Kite Runner: Final Blog

                                                             
Sina Ahmadian                                                                                                                  July/18/2015

The Kite Runner: Final Blog 

              The primary theme in “The Kite Runner” is betrayal and redemption. Throughout the story Amir tries to deal with his guilt by avoiding it. He blames his self for Hassan’s rape by helplessly witnessing the tragedy. Every time he hears Hassan’s name, he is regretful of his past actions. This grief follows him for more than twenty years. Amir's guilt is so overwhelming that it forces him to commit an even greater act of betrayal: He deliberately plants items under Hassan's mattress to make him appear guilty of theft and force Baba to evict Hassan and Ali from the household. But instead of denying the false accusation against him, Hassan admits to the theft in order to protect Amir. “I actually aspired to cowardice... 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”-Amir (Chapter 7). Fifteen years after Baba’s death, Amir finds out about his father’s betrayal towards Ali and Hassan. “As it turned out, Baba and I were more alike than I'd ever known. We had both betrayed the people who would have given their lives for us. And with that came this realization: that Rahim Khan had summoned me here to atone not just for my sins but for Baba's too” -Amir (Chapter 18). He figures everything he knew once as a child was a lie, and feels betrayed. The only way he can redeem himself is to rescue Sohrab from the corrupted Afghanistan and introduce him to a new life in America. Amir decides to bring his nephew to United States and give him a life that his half-brother never got to experience. These low points in Amir and Baba’s lives create a sense of tension and guilt throughout the novel, but the betrayals of Amir and Baba also lead to quests for redemption that bring about some good in the end. Baba begins a charitable life, while Amir rescues Sohrab from Assef. I’ve seen movies with similar theme, such as “Shawshank Redemption”, which made it easier for me to understand the concept of “Redemption” in the novel, and the guilt people feel until they are able to redeem themselves.

               I would highly recommend this book to any reader that is looking forward to a story full of epic story-line that is built on friendship, trust and redemption. The story strongly draws in and attaches the reader to the story. The story is not only fascinating; it comes with learning aspects. It informs the readers about Afghanistan culture and traditions. As a reader, I was easily I was able to relate and make connection with story and the characters, and feel emotions as I proceed. Furthermore, I found myself being able to vision the story and understand the daily life in Kabul. I would recommend this novel to more mature readers and adults. There are many foreign words and events that are hard for younger children to relate and understand. If I were to explain the story to someone, I would not spoil the numerous surprises in the story. I would merely tell them Amir’s perspective growing up in Afghanistan; Baba a wealthy and respected businessman and the outcome of the Russian invasion on the relationship between Amir and Hassan.

The Kite Runner: Halfway post

The Kite Runner: Halfway Post

“The Kite Runner” began in Kabul, Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion. There is a specific relation between the setting and the plot. It is possible to demonstrate it, in a different context; nevertheless, most story elements, such as cultural and traditional elements, must undergo a change or be removed. Many cultural and traditional fundamentals, regarding the different tribal heritages, or kite fights are only associated with specific environment; therefore, when the location is changed, there needs to be some adjustments done to the novel. For this reason, I believe the setting is a very important factor, due to the story elements present in the surrounding. The tension between Hazaras and Pashtuns, which only exists in Afghanistan, is an important factor in the relationship between Hassan and Amir. There is a strong sense of nationalism and discrimination in Afghanistan, which results in Assef bullying them. It is revealed that he intends to "rid Afghanistan of all the dirty, kasseef Hazaras" (page 44): “But before you sacrifice yourself for him, think about this: Would he do the same for you? Have you ever wondered why he never includes you in games when he has guests? Why he only plays with you when no one else is around? I’ll tell you why, Hazara. Because to him, you’re nothing but an ugly pet…” (page 106).  Furthermore, "The Kite Flying Festivals" are, only favored in some middle eastern countries, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan. Hassan's ability to run kites resulted in a traumatizing event that affected both him and Amir throughout their lives. Having the story occurred at a different place, the plot would be drastically meaningless. There would be different cultural and traditional customs and perceptions, people would treat each other differently, and discrimination would have not existed towards the two heritages.In a diverse environment, where Kites are not popular, Hassan would have a different defining trait. Changing the setting would leave a remarkable impact on the story line and many major events within it.

The main conflict that Amir faces in this novel is to have Baba’s approval. As a child, Baba did not endorse Amir. He always regarded his son as weak and coward: "a boy who won't stand up for himself" (page 24). Amir tried countlessly to please his father, but his efforts were futile.  Amir’s hobbies included reading and writing, which Baba was fully apathetic of. He faked interest in many sports, such as soccer, to establish a stronger relationship with his father. Either way, Amir was unsuccessful in receiving Baba’s attention. He admired the way his father treated Hassan, and at same avoiding him. After winning the kite contest, Amir managed to gain Baba’s affection for a short period of time, but even he knew it would be short lived. This envious sense, forced him to lie to his father, to spend some time alone together. When Baba asked him to come to "Jalalabad" and invite Hassan, Amir hid the truth by saying Hassan was sick and unable to attend. Excited to be with his father, he realized Baba had already invited many others to come as well; Amir said; “It should have been just the two of us. That was the way I wanted it, but by Wednesday night Baba had managed to invite another two dozen people.”(Page 82).As Amir grew older, he built more confidence and felt less pressure to impress Baba. When making a decision to study English at university, he did not put much consideration into his father’s opinion, he decided: "I didn't want to sacrifice for Baba anymore" (Page 142). In my opinion, many readers can connect easily with Amir. Everyone at one point tried to impress someone in their life. My parents always had high expectation about my grades. There were times when I failed to surpass their mind set, even after doing my utmost. I had a similar issue regarding proving myself to my parents, therefore I understand Amir’s longing to impress his father.

The Kite Runner: Introductory Post

Introductory Post 

The Kite Runner
 By Khaled Hosseini 

 

The story takes place in Kabul  before the Russian invasion, and is based on a story of the friendship between two boys, Amir and Hassan. Amir, the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the Pashtuns. Hassan, a servant and a Hazara, from an execrated and impecunious social class.Their strange bond is broken when Amir and his father flee Afghanistan to escape the Soviet invasion, leaving Hassan and his father to an unfortunate destiny, during a time of discrimination, increasing ethnic, and political tension. Years later, Amir receives a call from an old friend in Pakistan reminding him: "There is a way to be good again". Immediately Amir is on a journey back to his mother country to make up for all the wrong decisions he made as a child upon his only true friend.

I recently have started reading “The Kite Runner” and I find it very moving. I can truly visualize and understand the ups and downs of the relationship between Baba and Amir. Me and my father, whom raised in Iran, discussed the conflicts that are quite relevant in both Iran and “The Kite Runner” scenario. Because of the way the story is written, you can get a strong insight into the protagonist's life. The author uses variety of techniques, such as descriptive words, to employ feelings and grab attention. The story gave me a perception of the harsh surrounding that many Afghan people had to undergo during the Soviet invasion from a perspective of a victim.

• Published by: River head Books, May, 29, 2003. ISBN 978-0-385-66007-5, Published in Canada by: Anchor Canada in 2004
• There are 393 pages in the novel
• Book Review: '' http://www2.webster.edu/~corbetre/personal/reading/hosseini-kite.html ''