Author: Khaled Hosseini published The Kite Runner in 2003. By 2005 it became the number one New York Times Bestseller. Although this book was his first novel, people still couldn’t get enough of his story about the troubled friendship between two boys. Sylvester Stallone, an American actor, once said, “Most action is based on redemption and revenge, and that's a formula. Moby Dick was formula. It is how you get to the conclusion that makes it interesting”. From time to time mistakes are made every day, and however the story ends will describe your mistakes. In The Kite Runner, the kite is the most important symbol that represents Amir’s past; just like a kite flying in the sky full of soars and dives, Amir's life was the same way as a …show more content…
For an example, Amir sees kite flying as a narrow bridge he must cross to reach his father. "Baba and I lived in the same house, but in different spheres of existence. Kites were the one paper-thin slice of intersection between those spheres" (Amir 49). Despite fulfilling his father's command by winning the kite flying tournament, Amir still cannot attain a profound relationship with his father. Later, he says, "We'd actually deceived ourselves into thinking that a toy made of tissue paper, glue, and bamboo could somehow close the chasm between us" (87). The bond between father and son is as thin as the paper with which the kites are made, proving the difficulty Baba and Amir would experience in order to connect with each other. Hassan’s rape later then occurs after Amir won the kite flying tournament. Although Amir considers the kite to be the pathway to his father’s heart, it leads Hassan being raped by Assef. Before the rape, Assef says, "I'm letting you keep the kite, Hazara. I'll let you keep it so it will always remind you of what I'm about to do" (73). These words made an impression on Amir’s heart that it will never be forgotten. The kite is now a reminder to Amir about the pain he has caused to Hassan due to his selfishness and coward self. In the painful memories of Amir and Hassan, they share a deep bond with one another, and innately
Khaled Hosseini’s uses of metaphor, juxtaposition, and parallelism in The Kite Runner help exude a variety of motifs, such as redemption and regret, along with one of the book’s central themes: in order to truly live life, one has to stop dwelling on the events of the past and move forward. If not for these stylistic choices of the author, much of The Kite Runner’s meaning would be lost entirely because of their importance in developing both the story’s characters and plot, as well as the emotional impact of the scenarios various characters are placed in. In particular, the character arc of Amir, the main protagonist of the book, would be stripped of an immense amount of significance. Other than the aforementioned reasons, these literary devices
In the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini tells a notable coming-of-age story portraying the actions and thoughts of Amir, a penitent adult living in the United States and his reminiscence of his affluent childhood in the unstable political environment of Afghanistan. Throughout the novel Khaled Hosseini uses character description to display his thoughts on sin and redemption.
The Kite runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini, published in 2003 by Riverhead Books . It takes place before Afghanistan’s revolution and its invasion by Russian forces. The kite runner is a vivid and engaging story that gives a picture of how long Afghanis struggled to triumph over the forces of violence, forces that threaten them even today. In this novel , four themes have been introduced, first of all Redemption is a way to make up sins committed , secondly, Adversities contribute to a person’s personality , thirdly , Fear can lead to severe mistakes and long term consequences, before last, After pain and struggles come survival and lastly, Friendship is the essence of a bond that seek the best mutually.
Hosseini also states that Hassan’s lip symbolizes the cultural and social differences throughout the novel, and how Amir's slingshot symbolizes the loyalty, their childhood, and explains standing up for what is right. The Kite Runner is a story of about an AfghanAmerican boy named Amir who has flashbacks that visually depict how his life was when he was just a young boy living in Afghanistan. It was a time of injustice as he searches for a redemption of his past guilts. Hosseini shows readers how Amir matures, and how he felt about different experiences during his life back in Afghanistan. The Kite Runner employs symbolism to show the experiences and moments in Amir’s life that have meaning to him and have left an impact on his life forever. By using symbolism, Hosseini makes readers think about how much earlier experiences and moments have shaped Amir’s life in The Kite Runner.
Amir even says himself, “‘And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name. Looking back on it now, I think the foundation for what happened in the winter of 1975-and all that followed-was already laid in those first words’” (11). Hassan’s death even after years of not seeing Amir, is still in service of him. Hassan dies protecting Amir’s home in the hopes that Amir will come back to him. Amir, on the other hand, receives his own version of his dad’s love, and after coming to terms with the mistakes that he made as a child, adopts Hassan’s son with the hope that he can right his wrongs, and make up for his mistakes with
As he leaps after the kite, he yells, “For you a thousand times over!” over his shoulder (Hosseini 67). While chasing down the kite, Hassan runs into Assef. Assef demands the kite as payment for previous embarrassments, but after Hassan refuses, Assef decides he will take something even more precious from him. At this point, Amir comes looking for his best friend and his trophy. He witnesses Hassan getting raped and quietly slinks away, not brave enough to protect his protector. Worse, Amir never acknowledges the incident, wounding Hassan deeper than any physical abuse. Ashamed of himself and his cowardice, Amir decides that the best way to be rid of his guilt is to make Hassan leave. He plants money and his watch under Hassan’s mattress with the hope that Baba will throw the thief out. Baba forgives Hassan, but Hassan and his father decide to leave anyway.
What seems like an innocent childhood friendship, it is taken by a tragic turn becoming a complex relationship when one betrays the other. Amir and Hassan share a strong bond of friendship inspite of being members of conflicting social classes in Afghanistan. The story banks upon the themes of extreme loyalty and intense guilt, played out by an unfortunate circumstance, followed by a series of reflective incidents. Hosseini's engaging novel brings out of the depths of self-condemnation in a phenomenal manner.
In the same way there are steps to making a good kite fighting kite, there are many obstacles one must face to mend the damage you’ve done after betraying a friend. Amir experiences many obstacles in his search for redemption. The symbol of the kite in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is prevalent throughout the story because it illustrates betrayal, guilt, and atonement.
The Kite Runner was written by Khaled Hosseini and published in 2003. It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Hassan, his father’s Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan’s Monarchy, through the Soviet Military intervention, the exile of Pakistan refugees to America, and the rise of the Taliban. The main theme of this book focuses on guilt and redemption. Throughout the novel, Amir is constantly trying to redeem himself. Early on, Amir strives to redeem himself through his father’s eyes primarily because his mother died giving birth to him, and he feels responsible. The more important part of Amir’s search for
The Kite Runner is a historical fiction novel written by Afghan author Khaled Hosseini. The book follows the life of Amir, a Pashtun boy, as he grows up and faces the ever-expanding power of the Taliban in his birthplace. Amir struggles to find his place in society and to develop his relationship with his Hazara servant, Hassan. Throughout this, a fundamentalist group called the Taliban is furthering the crevasse between the two main religious groups- the Pashtun and the Hazara. Together, all of these varying forces instigate Amir's moral code, will, and friendship. The novel's bildungsroman theme is enhanced by the development of brotherhood between Amir and Hassan and it's changes throughout their lives.
“I lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it… Then I knocked on Baba’s door and told him what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies.”(Hosseini,104)- The guilt building up in Amir is causing so much tension between him and Hassan that he just wants Hassan to leave. However it won’t be easy because his father will not fire his “family”. Theft is the only sin Baba cannot tolerate and Amir knows this.
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, follows the maturation of Amir, a boy from Afghanistan, as he discovers what it means to stand up for what he believes in. His quest to redeem himself after betraying his friend and brother, Hassan, makes up the heart of the novel. When Amir hears that his father’s old business partner, Rahim Khan, is sick and dying, he travels to Pakistan to say his goodbyes. Rahim Khan tells Amir about Hassan’s life and eventual death; the Taliban murdered Hassan while he was living in Amir’s childhood home. As his dying wish, Rahim Khan asks Amir to rescue Hassan’s son, Sohrab, from an orphanage in Afghanistan. Although Amir refuses at first, he thinks about what Rahim Khan had always told him: “There is a way to be
The desire to feel loved and wanted by your parents can drive a person to go to extreme limits to get that love. One boy that goes to these extreme limits is Amir. All Amir wants is to have a good, strong relationship with his father. He feels the death of his mother was his fault, and he needed to make it up to his father. In doing so, Amir let’s horrible things happen to his friend Hassan. Many many years later, after fleeing to America, Amir returns to Afghanistan in search of redemption of his actions all those years ago. The theme of The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini is redemption. Through Amir’s life, that’s what he’s been doing to himself, trying to redeem himself from his acts that have brought pain
From generation to generation, the constant struggle for males to live up to the expectations of their fathers often affects the choices made and actions taken by the sons. Perhaps, the overbearing testosterone levels claim responsibility for the apparent need for sons to impress their fathers, but not all boys consider the realistic consequences of their decisions. In Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner, young Amir's admiration for his father Baba, coupled with the constant tension in their relationship obscures his mind from making clear decisions as he strives to obtain his father's love and approval.
Redemption is a prevalent theme in literature, art, music, and everyday life. People find redemption through apologizing, charity work, and a manner of other ways. A person is redeemed after a type of crime, and the severity of that crime usually determines the way they are redeemed. During The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, redemption is shown when Amir is beaten by Assef, Amir’s adoption of Sohrab, as well as through Baba's many acts of generosity. Hosseini suggests that redemption can be achieved in a variety of ways determined by what the person believes they deserve as well as by the nature of their crime, shown through Amir’s fight with Assef, Amir’s determination to adopt Sohrab as well as