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.