Sometimes it is seen as admirable to be born with certain qualities that are positively shown throughout a person’s lifetime. However, this is not always the case; some people must gain these traits through the trials and tribulations of life. Whether the characteristic is present since birth or is later adopted, it is still exceptionally important that the attribute is eventually manifested. These two opposing situations are exhibited through the antagonists in Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 novel, The Kite Runner. All through Hassan’s life, his courage was always present and never faltered; on the other hand, Amir lacked this bravery until he was a grown man after many years of maturing. Through the entirety of Hassan’s existence, not even during a difficult …show more content…
While a mere boy, Hassan faces a group of older boys threatening to beat him unless he hands over a prized kite he had chased after for Amir. “‘Amir agha won the tournament and I ran this kite for him. I ran it fairly. This is his kite’” (Hosseini 72). This refusing to succumb to the wishes of the boys leads to Hassan getting sexually assaulted and abused. Yet, he never once showed an ounce of cowardliness. A short time after Hassan’s rape, Amir plants money and a watch under Hassan’s bed to make it appear that he stole the items. When Hassan is confronted by Baba, Amir’s father, Hassan takes the blame even though it was not his doing. “‘Did you steal that money? Did you steal Amir’s watch, Hassan?’ Hassan's reply was a single word, delivered in a thin, raspy voice: ‘Yes.’” (105). Well aware of the possibility of consequences, Hassan still bravely
Amir resents his choice to be a coward when Hassan is raped. His guilt is immediate and it gnaws at him. A few days after Hassan was assaulted, Amir already feels guilt and resentment inside him. “’I [Amir]
Throughout the novel, The Kite Runner, courage plays a large role in determining the fate of each character. All of the characters show courage in different ways. For example, when Baba lost his wife and the mother of his children, he chose to raise his two sons on his own. Baba’s son, who is also the main character, Amir, is seen as the opposite of his father. Baba is a courageous, smart and very public man. Amir, on the other hand, struggles to stand up for himself and never feels the need to be courageous during his youth. He feels inferior to his best friend, Brother and loyal servant, Hassan. Hassan is constantly being praised by Baba for being brave, loyal and Baba views Hassan as his proudest achievement. Amir has a strong craving for respect from his father which influences the choices Amir makes throughout his life. He is constantly battling between choosing his morals or his father’s approval. However, during a conflict that happens later in the novel, Amir finally shows his courage and
Humans have been known to take the majority of actions solely for their own personal gain, especially if the outcome allows them to receive praise and public recognition. In many different cultures, pride is a quality character trait because of the respect and honor that come with it. Amir, an Afghan boy in the novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, is pressured by his society’s view on pride because of its importance in his culture. In addition, the high standards that his father has set by being a highly successful and idolized businessman add to the expectation that Amir must follow in his father’s footsteps to create a good life for himself. In his younger years, Amir’s views on pride were solely based off of others. His
Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, shows events of a boy named Amir who experiences many life changing events in his life. Amir had made decisions that he didn’t like in his life. Hosseini wrote a story about Amir from the time that he was a child all the way to his adulthood. In The Kite Runner, Hosseini showed the themes that guilt can lead to a life filled with regret many times in the book through Amir.
In his critically acclaimed first novel, The Kite Runner, author Khaled Hosseini tells the story of a 12-year-old Afghan boy named Amir, who seeks his father’s love but is hindered by his own cowardice. Both Amir’s cowardice and his father’s lack of attention are compounded by the people and events surrounding Amir, until they feed into each other in a vicious, never-ending cycle.
In the novel The Kite Runner the text explores many different ways the relationships and people surrounding a person can shape one's self, this is most prevalent in Amir. During Amir's childhood, he is constantly vying for Baba's attention and affection. Amir's cowardice is seen through many different examples in the novel, mainly Assef and his violent actions bring forth his cowardice in many forms. Hassan is Amir's best friend in the beginning of the novel, he is also a role model to Amir.
Different people have various beliefs and their own way of doing things. Hassan was one exceptional character whose loyalty overruled all betrayals in the novel. Just as any other individuals Hassan dealt with hardships in life however
In the novel The Kite Runner, the protagonist, Amir, is a young boy growing up in a well off family in Kabul, Afghanistan. Amir’s closest friend is Hassan, the son of his family’s beloved servant. Amir’s self image at the beginning of the novel is one in which he views himself as a coward, worthless and selfish.
In a matter of just a few months, the relationship between the two boys had disappeared. They were never the same two people after that day. Amir feels like he has lost his morals, fathers trust and everything in his life has just crumbled to the ground. Amir’s birthday has passed and he has been gifted a watch and some money. Amir had chosen to plant the birthday gifts he received under Hassan’s mattress and frames him for theft.
Honesty and respect are among many qualities that deep relationships carry, especially loyalty. In Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, he uses two young boys to convey his theme, “loyalty is not freely given, it is learned.” This theme is portrayed as Hosseini uses examples of devotion from his character, Hassan, to teach Amir what defines loyalty. While these two boys grow up together and form a friendship, a life-changing event splits them apart, only to take Amir twenty-six years to discover the truth of their past, their fathers, and their lives.
The Kite Runner is a powerful book contrasting selfishness and selflessness. The book follows the life of Amir, a character who experiences guilt and tragedy throughout his life. While growing up in Kabul, Amir witnesses the imperfect and prejudice society in his country. Within an imperfect society, there are many who are self-invested, and among those, there are those who are selfless. Characters Amir and Hassan possess selfish and selfless traits. The traits that these characters possess are influenced by fear, victimization, and loyalty, ultimately leading them to inaction and action.
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.
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.
Amir is often threatened by Hassan which Hassan is oblivious to, resulting in Amir feeling jealous and misusing his authority over Hassan, ‘though I stopped reading those when I saw he was far better at solving them than I was’, implying that Amir can’t handle an ‘inferior’ person exceeding him in any way. This jealousy develops into abuse towards Hassan when Amir uses his intelligence to make a fool of Hassan who is illiterate, ‘”When it comes to words, Hassan is an imbecile.” “Aaah” he said, nodding’. However, Amir would then feel ‘guilty’ for this and would give him an old shirt or a broken toy, ‘I would tell myself that was amends enough for a harmless prank’ displaying Amir’s malicious behaviour towards Hassan.
“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”(Hosseini 1). This was written by the author on the first page of chapter one. Later it was revealed that he was talking about Hassan being raped by Asser. Amir is still looking back in the deserted alley and is unable to bury the guilt from that moment. Amir past is something that will linger within his mind for the rest of his days. He will never forget how he stood by as he watches Hassan gets raped. That lead to Amir and Hassan spending less time together, Hassan would ask Amir what he did wrong and Amir would just push him away. Finally Amir thinks that he or Hassan has to leave, so he stuffed his birthday money and watch under Hassan’s mattress. He tells Baba that Hassan stole his watch and his birthday money. When Baba confronted Hassan about the 2 items, Hassan admits that he did steal them. That