1
In the first chapter of Khaled Hosseini’s The kite runner, it is 2001, and the protagonist. Amir is an adult in his late-thirties when he receives a phone call from Rahim Khan, a figure from his past. Rahim Khan was his father’s best friend and business partner in Afghanistan and something of a surrogate father to Amir, as Rahim was more supportive and understanding than Amir’s father, Baba, was. Rahim Khan tells Amir that he is very ill and wants Amir to come see him in Pakistan. He also tells Amir, “There is a way to be good again.” There is also a moment of foreshadowing where there are two kite dancing in the sky. This brief suggestion sets the stage for the entire novel.
2
The ending of The Kite Runner shows Amir running a kite for Sorhab, his former best friend Hassan’s son, whom he has adopted. It is set at a park where there is a gathering of other afghans. The story has come full circle, because Amir and Hassan would always fly kites together and Hassan would run the kite for Amir, showing his devotion and loyalty to Amir. He would always respond “for you a thousand times over” when Amir would ask him to return the kite to him or to run it. Now, having forgiven himself for the pain he allowed Hassan to go through and having visited him and helped save Sohrab, he shows the same devotion to Hassan and Sohrab. Amir adopted Sohrab and brought him to America to give him a good life. Now, running kites.
3
Hosseini frames this story in a way where the key themes are established in the first scene but they aren’t whole until the story is over as these themes resonate throughout the story. This puts the reader in a position where they don’t know what is going to happen next but they have an idea on the direction of the story. This is a effective way of story telling because it gives you just enough information to keep you interested without spoiling the story.
4
Besides the first and last scenes there are 3 other scenes that have great weight to the story. The first being early on in the story where Hassan encounters Aseef, Aseef wants the prize winning blue kite Hassan the unyielding boy he is refuses so Amir has a even nastier punishment where he Rapes Hassan and let’s him keep the kite Amir watches this unfold not acting or helping his friend who is protecting his prize winning kite and his doorway to his fathers attention and affection. Amir by not helping Hassan lives with that guilt for the rest of his childhood it also has a key role in what follows after for the rest of the story. Another significant scene from Hosseini’s story of the kite runner is when the conflict in Afghanistan worsens and it forces Amir and Baba to move to Pakistan then to America where a new chapter in the life begins and a lot happens changing the course of their live and the story. A third eventful scene is when Rahim khan tells Amir Hassan is his half brother. His father and Rahim knew and have lied to him and Hassan their whole lives.
Character Analysis:
1.
Amir: Amir is the main protagonist and narrator of the story. Amir’s persona changes throughout the course of the story but he starts off as a spoiled brat that lies and manipulates his family, hes a coward with a poor moral compass how ever very self aware therefor guilty. These negative attributes are fueled by him seeking his fathers attention and acceptance. Amir finally comes to his senses by the end of the story and is a honest good man that has redeemed himself through some good virtues.
“I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan—the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past—and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran.”
“That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.”
“I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba.”
Hassan: Hassan is a honest kind kid who is obedient, loyal and curious. He is a servant to Amir and his family as he is a race called Hazara a race thought less of and without privilege. How ever it becomes known later on in the story that Hassan and Amir have been half brothers all along Hassan grows up and dies before he gets the chance to find this out Hassans persona does not change throughout the story he stays true to who he is.
‘For you, a thousand times over!’
‘Then I have to hear it,’ he said, already pulling the blanket off him.
“Then Hassan did pick up the pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. ‘There,’ he croaked, red dripping down his face like blood. ‘Are you satisfied? Do you feel better?’ He turned around and started down the hill.”
Baba: Baba is the big father figure to both Hassan and Amir he treats them equally although they are opposites Baba is a big man who is fair and teaches the boys good sayings and morals.
“A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.”
‘Hassan’s not going anywhere,’ Baba snapped. He dug a new hole with the trowel, striking the dirt harder than he had to. ‘He’s staying right here with us, where he belongs. This is his home and we’re his family. Don’t you ever ask me that question again!’
“Tell him he’s wrong. War doesn’t negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.”
Assef: Aseef is the childhood bully to Amir and Hassan he is big in stature and is beyond evil early on raping hassan and at the end of the story killing innocent civilians based on his warped political ethical views.
‘Friends?’ Assef said, laughing. ‘You pathetic fool! Someday you’ll wake up from your little fantasy and learn just how good of a friend he is. Now, bas! Enough of this. Give us that kite.’
“Besides, I didn’t fight the Shorawi for money. Didn’t join the Taliban for money either. Do you want to know why I joined them?”
“They dragged me out and he started kicking me. He had knee-high boots with steel toes that he wore every night for his little kicking game, and he used them on me. I was screaming and screaming and he kept kicking me and then, suddenly, he kicked me on the left kidney and the stone passed. Just like that! Oh the relief!” Assef laughed.
Sohrab: Is Hassan’s son who has the same persona as his father and is sexually abused by Aseef as well both carry a slingshot and deadly aim. It is important to the story that Sohrab is a reincarnation of as Hassan in a way as Amir could not make a mends with Amir so Sohrab is his final shot at redemption and let go of his betrayal of Hassan.
2.
a.
A key relationship in the text is Amir and Baba, father and son. The key part of the relationship is acceptance how Amir wants Babas acceptance through any means necessary this lead Amir to do some bad things and become selfish. This also affects Babas character as it makes him very sad as Amirs need for acceptance drives away the 2 other significant characters in Baba’s life Hassan and Ali.
b.
Another key relationship in the kite runner is Amirs and Hassans. Who are unknowingly half brothers. There key part of there relationship is courage and cowardice. Hassan being courageous and Amir being cowardice, Hassan stands up for he believes in and stands up for Amir although he does not get the same in return. Amirs cowardice not preventing the rape of hassan permanently scarring hassan; and hassans courage lets Amir become even more weak and leads to his guilt.
c.
Amir and Sohrabs relationship has the theme of redemption. It is important to the story that Sohrab is a reincarnation of as Hassan in a way as Amir could not make a mends with Amir so Sohrab is his final shot at redemption and let go of his betrayal of Hassan.
3.
Amir is a anti hero in the sense that he is hard to like as he makes all the wrong choices but his self awareness projections onto the reader allows the reader to be sympathetic. Amir knows what he is doing is wrong it is only to his nature that he make poor decisions, he just doesn’t anticipate the consequences to his actions. Your positioned as areader to dislike him in the beginning because of his poor choices and unkind nature to hassan someone who has only been kind to Amir. hen Amir developes into manhood he looses some of his guilt as he has his own ambitions and is going after them without destroying other peoples lives in the process. By the end Amir is fairly likable as a commendable man who has gone from coward to courageous putting himself in harms way to redeem himself in the story but he also redeems himself in the readers eyes as well.
The Theme of Guilt:
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a“That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” This presents the idea you cannot bury your guilt.
b I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife, his beautiful princess, hadn’t I? The least I could have done was to have the decency to have turned out a little more like him.” This quote shows the idea that Amir has always been guilty he feels even guilty for being born.
c I became what I am today at the age of twelve.” This shows how guilt can eat away at you forever time will not ease your guilt.
2
The event that triggers Amirs guilt is him not stepping in rather watching Hassan being raped by Aseef. Amir deserves to suffer from his cowardice but he lets it get the better of him he suffers way more then he could have and at the end of the day he could of prevented it or dealt with it better he deserves to suffer because he needs to feel guilt to develop as a character its his wrong doing that is his inevitable ambition to redeem himself in the end. The guilt from this action spirals into lies to get rid of Hassan because he thinks this will get rid of his guilt.
3 Can’t remember how Amir tries to run away from his guilt but he cannot escape it because it has shaped his life tremendously,t it was a turning point in his life that lead to many events prior that reminded him of it.
4 The story presents guilt in a very harsh way that it can only be conquered not forgotten it teaches u guilt is bad and it eats away at your the more u try and bury it. In summary it affects your life in multiple negative ways you cannot live out a normal life with extreme guilt it only makes things worse guilt makes u do horrible things like lie and do things you wouldn’t otherwise do without it.
The Theme of Redemption:
The fight scene allows Amir to feel healed because he feels like he is being properly punished for something he has gotten away with for too long.This makes sense as if you did something bad you would be punished but if you got away with it you would feel guilty. The physical pain is balancing the scales because he is using the moment as a punishment for his sins after punishment you loose your guilt.
Amir tries to gain Baba’s acceptance through winning the kite fighting tournament the acceptance is to redeem his guilt of his mothers death. Amir doesn’t feel redeemed as he witnesses the rape of hassan and didn’t stand up for him.
Amir responds to Rahims call in the way he does because he wants to undo what he stuffed up as a child he will finally be a man with nothing on his shoulders weighing him down. He will be able to let go of his sin as Rahim says there is a way to be good again. Previously Amir didn’t have a way to redeem himself but now he does.
The key messages lessons and warnings of the novel about the guilt and redemption cycle… Amirs story teaches us…
Amir definitely redeems himself as a human as he was punished and has saved Sohrab, Sohrab being the symbol of redemption.
Symbolism:
Describe how and when it appears in the text
– Explain the significant meaning added to the text by the symbol. Likely, the symbol will add meaning or develop a theme or character for the readers.
– Write down 2-3 quotes for the symbol and explain how they could be used to explore the meaning of the symbol. You need to connect these quotes to your answer for the point above.
– Discuss what the symbol is and means outside of the text. Comment on how the symbol’s presentation inside of the text is strengthened by your understanding of the ‘real world’ value of the object.
1 . The kites appear in the text
The pomegranate
Scars
The slingshot
Analogies