The impact of baba's masculinity standard towards Amir's masculinity in Khaled Hosseini's the kite runner

The research is aimed at examining and comparing the masculinity types of Baba and Amir in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner which shows the contrast in masculinity between the two characters. There are three research problems to be solved in this study, namely: (1) How is the masculinity portrayed in Baba; (2) How is the masculinity portrayed in Amir and (3) How does Amir masculinity in Baba’s standards. The research was conducted using hegemonic masculinity theory and new alternative masculinity theory to show the contrastive different of the two characters. The research uses descriptive qualitative approach to present the analysis. The descriptive approach was applied to analyze the textual data in the form of quotation, phrases, sentences, and thoughts of the character. The data was collected and organized into data table, which then classified according to the type of masculinity of each character. The result of the research reveals that Baba embodies hegemonic masculinity, while Amir fits into a new alternative masculinity. Baba exclusively adheres to traditional masculinity, such as being aggressive, brave, strong, dominant, and favors sports, etc. Meanwhile, Amir highlights the values of empathy and equality, compassion and affection, and non-violent, which are the opposite of Baba's masculinity. The difference is prominent because hegemonic masculinity represents more towards traditional values of masculinity, while Amir tends towards more modern masculinity. However, the two share some similarities, such as protecting women's dignity, heterosexuality, breadwinning, and holding a patriarchal role.