The Kite Runner: Intellectual Differences

Throughout our lives we all experience things that may make us feel uncomfortable or make us feel insecure, some people experience these more than others. By being put into situations like these people’s insecurities are shown. Here we will be looking at two characters from two different stories. The first character is Amir, he starts off as a young boy growing up wishing to please his father and make him proud of him for the work that he wants to do and we follow him as he grows throughout his journey. The second character is Lucy, she is an 18 year old single mom living on her own with her 8 month old son. In this essay we will look at common experiences that point out these two characters’ insecurities and how they either developed or were

“There is a way to be good again” (2). This is the line that rolls through Amir's mind over and over throughout Khaled Hosseini's novel, The Kite Runner. This is the story of a mans struggle to find redemption. The author illustrates with the story of Amir that it is not possible to make wrongs completely right again because its too late to change past. In this novel Hosseini is telling us that redemption is obtainable, and by allowing us to see Amirs thought process throughout the novel, Hosseini shows us that it guilt is the primary motivation for someone who seeks redemption. Hosseini also uses not only the main character, but other secondary characters to show how big of a part that guilt plays in the desire for redemption. In this

Many authors often use two contrasting places, such as two different countries, to emphasize the differences in ideas and reinforce opposed forces that are central to the work. In Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, two countries that are seen as two polar opposites, Afghanistan and America, are brought together to reinforce two completely different lifestyles for a boy named Amir. Growing up in a country known as a land of terrorists and war changed him as he moved to America, known as the land of opportunity and freedom.

“ For you, a thousand times over”. This one sentence sums up the immense love, loyalty and friendship Hassan had for Amir.

In “The Kite Runner,” the main character, Amir, is a Pashtun and his best friend Hassan, who is also one of his family’s servants, is a Hazara. Amir grew up very privileged due to his family being Pashtun. Hassan, however, grew up in a family of poor, lower class servants because they are Hazara. Because of the class system in Afghanistan, none of the characters in the book were able to choose or change their social class and instead were born into one which essentially predestined their future and how they were treated by others. Amir constantly took advantage of Hassan throughout the novel because of his social class and illiteracy, neither of which he had control over. Amir saw himself as superior to Hassan because Pashtuns were seen as superior to Hazaras. This belief led to the various different responses to the Taliban’s takeover of

The Kite Runner and Osama are very correspondent and very different. The differences between Osama and The Kite Runner are as followed: in Osama the story was based around on a girl and what she went through, the agitations of women in the Taliban, and a lot more brutality was in this rather than in The Kite Runner. In, The Kite Runner the Taliban wasn’t as prominent in the beginning as to where in Osama that was the main aspect of the movie. In The Kite Runner, there was definitely sadness, and the martyrdom of the people, but it wasn’t as bad as Osama. The similarities between the two: The Taliban are taking over the county, Hassan takes up for Amir like Espandi takes up for Osama, both are Middle

Amir and Hassan both love each other in the book, “The Kite Runner”, even though they have two different personalities and physical characteristics. Amir is not athletic, nor does he possess the physical characteristics of his half brother, Hassan. Amir loves reading the Koran to Hassan and writing his own stories. On the other hand, Hassan is very athletic and is a servant to Amir and Baba. Hassan is illiterate during his childhood because he was never taught how to read or write, eventually that changes during his adulthood, when he writes a letter to Amir. Amir is a Pashtun or Sunni Muslim,

Though his reading makes him feel special, and causes his friends and Hassan to look up to him, it is still frowned upon by Baba, who would rather Amir be more adventurous, and pursue something more worthwhile than reading and writing. Khaled Hosseini does not only show the importance of literacy by explain the benefits that come with it, but also by showing what happens to those who are illiterate, like Hassan. Hassan’s illiteracy allows him to be taken advantage of, and Amir sees this at times. Once, when Amir is reading to Hassan and Hassan asks the meaning of the word “Imbecile”, Amir responds by saying “Let’s see. ‘Imbecile.’ It means smart, intelligent. I’ll use it in a sentence for you. ‘When it comes to words, Hassan is an imbecile’” (29). Though only a small example, this quote shows how Hassans inability to read gives other people power over him, Amir explores this more when he begins writing his first stories, and reads them to Hassan in place of the other stories. Amir will later feel guilty about pulling pranks over Hassan, but never goes back to apologize. Reading becomes part of what Amir sees as the border between Pashtuns and Hazaras, because all of the Pashtuns he knows can read, and all of the Hazaras he knows cannot. Hosseini paints the picture that literacy is only good, and without it, Hazaras and other people like Hassan

As said by Amir in ' Kite- Runner' , " Never mind any of those things. Because history isn't easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was a Sunni and he was a Shi'a and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing ." Many past events have occurred where social differences have influenced mindsets of people, taking the Nazi ideology where removal of Jews from the whole world was thought as a priority .In Afghanistan, till date Shias and Sunnis are segregated, Hazaras are ill -treated and are called mice eating and load carrying donkeys. Pashtuns, on the other hand are the high classed majority. Despite all these contrasts in Race, religion, caste or origin, socials differences are overcome and

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is a remarkable coming-of-age novel describing and revealing the thoughts and actions of Amir, a compunctious adult in the United States and his memories of his affluent childhood in the unstable political environment of Afghanistan. The novel showcases the simplistic yet powerful ability of guilt to influence decisions and cause conflict which arises between Amir’s childhood friend and half-brother, Hassan; Amir’s father, Baba; and importantly, himself. Difference in class The quest to become “good again” causes a reflection in Amir to atone for his sins and transform into the person of which he chooses to be.

Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, is most definitely different than other authors. He uses strong, detailed words that may be difficult, at some points, to understand. His use of vocabulary is rather challenging for me. The more use of challenging vocabulary, in my opinion, makes the book even more interesting. Now, I’m not a big fan of reading, but after reading this book, I had found an interest in reading more challenging books like The Kite Runner. Not knowing a word can change the whole scene by finding out what it actually means. Now, Khaled uses a wide variety of figurative language to grab your attention.

“The Kite Runner”, it talks about the struggles of the country Afghanistan. This is taken place during 1975 through 2001, and in Kabul, Afghanistan; California, United States. The main character is Amir who is narrating the book also is a gifted writer and loves to read books. His best friend, half-brother and servant is Hassan. He proves his loyalty to Amir by standing up for him and showing bravery. Hassan is also uneducated and stays in a poor environment. Amir is very upset of the attention his father, Baba gives to Hassan. Amir constantly tries to get him to be happy, but no matter what he did, Baba never seemed to be satisfied. Baba thinks there is something missing in Amir, but Rahim Khan responds by saying, “Children aren’t coloring books; you don’t get to fill them in with your favorite colors.” Baba was not satisfied in what son he had, but one day Amir and Hassan were flying kites in a kite tournament, and Amir’s Kite and the blue kite were the last ones standing.

Amir, the main character in The Kite Runner is also the narrator and the protagonist. He is raised in an upper-class home with his father, Kabul (or Baba) and their two servants: Ali and Hassan. Ali is a friend of Kabul and is the father of Hassan; they are both Hazaras, the ethnic minority. Pashtun is the ethnic majority; both Amir and his father are Pashtuns. Amir and Hassan are a year apart in age, with Hassan being younger. Both boys were raised without a mother; Amir’s died during his birth and Hassan’s ran off to travel and dance. Amir is not exactly accepted by his father growing up; he is sensitive and intelligent, whereas his father would prefer a more athletic and masculine figure as a son.

The story is based on the life and journey undertaken by Amir, the protagonist. Hosseini expresses essential ideas in his novel through the themes of redemption/atonement, the relationship between father and son and lastly, the theme of degradation/discrimination. The author expresses these themes through the setting and characterization. Hosseini presents characters from different social status in Afghanistan and how this affected their childhood. Amir despite coming from a privileged class had to work hard for his atonement by going back to Afghanistan to face his demons as well as to mend his relationship with his father who had rejected him since his birth. On the other hand, Hassan, from the minority class suffered because of his social status after he was abused and mistreated by those in power. The Kite Runner is a story about two boys who grew up in different worlds because of the presence of various social classes in

Throughout The Kite Runner, cultural influences in Amir’s life subconsciously result in the main character’s sudden mistreatment towards Hassan. People become influenced, unknowingly, by their surroundings, which affects friendships, livelihood, and sometimes results in betrayal. Throughout the novel, Hosseini hints at betrayal, especially when Amir orders Hassan to “eat dirt” and uses the analogy that “he was the ant and I was holding the magnifying glass” (Hosseini 54). Amir’s statement portrays Amir as the typical Pashtun and Hassan as the typical