The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is the first novel of Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. It tells the story of Amir, a boy from Kabul, Afghanistan, whose closest friend is Hassan, a young Hazara servant. Novel turns around these two characters and Baba, Amir’s father, by telling their tragic stories, guilt and redemption that are woven throughout the novel. Even in the difficult moments, characters build up to their guilt and later on to their redemption. Their sins and faults alter the lives of innocent people. First, Amir and Baba fail to take action on the path to justice for Ali and Hassan. Moreover, Amir and Baba continue to build up their guilt due to their decisions and actions. Although Amir builds up more guilt than Baba throughout the novel, he eventually succeeds in the road to redemption unlike his father. After all, Amir and Baba have many chances to fix their atonements but Baba chooses not to and Amir does. Baba uses his wealth to cover up his sins but never atone himself while Amir decides to stand up and save Sohrab and finally finds peace. Amir and Baba’s reaction to sins essentially indicate their peace of mind and how they react to guilt and injustice.

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.

Moreover, Amir tries to redeem himself to Sohrab. Sohrab had one request, and that request was to never go back to an orphanage. When a lawyer tells Amir that sending Sohrab back to an orphanage is their best bet, Soharb tries to kill himself by slitting his wrists. Amir was always “... met by silence” (352) whenever he tried to talk to Soharb. Soharb went silent when they moved to America, and Amir did everything in his power to give Sohrab a good life. He wanted to make up for the pain he had caused Sohrab, Amir couldn’t live knowing that Sohrab tried to kill himself because of what he had done. Sohrab had also saved Amir’s life. When Amir unexpectedly confronted Assef, the man who raped Hassan, he almost beat him to death. but Sohrab stepped in and shot Assef’s eye with a slingshot, saving Amir’s life. Amir owed his whole life to Sohrab. Amir tried everyday to redeem himself to Sohrab subconsciously speaking, Amir was trying to give him a better life than Hassan, to be the man he should have been all those years

“For you, a thousand times over.” In The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini, there is a recurring theme of redemption that is portrayed by various literary devices. Kahled excellently juxtaposes devices such as irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing to show redemption within his first novel.

From the very start of the book, the reader is made aware of the fact that Amir had unatoned sins, setting the storyline for the book. During a flashback of a phone call between Amir and a family friend, Rahim Khan, Amir mentions the presence of these unatoned sins. The relation of these sins and the thought of atonement is shown through Amir’s thoughts, “I sat on a park bench near a willow tree. I thought about something Rahim Khan said just before he hung up, almost as an afterthought. There is a way to be good again.” (Hosseini 2) In this moment, the reader is made aware of the books plot. Foreshadowing occurs that shows Amir has unknown sins, he will try to overcome those sins of his past.

Kite Runner is a novel written by author Khaled Hosseini. The setting takes place in multiple cities and countries such as California, America specifically Fremont, but the main story is in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1975 through 2001. The story is about the protagonist and the narrator of the story Amir. Amir is a wealthy Pashtun boy who grows up in Kabul along with his father Baba. When Amir is nearly 12 years old along with his friend Hassan they spend their days trying to win the prizes in the tournament by kite-fighting in the hitherto peaceful city of Kabul. After several kites-fighting competition, the tournament is held in Amir’s neighborhood. Amir simply participate and wins that tournament, but he loses his kite, Hassan tells him he

The Kite Runner focuses on the journey of Amir as he struggles both mentally and physically to make up for a horrible wrong that he committed in his past that continues to haunt him to this day. He encounters many difficulty, fear, and happiness. Hosseini teaches his readers that it is necessary to channel one’s guilt into a means of redemption because although forgiveness may not be granted right away, as long as moral actions are taken, atonement will eventually ensue.

“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 1-2) Khaled Hosseini published the book The Kite Runner in 2003. This book includes the characters Amir, Hassan, Baba, Rahim Khan and many more. This book is mainly about Amir’s childhood in Kabul, his move with baba to California, and lastly his return to Kabul. Amir is also someone who falls in the shadow. He doesn't really know who he is because of the things that happened to him in the past. In this book he also gives the reader an understanding of what

He has felt remorse, acted on it, albeit several times for naught before finally choosing to adopt Sohrab, though an effect is yet to transpire thus far. The effect is the last step, thus Amir has not completed the steps to achieve atonement. In order for Amir to be redeemed, Sohrab must achieve true happiness. The parallels between Hassan and Sohrab are clear. Hassan could not feel true happiness for a while after he experienced sexual assault, and Sohrab could not feel true happiness after his parents were killed and he was forced to leave Rahim Khan.

After many years of living in San Francisco, Rahim Khan called and advised Amir, “There is a way to be good again” (Hosseini 2). Rahim’s statement was important because Khaled Hosseini suggested through Rahim that redemption is not achieved simply by altering character flaws and doing good deeds, rather change in character is necessary to achieve redemption by directly confronting and making amends with the past. Rahim Khan told Amir, “I want you to go to Kabul. I want you to bring Sohrab here” (Hosseini 220). Amir had a wife, a house, a job, a new life in America; going back to Afghanistan while the Taliban occupied Kabul took fearlessness and bravery. Furthermore, in the final scene of the story, while Amir and Sohrab were flying a kite, Amir asked Sohrab, “Do you want me to run that kite for you” (Hosseini 371). Sohrab nodded and Amir remarked, “For you a thousand times over” (Hosseini 371). This final scene was significant because Amir selflessly assumed the role of Hassan. Amir was now the loyal servant, selflessly serving Sohrab and by doing so he was making amends with the past. Amir’s life had become full circle and now he choose to be righteous and atone his past

In Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, mistakes and their confrontation is a major theme. The Kite Runner takes us on the journey of life as an immigrant through the eyes of refugee Amir. It is through the mistakes of Amir and his family and friends that the novel develops. The most significant and central mistake in the novel is of Amir not standing up for Hassan whilst he is being raped. Although this mistake is the most significant and central one, I will also look into two others; Baba cheating with Ali’s wife and Soraya and her previous marriage. To confront our mistakes we may try to ‘redeem ourselves’ by doing good that we believe may make up for this mistake or even just getting this mistake out in the open and talking about it. The

Hosseini shows that it is Amirs immense guilt that drives him to want to make things right and to earn redemption. We learn the basis Amir's guilt through his memories. It is caused by a lack of response at a time when his loyal servant and close friend Hassan is in trouble. Amir makes a conscious decision to hide in the distance and just watch, not because he was afraid. He sacrifices Hassan in order to earn his fathers attention and affection. This decision results in Hassan suffering though a traumatic experience and is the root of Amir's lasting regret.

The Kite Runner is the story of A Sunni Muslim named Amir. He struggles to find his place in the world because of the aftereffects and fallout from a series of traumatic childhood events. The religious situations in

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, a story of a boy as he unravels his journey throughout his life. The novel consists of multiple themes such as love, friendship, betrayal, guilt, , secrets, loyalty, and redemption. As the main character, Amir recalls his past events, all of these themes start to unravel specific events that occurred in his life. “There is a way to be good again” (Hosseini 2) is where the novel unfolds the deep dark life of Amir’s regret and guilt, Baba’s secret, and Hassan’s devotion. The book is a true masterpiece which keeps the readers glued to the story as it unfolds. One of the reasons, the story attracts many readers is due to The United States recent conflict with Afghanistan. However, the story has a personal

On a day to day basis, an individual is faced with an obstacle they must overcome, ultimately defining their morals and values. In the literature perspective, the novel The Kite Runner delivers multiple thematic ideas that portray the struggles of characters in their ordinary lives. Khaled Hosseini, author and physician, released his debut novel The Kite Runner in the year of 2003. This novel is written in the first person narration of Amir, a Pashtun boy that lives with his father whom he addresses as “Baba” in a large estate in Kabul, Afghanistan. Hassan and his father, Ali, are servants that works for Amir’s father