Comparison of Symbolism of Kites in the Kite Runner and Master Harold and the Boys

The flying hawk in the sky conveys the yearning he endures for freedom. They travel through rocky trails when a hawk lands on his shoulder. It soars through the sky and Colton stares at it in awe. For instance, he stares at the hawk while thinking, “He owned his world, he seemed to be telling me. Owned it! Soared above it and over it, came and went as he pleased,”(p.31). Colton wants to be free and when he ogles at the hawks freedom, he dreams of having the same experience. He wants to be able to soar above everyone and fly. He feels that freedom is like taking flight because when fleeing, he feels this rushing sensation,

Kites signify how much guilt has overtaken Amir and how he doesn't like flying anymore after the incident that happened with Hassan.

Khaled Hosseini’s, “The Kite Runner”, uses an abundance of diction and tone, to convey a centralized motif. Hosseini, uses three specific symbols throughout the story, the cleft lip; kites; the lamb. The central symbols, tie into what the overall theme is of the story, the search of redemption, tension and love between father and son. Hosseini expressed his centralized motif of irony and regressing in time by using symbolism and figurative language to make his point more clear “I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that 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.”

The book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a story about two brothers who develop both emotional and physical scars that in the end shape them as individuals. This amazingly written novel will leave the reader sobbing at times of sorrow, and smiling and laughing at times of joy. This

Khaled Hosseini uses various symbols and biblical allusions in his novel, ‘The Kite Runner’ to show how each of the characters were connected to each other in more ways than one. Throughout the story the author introduces various symbols that embody biblical teachings, vampirism and the path to redemption.

As a foreword, the story of The Kite Runner focuses on a man named Amir. In his childhood, he enjoyed a high-class life in Kabul, Afghanistan, living with his father Baba. They have two servants, Ali and his son Hassan. They are Hazaras, a lower class ethnic minority in Afghanistan. In one Winter of their childhood, Amir and Hassan participate in a kite-fighting tournament; the goal is to be the last kite flying. When a kite is cut, boys chase after it as a

The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini can be seen as a great book but at the same time one that is too simple and easy. In discussions of The Kite Runner, one controversial issue has been the inner levels of the novel. On one hand, many people believe that the novel is filled with numerous themes that are deep and make one think about the human experience and will leave you thinking long after you finish reading it. On the other hand, there are also many literary critics who contend that opinion and say that the novel is overly sentimental and simplistic. The view I obtained while reading The Kite Runner would be in agreement with the first statement. I also believe that the novel is deep and makes one think

The Kite Runner is a historical fiction novel written in 2003 by author Khaled Hosseini. Set in Kabul Afghanistan, we follow the footsteps of characters and the hardships and challenges they face. Hosseini utilizes multiple symbols to shape the reader’s reaction towards the teetering relationships within the novel. Symbols such as a bear, pomegranate tree and a cleft help show the importance of different relationships.

symbols such as kite flying, his mother’s death, and the characters’ facial scars, the author asks readers to question their own internal strifes and if they too have demons. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the search for redemption is symbolized, time and time again, showing that redemption is the driving force behind self­discovery. Everyone is plagued with internal strifes; however, none more that Amir. The author brings Amir and Hassan together by making them fly kites with one another every year. After Hassan’s sexual assault, Amir never flew kites again. That was until Amir saved Sohrab, Hassan’s child. Amir states just how long it has been since he had last flown kites “ I hadn’t flown a kite in a quarter century, but suddenly I was 12 again and all the old instincts came rushing back.” (Hosseini 368). By having Amir fly kites with Sohrab in the end of the novel, the author shows that dishonesty is redeemable,

Harvey Freedenberg in an online article titled “The Kite Runner,” says that Hosseini “demonstrates striking skill at melding a page-turning story with intensely involving characters and conflicts.” He says what makes people love the book so much is, “ that it wrestles with themes… [Of] friendship, betrayal, the relationship between fathers and sons, the quest for redemption and the power of forgiveness.” Erin Miller in an online article titled “Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini” complements Freedenberg’s analysis by saying that another reason why so many people love this book is that “The core story could be set in any culture because it deals with issues that are universal,” so readers can relate to the familiar themes.

In Khaled Hosseini’s novel, ‘The Kite Runner’, it is often thought that symbols and metaphors are used as visual representations to reinforce and put emphasis on important stages in the novel. In can be seen that symbols are used in the novel to highlight particular moments in key relationships. For example Kites, the Pomegranate tree, Scars and the Slingshot are each used to put emphasis on specific moments in the relationships between Amir and Hassan and Amir and Baba. Through using symbolism and metaphor to present these key

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.

“Little white boy in shot trousers and a black man old enough to be his father flying a kite. It’s not everyday you see that”(Fugard 31). When together alone, Sam is like a father figure and Hally loves to follow his footsteps, more than his actual father. Sam loves to make Hally feel proud of himself or even of something in his life because it does not happen often because of his coarse, alcoholic father. In front of people however, it is like they really are who they are supposed to be; a white boy with his parents servant. When Sam and Hally went out in the park to go and fly the kite, Hally did not want to hold the string and run, because he was embarrassed to see the kite not fly and fall to the ground, another thing he cannot be proud of. “The miracle happened! I was running, waiting for it to crash to the ground, but instead suddenly there was something alive behind me at the end of the string, tugging at it as if it wanted to be free. I looked back . . . I still can't believe my eyes. It was flying. . . I was so proud of us”(Fugard 30)! For once in his his life, Hally felt so proud of himself because of this kite, that he did not want to bring it down. Wanting to sit there all day and just watch it soar in the sky. Sam wanted Hally to be proud of something, proud of himself, and he gave him the encouragement for

‘How can a bird, born for joy/sit in a cage and sing?’ PG:48. This poem analyses how, if you are not happy, someone you don’t want to be, you cannot feel joy. A bird is supposed to be free, and how could it be happy if its home is taken away? Someone like Skellig is trapped in a garage, Michael is trapped in his fear, Mina is trapped in her opinions and baby Joy is trapped between life and death, once these three characters find the key and open the door to the metaphorical cage, they can sing once more. William Blake sends meaning through his poems, and now through Skellig; he contributes his poems to the novel as an important and meaningful

In the book The Kite Runner there are multiple themes that are a prominent analysis of the text. Betrayal, forgiveness and love are three that are used a lot throughout the novel but then have a deeper meaning.