Gender Differences In 'The Kite Runner'

Equality is something we humans crave for when we are in a time of hardship. When we are being discriminated against, we feel the utmost pain and the need for freedom. Discrimination has lingered since the beginning of time, and ending it is impracticable. A French novelist, Honore de Balzac proclaims, “Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact.” Here, Balzac is acknowledging that an individual is born a free man and is just as equal as any other man. But, an individual will never be fully equal as they desire. Some parts of society will try to act superior to a certain quality of someone’s life, like their race, religion, culture, etc. This statement proves to be valid in Khaled Hosseini’s novel,

It is evident that Hassan experiences depression when he rarely gets out of bed and stops singing old Hazara songs. Therefore, in this case, the blue sky foreshadows the depression and sadness that Hassan experiences after the rape. Symbolism of the color blue also appears in the color of the hard earned Kite that Assef wants to steal from Hassan. When Hassan is cornered in an alley by Assef, Wali, and Kamal, “Behind him [Hassan], sitting on piles of scrap and rubble, was the blue kite” (71). Hassan chased and caught the blue kite for Amir after winning the kite flying tournament. Blue is symbolic of loyalty or devotion because Hassan has always been loyal to Amir, and him retrieving the kite for Amir is another demonstration of his loyalty. Furthermore, Hassan stood up to Assef in order to defend the kite so he could pass it on to Amir. Despite Amir not helping Hassan at what could possibly be his lowest point, Hassan remains loyal to Amir. The blue kite that Hassan defends represents one of the truest tests of loyalty he will ever go through. Towards the end of the novel while Sohrab is in the hospital following his suicide attempt, Amir yet again describes the sky as

As in all movies that are based on a book, the movie developers chose to add some scenes to the movie that were not from the original story. These additions were most likely aimed to substitute for the scenes removed, however this, once again, took away from the important details that really made the book what it is. On Hassan’s birthday, he was not given surgery to remove the harelip from his face; instead, Baba took him to a special kite shop and let him choose any kite that he wanted. The decision to replace the surgery with a present failed to show Baba’s appreciation for his ‘secret’ son. Although the love for kite running is clearly shown, David Benioff’s decision to have Hassan explain the concept of kite running to Amir was very unrealistic. This event goes against Hassan’s characteristics of being less intelligent and superior than Amir, and creates an allusion that Hassan had superiority and he knew more than Amir about flying kites. Hassan’s loyalty to Amir, and Amir’s superiority is shown in the quote, “Sometimes, up in those trees, I talked Hassan into firing walnuts with his slingshot at the neighbour’s one-eyed German shepherd. Hassan never wanted to, but if I asked, really asked, he wouldn't deny me. Hassan never denied me anything,” page 4. The day Hassan and Ali decided to leave because of Amir’s betrayal was a very sad moment in the book. Khaled Hosseini described the setting as a very dark day,

In addition, symbolism is shown to portray redemption at the climax of the book. Amir has rescued Hassan's son, Sohrab, from captivity in Kabul. However, a recent life of sexual abuse has rendered his emotions inert. Attending an Afghan summer celebration, Amir notices a kite-fighting tournament taking place. Purchasing a kite for him and Sohrab, they accomplish in cutting another. Looking down at Sohrab, Amir sees the vacant look in his eyes is gone. “Whistles and applause broke out. I was panting. The last time I had felt a rush like this was that day in the Winter of 1975, just after I had cut the last kite, when I spotted Baba on our rooftop, clapping, beaming. I looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile. Lopsided. Hardly there. But there” (Hosseini, 391). Thus Amir redeems himself, and thus it is shown that symbolism portrays redemption throughout the story.

The first section mentions the Winter and why “winter is every kids favourite season in Kabul” (pg 42). The reason is “they shut down schools for the icy season” and “kites, of course. Flying Kites. And running them” , and according to Amir, kites were the “one paper-thin slice of intersection”

Amir and Hassan, inseparable, fiercely loyal friends, have just won the annual kite-flying tournament in Kabul, Afghanistan in the winter of 1975 by cutting down all other kites in the air. Amir has just dispatched Hassan to retrieve as a trophy the last kite cut

In the book the Kite Runner by Hosseini, the main character, Amir, grows up in Afghanistan, and the strong culture affects his moral character while he lives their and after he moves away. He is unable to fit in with the cultural expectations his father puts on him, the religious racism divides him and his half brother Hassan, and the traditional family values cause tension between him and his wife, this all leads back to the theme of Amirs struggle to fulfill his ideals of masculinity.

Throughout the novel, the protagonist and narrator Amir receives many acts of loyalty from his brother and friend Hassan; these acts start off simple and almost meaningless to Amir, but as times get harder, Hassan’s loyalty proves strong. Hassan was very loyal and humble to those close to him and showed his devotion when he listened to everything Amir had to say and did whatever he wanted when he asked. Amir was reminding himself of the past and constantly bring him memories of Hassan and felt guilt at every moment. Amir reminded himself of the days in Afghanistan when Ali scolded Hassan for the things he had asked him to do, “But he never told on me. Never told that the mirror, like shooting walnuts at the neighbor’s dog, was my idea” (4). These actions were created by Hassan’s surroundings as he grew up, he was taught to be a Hazara servant, but once that friendship sparked between the two boys, Hassan didn’t want to lose that, Amir was his only friend. These small acts of loyalty sparked and grew more important to Amir. A major turning point in the novel was during the kite tournament, but upon finishing the race, Hassan tells Amir, “For you a thousand times over!” (67). This statement is a constant reminder throughout the novel that Hassan will forever be with him and that he will constantly put himself in danger for him and the people he loves. The proof of his loyalty increased that very same day when Hassan found the kite in an alley, but being cornered and harassed by Assef and his friends, he chose to stay and run that kite for Amir instead of handing it over. “‘Amir agha won the tournament and I ran this kite for him. I ran it fairly. This is his

Everyone has to grow up. It is apart of human nature, getting old, growing taller, and experiencing life; however, everyone grows up differently in the world. In the late 20th early 21st century book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini the main character has to learn to find his identity by growing up with guilt hanging on his back. His experiences and learning how to make amends with friends, dealing with oscillating beliefs that differ from the government, and trying to find himself which eventually lead to his self-actualization in which made growing up hard but all worth it. Similarly, in the book The Book Thief by Markus Zusak the main character is learning how to find herself and self-actualize in the world with a government that deterred children from having their own thoughts, her desire for learning, and her

Physical activities and attitude are factors that are determined by a man’s masculinity in The Kite Runner, but so are the things that a man chooses to occupy himself with. Baba believes that men and young boys should occupy their time with traditional male activities such as sports and being active, but we discover Amir prefers more ‘feminine’ interests such as “reading” and “writing poetry”. We see the idea for the first time when Baba states “fathering a son who preferred burying his in poetry books to hunting”, Amir suffers greatly because he can never live up to his father’s expectations. In addition, A Streetcar Named Desire, Mitch cannot live up to Stanley’s expectations. Mitch has similar characteristics to Amir by being sensitive with

Amir narrates a cyclical story of redemption through his memory which completes the cycle by reversing his kite flying role. The guilt of his sin of watching while his friend Hassan got raped, haunts him for 20 long years. He then cringed even upon hearing Hassan's name and the guilt endures as he chooses to deal with it by avoiding it. The effect of this terrifying sin is felt gravely due to the significance of kite flying in their childhood years. In the moments of their last kite flying tournament when the kite was flying high in the sky, their friendship was at its pinnacle. Hearing Amir describe these experiences in his own voice, saddens the readers further; to add to the utmost forgiving nature of Hassan.

Throughout Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, the reader observes many injustices committed due to the presence of the Taliban and cultural conflict in Afghanistan. One of the most concerning issues in Afghanistan is the mistreatment and inequality that women face on a daily basis due to Taliban mandates. Women in Afghanistan are treated as inferior beings to men and are unable to stand up for themselves due the laws the Taliban enforces. Hosseini uses the wives of Amir and Hassan, Soraya and Farzana, to represent the injustices to which women in Afghanistan are subjected.

At the end of the novel, the roles are swapped. Amir acts as the kite runner, whereas Sorhab (Hassan’s son who represents Hassan at this point) is the kite flyer. This could be symbolic of Amir completing his journey of redemption and him re establishing his relationship with Hassan. In particular, I feel that in chapter 7, the Blue Kite is used as a symbol of Hassan’s loyalty towards Amir. Hassan will not give up the blue kite which he ran for Amir after winning the kite tournament, even when he is faced with rape as he is afraid that giving up the kite will jeopardize his friendship with Amir. This could be seen as symbolic of the protection and dedication which Hassan shows towards Amir. The blue kite is an object which is in between Hassan and Assef in chapter seven, in the same way that in chapter five, Amir is in between Hassan and Assef. Hassan won’t let the blue kite get torn or damaged by Assef in the same way that he wouldn’t let Assef hurt Amir in chapter 5, in my opinion the blue kite is clearly a symbol of Hassan’s dedication and devotion towards Amir; he would rather endure rape than disappoint him.

In The Kite Runner men and women have roles to play in Afghan society. Men are universally portrayed as physically and emotionally strong. Women as submissive, dependent,and pure. This fits with stereotypes in the world because stereotypically men are viewed superior sex. Examples of characters who are positively shown for there gender specific roles are Baba and Soraya's mother Khala Jamila. Baba obviously is physically strong and does show few emotions his interest and bravery make him the epitome of the Afghan male. Khala Jamila is very submissive to the general and has even given up singing to appease her husband. Characters who don’t fit the mold like Amir and Soraya are in a negative light. Soraya has a rebellious spirit and has to keep

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.