Analysis Of ' The Kite Runner ' And ' Oedipus Rex '

It is amazing how two literary works from different time periods and different cultures can portray the same theme. A major theme in both The Kite Runner and Oedipus Rex is the limits of free will. The way Khaled Hosseini portrays the theme in The Kite runner is the way that the majority of Pashtuns treat the Hazaras, they are either treated as objects that people can do whatever they want with, they are treated as second class citizens or they are servants to the Pashtuns. In Oedipus Rex, the way that the theme is portrayed is that Oedipus is bound to a prophecy that he heard when he was a child.

In his essay, “Introduction to Oedipus the King”, Bernard Knox supports free will by stating that Oedipus’ downfall was not caused by fate. According to Knox there is not a doubt that, “Oedipus is the free agent who, by his own self-willed action, discovers that his own predicted destiny has already been fulfilled” (86). He clearly states that Oedipus is responsible for his free actions during the play. He insists that Oedipus’s made the decisions to discover the truth about himself.

“Who am I?” This has become the essential question asked in each literary work The Kite Runner and Oedipus Rex. Striving to find who they are the characters, Oedipus and Amir, try to figure out what they have become through their separate journeys. Most of their conclusions rely on the fact that both characters continue to look back into their past. The constant theme in both the novel and the tragedy is continuously looking into the past. Both characters constantly look at the past in ways such as their relationship with their father, the wrong choices they have made, and the secrets that lie in the family.

The topic of honesty is what comes to mind when you read “The Kite Runner” and “Oedipus Rex” because of how main characters Amir and Oedipus are raised on lies. Both characters are lied to until everything unravels. For Amir, the truth was hard to believe and came in a calm way. For Oedipus, the truth was the missing piece of the puzzle that decided his fate with survival. The topic’s of secrecy, abandonment and, how both stories connect will link to the books “The Kite Runner” and “Oedipus Rex”.

Themes are one of the most important parts of any form of literature. In these two works, the general theme of sin and forgiveness is shown. In Oedipus Rex, the

Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you? This happens often in literature , friends or family betray the protagonist ; when betrayal occurs it normally shapes the protagonists beliefs for the rest of the story. In The Kite Runner Amir blatantly betrays his dear friend Hassan , Hassan is scarred by being betrayed . Betrayal is an event that can easily twist the plot in many ways , it also affects the protagonists behavior after.

There are many different views about the concept of betrayal. Betrayal is described by World Book Online as a “. . . violation of trust or confidence.” Furthermore, there are different ways to be betrayed or to betray someone. Common examples of betrayal include adultery, mutiny, and stealing from a trusting friend. Betrayal also has an emotional effect on individuals. Being betrayed by an individual will induce the feelings of being “. . . taken advantage of, deceived, humiliated, despised, cheated, or stabbed in the back” (Krystal Kuehn). The novel The Kite Runner is a story about an Afghan named Amir who experiences and causes betrayals between friends and family. Throughout the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini addresses the different concepts of betrayal through the characters of Amir, Hassan, and Sohrab.

Themes are one of the most recognizable aspects one can collect from pieces of literature. Themes can be similar through, even in the most opposite works of literature. With The Kite Runner being a historically fictional novel and Oedipus Rex being a Greek play, one main theme can be extracted from these two very different works. The overall theme of betrayal is very apparent in both pieces. The author’s treatment of the theme is displayed directly through the character’s dialogue, thoughts, their actions. The author’s treatment of this major theme is significant because it sets the overall tone and mood for both pieces.

Betraying and lying have become the root of all evil today. People have made it an everyday thing to lie and betray people just because they like to see people broken in misery. People also lie and betray people because of jealousy they may have towards them. The tragedy of Othello explains why some people are not trustworthy. Just because some people feel like they are miserable, they try everything in their power to make the other individual miserable as well. Enemies come in different colors, shapes, and forms, making it difficult for you to pick out who the ones that is worth trusting. The author uses Characterization, conflict, and themes to tell about the deceitful ways a person has, and all the harm it causes to people to

Even as literature has multiple genres, themes can still parallel each other regardless of appearing in two altogether varying works very different authors of distinctly separate time frames conceive and write. Even as The Kite Runner is written as a work of historical fiction and Oedipus Rex develops a well known and praisable Greek tragedy, a theme of betrayal places itself throughout both. Literature demonstrates that morals can genuinely be learned through any method. In both pieces of literature, betrayal is a shared and understood theme throughout, the discourse and contemplations of each character magnifies the author’s treatment of the theme, and the author’s

In the books Les Miserables and The Kite Runner ,some people are rich because of hard work and dedication, others are simply born into money. Some characters are poor because of the events in their life that have made them poor. In Les Miserables Jean was able to become rich through hard work, later Jean becomes poor again because of situations that came about in his life. In The Kite Runner Amir was born into money and became successful himself.

The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini and Oedipus Rex by Sophocles are two famous pieces of literature that both depict author’s imagination and give the reader a chance to view a certain topic or culture from a different perspective. The reader is able to thoroughly compare the character progression of both main characters, Amir and Oedipus, by exploring concepts such as realization to blindness, fate, and free will. Both The Kite Runner and Oedipus Rex have themes of realization to blindness that cause the main character to show signs of development.

Some people know what it feels like to be betrayed, and some people know what it’s like to betray others.Betrayal comes in different forms and it’s seen in a variety of different relationships. Marriages, friendships, affiliations between different companies, parents-to-children relationships can all be affected by betrayals. But one place where betrayal is exemplified the most is in literature. In literature, betrayal represents a huge conflict in the plot, and even if it’s not the most important conflict it will still contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole; the scar's betrayal leaves behind will never fully heal unless you completely forgive and forget the incident or until you receive forgiveness and you forget as well.

Betrayal is a selfish action where one puts themselves before others which can result in painful difficulties amongst individuals. Most individuals choose their actions based on the situation and what the best possible outcome is for themselves. These selfish decisions of betrayal can cause lasting negative effects, damaging relationships and trust. Throughout the book, The Kite Runner, author Khaled Hosseini portrays the theme of betrayal in various ways through the actions of Amir, Baba, and Assef.

In the play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus unknowingly murders his father and marries his mother. When Oedipus discovers this he is disgusted with himself and decides to go into exile. The Misanthrope is a play about the self-exile of the main character Alceste. Challenged in court, he refuses to take back the criticism of a sonnet written by a powerful nobleman. Alceste and Oedipus are both convicted by their knowledge of the truth. Although, the United States grants asylum to more refuges than any other country, there is one man who has decided to self-exile.