE. ODDLY, 1981 SAN FRANCIS, GAY PEOPLE DO NOT FIGURE THE LIST OF THGS THAT STAND OUT FOR AMIR—BUT RATHER FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, AND PRCE. HOW WEIRD FOR AMIR TO LIVE ONE OF THE GAYT CI ON THE PLA AND NOT NOTICE THIS, OR— TERMS OF A STORY VICE RIGHT ONT OF HIS CREATOR—E SAN FRANCIS’S STAT AS A MAJOR GAY POPULATN CENTER, RICH DIVERSY, TO EHER CHALLENGE OR EPEN THE PLAY’S UNRSTANDG OF SEXUALY. INSTEAD, THE SOLE AVATAR OF HOMOSEXUALY THE KE RUNNER IS A SPIBLE RAPIST AND CHILD ABER.TOWARDS THE END OF THE PLAY, ASSEF BE A SADISTIC TALIBAN MANR, KIDNAPPG, ABG, AND TRAFFICKG YOUNG BOYS, ONE OF WHOM IS SOHRAB, THE ORPHAN CHILD OF HASSAN, PLAYED HERE BY THE SAME ACTOR WHO PLAYED HASSAN. SOHRAB HAS BEEN DRSED UP AND MA UP, AND ASSEF MAK SOHRAB DANCE FOR HIM. IT IS CLEAR AGA THAT HE IS A PEDOPHILE. HE IS PREYG ON THE SON OF THE FATHER HE ALSO RAPED. “'THE KE RUNNER' NTAS MANY, PERHAPS UNTEND, NARRATIV ABOUT MASCULY, SEXUALY, AND TIMACY DO NOT HAVE THE WILL, OR MAYBE URAGE OR PTH, TO NONT.” ULTIMATELY, AND ABSOLUTELY LE WH THE WBOY MOVI AMIR LOV, A POETIC VENGEANCE IS VISED UPON ASSEF. QUE BIS S MANY THEMATIC FICIENCI, THIS SCENE, AS WH MANY OF THE KEY SCEN THE KE RUNNER, FEELS RICKETY AND ILL-THOUGHT-OUT. MELODRAMATIC TWIST PIL UPON MELODRAMATIC TWIST, UNTIL AMIR SAYS AND DO SOMETHG HEROIC REGARDS TO SOHRAB. HOWEVER, EVEN THIS MOMENT FALLS FLAT, GIVEN WHO HIS WORDS ARE SAID TO AND HOW LATE , AND HOW IS STAGED. “THERE IS A WAY TO BE GOOD AGA,” WE HEAR AGA—BUT AMIR SEEMS A 95 PERCENT LACKG AMBASSADOR OF .IN A PLAY SO OBSSED WH MALE ANXIETY ABOUT UNSAYABLE THGS, WOMEN UNSURPRISGLY HAVE VERY LTLE TO DO. FIRST, ONE NAMELS FEMALE CHARACTER BE A VICTIM OF NEAR-RAPE BABA AND AMIR’S NVOY LEAVG AFGHANISTAN; BUT THIS IS MERELY A PLOT VICE TO SHOW HOW PATHETIC AMIR IS BEE HIS FATHER DO WHAT HE FAILED TO DO WH HASSAN, AND STANDS UP TO A POTENTIAL RAPIST. THE OTHER SIGNIFINT WOMAN IS SORAYA (AZA GHANIZADA), WHO AMIR FALLS LOVE WH AFTER THEY MEET AT A FLEA MARKET. SHE IS STEREOTYPILLY ANGELIC, STRONG AND GOOD AND MOSTLY SILED, WHICH IS A SHAME BEE GHANIZADA BRGS SOME MUCH-NEED LIFE AND SHARPNS TO A TRATGLY UNRWRTEN PART. THAT SORAYA NNOT HAVE CHILDREN IS ANOTHER MAJOR FACTOR BARELY EXAMED; LIKE OTHER SIGNIFINT PONENTS OF OTHER CHARACTERS MERELY SERV TO SLOT THE PLOT OF THE PLAY TO PLACE. AMIR ARISON AND AMIR MALAKLOU "THE KE RUNNER."JOAN MARC WE NEVER FEEL THE HEAT OF LOVE AND PASSN BETWEEN SORAYA AND AMIR. SHE IS A SUPPORTIVE ROCK TO HIM AND HAS NO PENNT PRENCE THE STORY. IS SHE REALLY THERE TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW THERE IS NO QUTN ABOUT AMIR’S OWN HETEROSEXUALY? LATER, WE LEARN THAT HASSAN—BEFORE HE DI OFF-STAGE—ALSO MARRIED A WOMAN AND HAD SOHRAB. AMIR SEEMS RELIEVED. SURE, HE IS HAPPY HIS IEND WAS HAPPY, BUT THE BIZARRE AMG OF MASCULY THE PLAY, THE UNSPOKEN IMPLITN IS ALSO “THANK GOODNS HE ATTAED SOME KD OF SOCIALLY-SANCTNED HETEROSEXUAL NORMALY AFTER BEG RAPED BY THAT GAY PEDOPHILE!”THE PASSNLS WARMTH AND SAFETY OF AMIR AND SORAYA’S RELATNSHIP ST THIS CRIC’S MD TO THE MOMENTS WHEN AMIR SEEMED HAPPIT THE PLAY—RIGHT AT THE BEGNG WH HASSAN. THE STANDOUT MOMENTS OF PHYSIL TIMACY THAT WE SEE ON STAGE ARE BETWEEN THE TWO BOYS. AND THEN A HIO ACT OF ERCIVE TIMACY BREAKS THEM APART, LEAVG THE ONE CHARACTER WE ARE MEANT TO THK OF AS A HERO WREATHED PSYCHOLOGIL AGONY HE WILL NOT OR NNOT VOLIZE. THE KE RUNNER NTAS MANY, PERHAPS UNTEND, NARRATIV ABOUT MASCULY, SEXUALY, AND TIMACY DO NOT HAVE THE WILL, OR MAYBE URAGE OR PTH, TO NONT.DPE THE ATTRACTIVE PROJECTNS OF AFGHANISTAN AND SAN FRANCIS, THERE IS NO RELIEF TO BE FOUND THE STAGG OF THE SHOW. CHARACTERS DO THAT WEIRD THG OF WALKG ROUND CIRCL AND TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT A B TO NVEY WALKG LONG DISTANC OR NEGOTIATG SPAC WH UNSEEN DOORS OR STREETS. THE BIGGT BIZARRE SIGN CISN IS TO NOT FEATURE ACTUAL THEATER-FILLG, KE-FLYG. COME ON, YOU’RE A BROADWAY THEATER DOG THE KE RUNNER! WHAT ABOUT FDG A STRIKG WAY TO RECREATE THE AMAZG RAC HOSSEI EVOK SO BETIFULLY ON THE PAGE. BUT NO. INSTEAD, ALL THAT LGERS IS THE HEAVY PALL OF HOMOPHOBIC, SIMPLISTIC UGLS—AND SO MANY UNANSWERED QUTNS. TIM TEEMAN

KE RUNNER JOS GAY PENGUS ON TOP 10 BOOKS AMERINS WANT BANNED

Though The Ke Runner is not a queer play the sense that s protagonist or them are gay, sparked somethg my own inty — character tras I’ve rried wh me over the years as a rult of beg othered and bullied. Books wh LGBTQ them — om popular children's book “And Tango Mak Three” to Pulzer Prize-wner “The Color Purple” — are promently featured on the Amerin Library Associatn’s newly released list of the Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books of the past wh lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer them, cludg “Gee” by Alex Go, “I Am Jazz” by Jazz Jenngs and Jsi Herthel, and “The Perks of Beg a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, posed half of the list’s top 20 and about a quarter of the top list was released earlier this week by the library associatn’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, which has been trackg efforts to ban books om librari and schools for the past 30 years. "Gayle Pman, “This Day June” thorIn 2019, for example, eight of the 10 most-banned books on the library associatn’s annual list were challenged due to LGBTQ ntent, and 2018, more than half were challenged for this there are far more books currently on library shelv pictg graphic murr and sex — “Jte” by the Marquis Sa and “Hannibal” by Thomas Harris, for example — Caldwell-Stone said people generally don’t challenge the tl, which were wrten for adult rears.

91 on the library associatn's latt list, said one of his goals wrg the book was “showg a kid-iendly and universal way that gay people are jt as pable of beg the hero and jt as worthy of fdg love. ”Durg his book-burng vio, Dorr specifilly mentned beg spired by the Nazis, who burned more than 20, 000 books belongg to the Instut für Sexualwissenschaft, a German stute found by sexologist Magn Hirschfeld and dited to the rearch of homosexualy and transgenr inty. Khaled Hossei has joed the illtr ranks of Philip Pullman and the thors of a story about gay pengus, after his novel The Ke Runner beme one of the books that spired most plats Ameri last btsellg and crilly acclaimed tle, the story of a 12-year-old Afghan and his betrayal of his bt iend, clus the rape of a boy, and provoked challeng the US over what objectors saw as sexual ntent and offensive language.

‘THE KE RUNNER’ ON BROADWAY IS HOMOPHOBIC TRASHHERO TO ZEROTHE BROADWAY ADAPTATN OF KHALED HOSSEI’S BTSELLG NOVEL FEATUR A GAY RAPIST AND PEDOPHILE VILLA CENTER STAGE. IF NOTHG ELSE, “GROOMER”-OBSSED BIGOTS WILL LOVE .TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 21, 2022 9:44PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2022 9:00PM EDT JOAN MARCPERHAPS THE MAKERS OF THE KE RUNNER (TO OCTOBER 30, HAY THEATER) WOULD BE HORRIFIED TO THK THAT THE MSAGE OF THEIR BROADWAY SHOW ALIGNS SO CLOSELY TO THE HOMOPHOBIA AND POISONO PREJUDICE—“GROOMERS,” “PEDOPHIL” AND THE RT OF —ISSUG FORTH OM REPUBLIN AND RIGHT-WG MOUTHS OF LATE. BUT PERHAPS THEY WOULDN’T BE HORRIFIED; AFTER ALL, RIGHT THERE ONT OF , THEY PROUDLY PRENT A GAY PSYCHOPATH WHO IS ALSO A RAPIST AND PEDOPHILE AND THE VILLA OF THEIR SHOW. WHAT A DREAM NIGHT OUT FOR ANTI-GAY BIGOTS THEY HAVE CREATED.WE DO NOT KNOW MUCH ELSE ABOUT ASSEF (AMIR MALAKLOU). THE PRODUCERS OF THE SHOW—ADAPTED OM KHALED HOSSEI’S BTSELLG NOVEL SET 1970S AFGHANISTAN AND AMERI THE 1980S AND NEAR-PRENT DAY—SIMPLY MAKE ASSEF EXTREMELY TERRIBLE. THE MANIFTATN OF THIS EVIL IS HIS SEXUALY, WHICH THE PLAY EXTRIBLY TI TO HIS PERVERTED VLENCE AND VILLAY, WHICH—LIKE A LOT THE PLAY—IS NOT DISCSED OR MA CLEAR, BUT STILL BLUNTLY EXPLOED FOR PLOT PURPOS THIS OBNOX PRODUCTN. THE PLAY’S OFFENSIVE SHALLOWNS IS EXACERBATED WHEN NSIRG THE PRENT-DAY PLIGHT OF LGBTQ AFGHANS, EHER TRYG TO STAY ALIVE FOLLOWG THE TALIBAN’S TAKEOVER OR SPERATELY TRYG TO PE THE UNTRY FOR THEIR LIV. HOW IRONIC THAT THE LAST PRODUCTN THIS THEATER WAS BASEBALL DRAMA TAKE ME OUT, WHICH EXAMED ISSU OF SEXUALY AND MASCULY (TOXIC AND OTHERWISE) A FAR MORE NUANCED AND TELLIGENT WAY. THE CHEAP EXPLOATN OF THE KE RUNNER STANDS STARK NTRAST. (WARNG: SPOILERS AHEAD.) PROTAGONIST AMIR (AMIR ARISON) NARRAT THE SHOW THROUGHOUT AS AN ADULT, WHILE SIMULTANEOLY PLAYG A TEENAGE BOY HIS OWN STORY—WHICH LOOKS AND SOUNDS ODD AND STILTED. IN THE WTER OF 1975 KABUL, ASSEF FIRST BULLI AMIR AND HIS IEND AND SERVANT HASSAN (ERIC SIRAKIAN), BY LLG THEM “FAGGOT.” THE VERY MENTN OF THIS WORD ELICED SNICKERG LGHTER OM SOME OF THE DIENCE THIS CRIC SAT AMONG.PERHAPS, ONE MAY THK CHARABLY, THE KE RUNNER IS MAKG THE SE THAT ASSEF IS CLOSETED, OR THAT HIS ABE SOMEHOW ORBS ABOVE ANY KD OF CLASSIFITN OF SEXUALY. IF THIS IS THE SE, THERE IS NO EXPLORATN OF THE SOURCE OF HIS SELF-HATRED AND VLENCE, OR WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LIKE TO HAVE BEEN A SCREWED-UP YOUNG GAY MAN 1970S AFGHANISTAN; AND DON’T BOTHER TO CHART HIS JOURNEY OF, SAY, A SELF-LOATHG TEENAGER TO RAPIST TO VLENT, CHILD-TRAFFICKG PEDOPHILE AND RAPIST. ASSEF IS JT A CIPHER FOR EVIL. THE KE RUNNER CREAT A BOO-HISS MONSTER, BUT IS NOT A JOT TERTED HIS GENIS.ASSEF IS ALSO A SNOB, SEEKG TO ALIGN HIMSELF WH THE UPPER-CLASS PASHTUNS HE AND AMIR ARE, AS OPPOSED TO HASSAN, WHO—ALONG WH HIS FATHER ALI (EVAN Z)—SERVE AMIR AND HIS FATHER BABA (FARAN TAHIR) AND ARE OM THE POORER HAZARAS. AMIR AND HASSAN ARE IENDS, JT LIKE THEIR FATHERS, CLASS DISTCTNS VAPORIZED BY LLECTIVE VOTN.THE BOYS LOVE AMERIN WBOY MOVI, DUBBED TO FARSI— IS THEIR MOL OF GOOD MASCULY; SIMPLE STORI OF HETERO, MASCULE HERO VANQUISHG VILLAS, RATHER LIKE THE IA THE KE RUNNER HAS OF SELF. HASSAN, AS WELL AS BEG “THE KE NNER” OF THE PLAY’S TLE, PROUDLY FETCHG KE-FLYG CHAMPN AMIR’S KE, IS A WHIZZ WH THE SLGSHOT, SUMMONG UP IMAG OF DAVID SLAYG GOLIATH. ASSEF SEEMS TO FLIRT, LIGHTLY, WH AMIR. HASSAN IS THEN THE VICTIM OF HIS VLENT RAPE. THIS RAPE IS OBSERVED CLOSELY ENOUGH FOR AMIR TO SEE HASSAN’S BLOOD STA THE SNOW ON THE GROUND BLACK. HOWEVER, THE VLENCE HAPPENS AWAY OM OUR EY, WHICH, NSIRG HOW CENTRAL THE ACT IS TO THE KE RUNNER, IS A BIZARRE CHOICE ON THE PART OF PRODUCERS WHO LIKELY THK THEY ARE BEG TASTEFUL AND RTRAED. IN FACT, SEEMS VASTLY MORE EXPLOATIVE THAN SHOWG OVERTLY.THE ACT OF A MAN BEG RAPED BY ANOTHER MAN—PLAYED AS AN UNFIVABLE TRPASS ON THE EDIFICE OF MASCULY, RATHER THAN A HORRIFIC VLATN AND AN EXPERIENCE OF VLENT CRIME SELF—IS THE THROBBG DISGT AT THE CENTER OF THE KE RUNNER. THE PLAY ASKS, BUT NEVER AQUATELY ANSWERS, WHY AMIR DID NOTHG TO HELP OR SAVE HASSAN THAT DAY.FROM HERE ON, A EIGHTED SILENCE REIGNS, AS WELL AS A SHEDLOAD MORE SADISM. HASSAN, WHO IS NIED ANY VOICE APART OM DOE-EYED EXPRSNS OF LOYALTY TO AMIR, DON’T TALK ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HIM, THOUGH HE REMAS LOYAL TO AMIR, WHO BE A WHG, ANNOYG, SELF-JTIFYG WARD FOR THE RT OF THE PLAY UNTIL S CLOSG MOMENTS. “THERE IS A WAY TO BE GOOD AGA,” IS THE NTATN THAT OPENS AND CLOS THE PLAY—BUT IS LYRIL NONSENSE. AMIR IS ALWAYS ON STAGE TELLG HIS THOUGHTS, TRYG TO JTIFY HIS LACK OF LOYALTY TO HASSAN AND HIS ABILY TO DO THE RIGHT THG. HE WANTS HIS FATHER TO BE PROUD OF HIM, HE DON’T WANT TO SHAME HIS FATHER, AND TO PLEASE HIM—AND ON AND ON HE GRIP. THIS IS NOT ENARG. UNTENTNALLY, MAK HIM TO ANOTHER VILLA. “'THE KE RUNNER' LERALLY SILENC A VICTIM OF RAPE THE SERVICE OF A BOG, UNNVCG JOURNEY OF REMPTN UNRTAKEN BY S HERO.” AMIR TREATS HASSAN WORSE AND WORSE AFTER THE RAPE. HE HS HIM. HE IS TO HIM. HE ISOLAT HIM. HE TREATS HIM AS A SERVANT RATHER THAN IEND. HE TRI TO AME HIM FOR THIEVG, AND—BEE HE IS SO LOYAL TO AMIR—HASSAN GO ALONG WH THIS AWFUL, ADDNAL JTICE DONE AGAST HIM, AND HE AND HIS FATHER EVENTUALLY GO TO A SELF-IMPOSED EXILE. MORE VLENCE AND ATH AWA THEM, AGA OFF STAGE, AGA UNSEEN AND UNHEARD. HASSAN AND ALI’S RELATIVE MUTENS AS CHARACTERS FEELS LIKE AN TERNAL SNOBBERY OF THE KE RUNNER’S, WHICH LERALLY SILENC A VICTIM OF RAPE THE SERVICE OF AN UNNVCG JOURNEY OF REMPTN UNRTAKEN BY S HERO.IS AMIR DISGTED THAT HIS IEND WAS RAPED? HE DON’T SEEM TO RE THAT HIS IEND HAS HAD AN APPALLG ACT OF VLENCE DONE TO HIM. IS HE DISGTED THAT HE DIDN’T DO ANYTHG TO HELP HIM? THAT SEEMS TO BE THE PLAY’S SELF-THIS—THE STORY CERTALY NNOT SEEM TO MOVE BEYOND AMIR’S EXPERIENCE OF GUILT, AND WANTG TO PLEASE HIS FATHER—BUT IF THAT’S THE SE, WHY DO AMIR TREAT HASSAN SO BADLY? WHY DON’T HE TREAT HIMSELF BADLY IF HE FEELS HE'S A FAILURE? AMIR ARISON AND ERIC SIRAKIAN "THE KE RUNNER."JOAN MARC HIS ANGER AND VLENCE TOWARDS HASSAN READ AS FURTHER DISGT AT THE VLENT ACT HIS IEND ENDURED, RATHER THAN HIS IEND’S EXPERIENCE OF VLENCE. WHY WOULD YOU PERSECUTE A IEND YOU ALLEGEDLY RE FOR, VERBALLY AND PHYSILLY, AFTER SEEG THEM BTALIZED? THE KE RUNNER DON’T SAY; REALLY NEVER DIGS TO S WOON CHARACTERS.WE SEE ASSEF TALKG SHIFTILY TO A MALE SERVANT AT A PARTY HELD FOR AMIR (Y, GAY, WE’VE GOT BY NOW, THANK YOU!), BEFORE WAR AND DISPLACEMENT LEAD AMIR AND BABA TO SAN FRANCIS 1981, TO BUILD A NEW LIFE. ODDLY, 1981 SAN FRANCIS, GAY PEOPLE DO NOT FIGURE THE LIST OF THGS THAT STAND OUT FOR AMIR—BUT RATHER FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, AND PRCE. HOW WEIRD FOR AMIR TO LIVE ONE OF THE GAYT CI ON THE PLA AND NOT NOTICE THIS, OR— TERMS OF A STORY VICE RIGHT ONT OF HIS CREATOR—E SAN FRANCIS’S STAT AS A MAJOR GAY POPULATN CENTER, RICH DIVERSY, TO EHER CHALLENGE OR EPEN THE PLAY’S UNRSTANDG OF SEXUALY. INSTEAD, THE SOLE AVATAR OF HOMOSEXUALY THE KE RUNNER IS A SPIBLE RAPIST AND CHILD ABER.TOWARDS THE END OF THE PLAY, ASSEF BE A SADISTIC TALIBAN MANR, KIDNAPPG, ABG, AND TRAFFICKG YOUNG BOYS, ONE OF WHOM IS SOHRAB, THE ORPHAN CHILD OF HASSAN, PLAYED HERE BY THE SAME ACTOR WHO PLAYED HASSAN. SOHRAB HAS BEEN DRSED UP AND MA UP, AND ASSEF MAK SOHRAB DANCE FOR HIM. IT IS CLEAR AGA THAT HE IS A PEDOPHILE. HE IS PREYG ON THE SON OF THE FATHER HE ALSO RAPED. “'THE KE RUNNER' NTAS MANY, PERHAPS UNTEND, NARRATIV ABOUT MASCULY, SEXUALY, AND TIMACY DO NOT HAVE THE WILL, OR MAYBE URAGE OR PTH, TO NONT.” ULTIMATELY, AND ABSOLUTELY LE WH THE WBOY MOVI AMIR LOV, A POETIC VENGEANCE IS VISED UPON ASSEF. QUE BIS S MANY THEMATIC FICIENCI, THIS SCENE, AS WH MANY OF THE KEY SCEN THE KE RUNNER, FEELS RICKETY AND ILL-THOUGHT-OUT. MELODRAMATIC TWIST PIL UPON MELODRAMATIC TWIST, UNTIL AMIR SAYS AND DO SOMETHG HEROIC REGARDS TO SOHRAB. HOWEVER, EVEN THIS MOMENT FALLS FLAT, GIVEN WHO HIS WORDS ARE SAID TO AND HOW LATE , AND HOW IS STAGED. “THERE IS A WAY TO BE GOOD AGA,” WE HEAR AGA—BUT AMIR SEEMS A 95 PERCENT LACKG AMBASSADOR OF .IN A PLAY SO OBSSED WH MALE ANXIETY ABOUT UNSAYABLE THGS, WOMEN UNSURPRISGLY HAVE VERY LTLE TO DO. FIRST, ONE NAMELS FEMALE CHARACTER BE A VICTIM OF NEAR-RAPE BABA AND AMIR’S NVOY LEAVG AFGHANISTAN; BUT THIS IS MERELY A PLOT VICE TO SHOW HOW PATHETIC AMIR IS BEE HIS FATHER DO WHAT HE FAILED TO DO WH HASSAN, AND STANDS UP TO A POTENTIAL RAPIST. THE OTHER SIGNIFINT WOMAN IS SORAYA (AZA GHANIZADA), WHO AMIR FALLS LOVE WH AFTER THEY MEET AT A FLEA MARKET. SHE IS STEREOTYPILLY ANGELIC, STRONG AND GOOD AND MOSTLY SILED, WHICH IS A SHAME BEE GHANIZADA BRGS SOME MUCH-NEED LIFE AND SHARPNS TO A TRATGLY UNRWRTEN PART. THAT SORAYA NNOT HAVE CHILDREN IS ANOTHER MAJOR FACTOR BARELY EXAMED; LIKE OTHER SIGNIFINT PONENTS OF OTHER CHARACTERS MERELY SERV TO SLOT THE PLOT OF THE PLAY TO PLACE. AMIR ARISON AND AMIR MALAKLOU "THE KE RUNNER."JOAN MARC WE NEVER FEEL THE HEAT OF LOVE AND PASSN BETWEEN SORAYA AND AMIR. SHE IS A SUPPORTIVE ROCK TO HIM AND HAS NO PENNT PRENCE THE STORY. IS SHE REALLY THERE TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW THERE IS NO QUTN ABOUT AMIR’S OWN HETEROSEXUALY? LATER, WE LEARN THAT HASSAN—BEFORE HE DI OFF-STAGE—ALSO MARRIED A WOMAN AND HAD SOHRAB. AMIR SEEMS RELIEVED. SURE, HE IS HAPPY HIS IEND WAS HAPPY, BUT THE BIZARRE AMG OF MASCULY THE PLAY, THE UNSPOKEN IMPLITN IS ALSO “THANK GOODNS HE ATTAED SOME KD OF SOCIALLY-SANCTNED HETEROSEXUAL NORMALY AFTER BEG RAPED BY THAT GAY PEDOPHILE!”THE PASSNLS WARMTH AND SAFETY OF AMIR AND SORAYA’S RELATNSHIP ST THIS CRIC’S MD TO THE MOMENTS WHEN AMIR SEEMED HAPPIT THE PLAY—RIGHT AT THE BEGNG WH HASSAN. THE STANDOUT MOMENTS OF PHYSIL TIMACY THAT WE SEE ON STAGE ARE BETWEEN THE TWO BOYS. AND THEN A HIO ACT OF ERCIVE TIMACY BREAKS THEM APART, LEAVG THE ONE CHARACTER WE ARE MEANT TO THK OF AS A HERO WREATHED PSYCHOLOGIL AGONY HE WILL NOT OR NNOT VOLIZE. THE KE RUNNER NTAS MANY, PERHAPS UNTEND, NARRATIV ABOUT MASCULY, SEXUALY, AND TIMACY DO NOT HAVE THE WILL, OR MAYBE URAGE OR PTH, TO NONT.DPE THE ATTRACTIVE PROJECTNS OF AFGHANISTAN AND SAN FRANCIS, THERE IS NO RELIEF TO BE FOUND THE STAGG OF THE SHOW. CHARACTERS DO THAT WEIRD THG OF WALKG ROUND CIRCL AND TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT A B TO NVEY WALKG LONG DISTANC OR NEGOTIATG SPAC WH UNSEEN DOORS OR STREETS. THE BIGGT BIZARRE SIGN CISN IS TO NOT FEATURE ACTUAL THEATER-FILLG, KE-FLYG. COME ON, YOU’RE A BROADWAY THEATER DOG THE KE RUNNER! WHAT ABOUT FDG A STRIKG WAY TO RECREATE THE AMAZG RAC HOSSEI EVOK SO BETIFULLY ON THE PAGE. BUT NO. INSTEAD, ALL THAT LGERS IS THE HEAVY PALL OF HOMOPHOBIC, SIMPLISTIC UGLS—AND SO MANY UNANSWERED QUTNS. TIM TEEMAN

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