A SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL EUPHEMISMS IN “THE KITE RUNNER” BY KHALED HUSSEIN
Keywords:
Political euphemisms, semantic analysis, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini, linguistic manipulation, Afghan literature, ideological discourse, power dynamics, language and conflict, narrative strategyAbstract
This study examines the function and meaning of political euphemisms within Khaled Hosseini’s novel, “The Kite Runner”. By applying a semantic framework, the research explores how language is used to mask the harsh realities of war, ethnic conflict, and shifting political regimes in Afghanistan. The analysis focuses on identifying specific instances where euphemistic expressions replace blunt or taboo terms to shape public perception and justify systemic violence. The investigation reveals that euphemisms in the text serve as more than simple linguistic substitutions; they function as tools of ideological control used by various factions, including the Taliban. By analyzing the relationship between the signifier and the signified, the paper demonstrates how these terms create a distance between the perpetrator and the act, thereby normalizing oppression. Findings suggest that political language in the novel reflects the broader instability of the Afghan state, where the manipulation of meaning becomes a survival strategy. Ultimately, the study highlights the power of naming and misnaming in the construction of historical and political narratives
References
1. Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Riverhead Books, 2003.
2. Jeffries, Lesley. Critical Stylistics: The Analysis of Representations in Utterance. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
3. Orwell, George. "Politics and the English Language." Horizon, vol. 13, no. 76, 1946, pp. 252-265.
4. Sadiqi, Fatima. "The Impact of Political Language on Gender and Ethnicity in Afghanistan." Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 15, no. 2, 2008, pp. 45-60.
5. Wardhaugh, Ronald. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. 6th ed., Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
6. Rakhmatova, M. M., & Inoyatova, D. I. (2022). Conceptual and Figurative Structure of the Concept of" Ugliness". Open Access Repository, 8(04), 58-61.
7. Rakhmatova, M. (2016). DISCUSSION ON VALUES, CULTURE, AND LANGUAGES. In International Scientific and Practical Conference World science (Vol. 2, No. 11, pp. 40-42). ROST. https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=27198684
8. Habibovna, U. Z. (2022). Truth And Fairness In “The Dead Zone” By Steven King's. JournalNX, 8(1), 77-80.
9. Usmonova, Z., & Quvvatova, D. (2021). The features of artistic functions in scientific fantasy (using the example of Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov’s works). ACADEMICIA: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal.
10. Habibovna, U. Z. (2023). Rey Bredberining “Marsga Hujum”(“The Martian Chronicles”) Asari Tarjimasida Leksik Xususiyatlar. Miasto Przyszłości, 32, 354–357.
11. Usmonova, Z., & Nurulloyevna, I. U. (2024). THE LIGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF TERMINOLOGY RELATED TO CRAFTS IN THE STORY OF “A ROSE FOR EMILY” BY WILLIAM FAULKNER. INNOVATION IN THE MODERN EDUCATION SYSTEM, 5(46), 99-102.
12. Habibovna, U. Z. (2022). The Implementing Author’s Vivid Speculation of the Technologically Advanced Era in the “I Robot” By Isacc Asimov. Eurasian Research Bulletin, 7, 63-65.
13. Habibovna, U. Z. (2025). REALIAS AND UNIVERSALIAS IN TRANSLATION OF ENGLISH SI-FI. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND LEARNING, 3(2), 633-639.
14. Habibovna, U. Z. (2024). THE USAGE OF TOPONYMS WITH LINGUACULTURAL FEATURES IN THE WORK OF “A ROSE FOR EMILY” BY WILLIAM FAULKNER. SUSTAINABILITY OF EDUCATION, SOCIO-ECONOMIC SCIENCE THEORY, 3(25), 94-97.
15. Naimova, A. M., & Baxronova, B. D. (2025). THE PECULIAR FEATURES OF MYTH MAKING TOOL IN PROSE. INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENTS AND RESEARCH IN EDUCATION, 3(35), 66-69.
16. Djalilova, Z. (2022). СИМВОЛИЧЕСКИЕ ЗНАЧЕНИЯ ФИТОНИМОВ В ПОЭЗИИ М.ДРАЙТЕНА. ЦЕНТР НАУЧНЫХ ПУБЛИКАЦИЙ (buxdu.Uz), 8(8). извлечено от http://journal.buxdu.uz/index.php/journals_buxdu/article/view/4623
