Symbols In The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is a novel in which many readers can relate. Although there are some aspects, such as the war, that might not be directly relatable, there are other aspects that definitely are. I think that one of the incidents in the book that I feel is the most relatable and something I have experienced is when Amir was preparing for the kite race in order to impress Baba. The premise of this was that Baba mentioned to Amir that he thought he had a chance at winning, which made Amir even more determined to win than he was before. He was set on impressing Baba and gaining his approval.

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.”

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

Symbol: The pomegranate tree and the pomegranate are symbolic because in earlier chapters of the book it symbolizes Amir and Hassan 's friendship, as they carve their names in it and sit under it. When Amir hits Hassan with the pomegranates and demands that he fight back, Hassan smashes a pomegranate against his own forehead, sacrificing himself again for Amir, but it signifies the end of their friendship as Amir cannot stand the way Hassan sacrifices himself for him and it builds the guilt in Amir.

Baba always purchases identical kites for both Amir and Hassan. Amir is not happy about being treated the same as Hassan stating “Sometimes I wish he wouldn’t do that. Wished he’d let me be the favourite. This reinforces the jealousy that Amir has and introduces and demonstrates Amir’s desperation to win and earn Baba’s love. This section identifies Hassan clearly as the kite runner as he was “by far the greatest kite runner” Amir had ever seen. (pg 46).

The novel comes full circle with the kite running. The spot takes Amir back to when before everything changed with Hassan, and they were just two friends. Since Amir has forgiven himself, he can enjoy this moment and kite flying again. His memories are no longer bringing him pain and he is able to enjoy this with Sohrab and tells him, “Did I ever tell you your father was the best kite runner in Wazir Akbar Khan? Maybe all of Kabul?” (Hosseini 367) Amir runs the kite for Sohrab just like Hassan did for him years ago. The novel comes full circle, however, this time instead of Amir running away from Amir, he is running with freedom.

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,

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 the main character, Amir expresses his love for kite fighting. Amir talks about how his father takes him to a shop where this nearly blind old man makes the best kites. I believe the kite in this book symbolizes happiness because although Hassan and Amir had a lot of fun and exciting times to gather they seemed to be there happiest when they were kite fighting. At the very beginning of chapter six in the book Amir talks about winter and how it’s everybody’s favorite season because they shut down school for the icy weather and the kite fighting. All the kids in Kabul loved kite fighting so they prepared and got excited and they loved what they were doing. It’s almost like that kites brought a sense of happiness to the kids

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.

Throughout the novel, Amir endeavors to be approved by his father, Baba, who is admired by people in Kabul. Unfortunately, Baba believes that Amir, unlike him, is very unmanly “and [that he] never fights back. He just... drops his head ” (Hosseini 24). Since Baba wishes for a son who would stand up for himself, he can’t help but observe that Amir’s friend Hassan, as the guy who “steps in and fends the [bullies] off” (Hosseini 24) is his idea of the ideal son. Though aware of his father’s expectations, Amir is unable to change himself and instead envies Hassan and the fact that Baba treats him like his own son by“[patting]Hassan on the back. [and even putting] his arm around his shoulder [like a fatherly figure]”(Hosseini 15). Despite the manifestation of this hatred in Amir, he continues to recognize the bond that he shares with Hassan, “ brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast” (Hosseini 11) which is because both their mothers died during birth. The confusing emotions he feels for Hassan has Amir face a situation in which he acts inappropriately and allows the guilt to manifest upon him. After winning a very important kite tournament for the first time and “seeing Baba on that roof, proud of [him] at last” (Hosseini 71) Amir begins to search for Hassan who had gone to run his kite earlier. Finally, Amir finds him in a dark alley and as he “peeks around the corner” (Hosseini 75) he witnesses a sight that eradicated not only his relationship with Hassan but also Baba’s brotherly relationship with Ali, Hassan’s father. Peeking through the corner of the alley, like a bystander, he watches his one and only friend getting raped. The guilt that came upon him was for two reason; one, his lack of courage to stand up to

Amir stumbles upon an alley. In the alley, he sees the Hassan trap by three boys named Assef, Kamal, and Wali. All they asked of Hassan is to give up the blue kite. However, Hassan’s loyalty and friendship toward Amir prevented Hassan to give up the kite. As the tension built, Assef lets Hassan have the kite, but in-return he does unthinkable. Assef rapes Hassan as Amir watched unnoticeably from the alley (Hosseini 62-66). This was Amir’s chance to prove his true friendship by stepping in to save Hassan. Instead, Amir ran “because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he could do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan” (Hosseini 68). According to Amir, “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (Hosseini 68). “He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (Hosseini 68).