The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Forgiveness is a necessary part of human existence, although it is rarely easy to give, and sometimes hardest to give to ourselves. The Kite Runner illustrates humanity's tendency, and even willingness, to dwell on past mistakes. The opening sentence sets this theme with "I became what I am today at the age of twelve," as Amir unapologetically relates how he believes one action at that young age defined his entire life. However, as the novel progresses, the reader comes to the conclusion that it was not one action, but a series of choices and events that created Amir's persona as an adult. By holding onto his guilt and fear of discovery, Amir could only bury his past for short periods of time before his own conscience uncovered it and the

The desire to feel loved and wanted by your parents can drive a person to go to extreme limits to get that love. One boy that goes to these extreme limits is Amir. All Amir wants is to have a good, strong relationship with his father. He feels the death of his mother was his fault, and he needed to make it up to his father. In doing so, Amir let’s horrible things happen to his friend Hassan. Many many years later, after fleeing to America, Amir returns to Afghanistan in search of redemption of his actions all those years ago. The theme of The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini is redemption. Through Amir’s life, that’s what he’s been doing to himself, trying to redeem himself from his acts that have brought pain

Healing takes courage sometimes that courage can be hard to find. The Kite Runner is a novel that shows immense amounts of healing. The main character Amir goes through a deep struggle to find self healing. After a long journey that is his life he has to overcome mistakes he had made in the past in order to redeem himself from it.

How, after years of guilt, self-disgust, and deception, is it possible for one person to become good again? Entrapped in a cage of cowardice for so long, can they ever develop and grow as a normal human being? Amir, the anti-hero in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, seeks to answer these questions in his own search for atonement through various existential events in his life.

The human body is built to attack infections, cuts, bruises, or bacterial cells as a way to repair the damages caused. The human mind will not repair the damages by itself; it usually needs an outside source to heal. One outside source that could heal a mind is the act of forgiveness. It can put a guilty conscience at peace. In the novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir’s body could fix itself after the physical injuries Assef caused, but his mind took years to heal from guilt, if it ever did. Amir wished for his absolution, but it took decades to find it. “...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...I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years” (1). Amir mishandled finding forgiveness in his childhood by treating Hassan and Ali badly, attempting to remove them from his house, demanding Hassan to throw a pomegranate at him and then as an adult, he found relief by being beaten by Assef and having a sudden realization of tranquility.

Being an only child and having no mother to care for him, Amir looked towards Baba for guidance in choices made in everyday life. Seeing that Baba was not the most kind hearted of men around him, Amir took each of Baba’s actions to heart and it showed through his character. Although his father does a lot for those around him, he also expects Amir to act in the same manner; therefore, pushing Amir to do his best by setting high expectations forced Amir to believe that his father did not love him as much as he said. “Real men didn’t read poetry - and God forbid they should ever write it! Real men - real boys - played soccer just as Baba had when he had been young.” Although Baba loved Amir, he struggled to show it at times which showed as Amir would convey the same actions onto Hassan. Amir longed for Baba’s respect and approval which he eventually gained when he married Soraya a month before his father’s passing. Baba had always treated Hassan as more of his own than he did with Amir which learning later on in life, Hassan was his biological son. Angered by the favorability towards Hassan and the guilt of watching Hassan be raped after the kite race, Amir was faced with the decision of getting rid of Hassan and hoping the guilt and hatred diminished or facing it and telling his father how he feels and what he had witnessed. Amir, filled with the hatred and guilt about what happened that winter day, hid his birthday money and watch under hassan’s pillow to frame him and force him to leave. This was Amir’s lowest point in his life. No kindness or feelings of any sort were showing as he committed such a selfish act; nevertheless, when asked about the stolen items, Hassan admitted that he had done it as he knew Amir no longer wanted him around. After being begged by Baba to stay, Hassan and Ali knew that it was best for the two of them

As is true in society, individuals must often struggle between two choices, which is also shown through literature. This is especially true in Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, in which the main protagonist, Amir, is torn between making the morally correct choice and making the selfish choice. After choosing a selfish route in his childhood, Amir is haunted by regret until he receives the chance to repent for his sins. Through Amir’s internal conflicts, Hosseini reveals the theme of redemption throughout the novel, as well as in society.

“There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft... When you tell a lie, you steal someone 's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness... there is no act more wretched than stealing” (Hosseini, 2004). Though this quote by Khaled Hosseini is written concerning a situation in fictional story, The Kite Runner, the words still ring true in our lives. A large portion of our days consists of communication and interactions between one another at work, home, and social groups/events, even though a large part of those interactions are not pure. Lying is becoming more common in individuals of all age groups. In fact, it is estimated that individuals lie 1.65 times per day according to an article written by Gad Saad (2011), but why do we lie so often when we ultimately crave the truth, especially when the truth is a pivotal point in business decisions? In this paper we are going to investigate the types of lies people tell, why they tell them, the repercussions of their actions, and what human resources can do to help diminish this type of communication in the workplace.

Humans make mistakes but it is their choice to learn from these mistakes and move on with their lives, knowing they have become a better person. There is no easy way to get through life’s obstacles unless they overcome that little voice in their head;, it is their job to conquer it. Sometimes, they need to take a step outside of their head and look at the world around them because that’s how they will find their answer. In the novel “The Kite Runner”, Khaled Hosseini uses the symbols of the kites, literature, and the scars to show that Amir must overcome his cowardice and selfishness to achieve maturity and redemption.

Are all humans capable of extreme acts of cruelty against those they love? Savagery, brutality, inhumanity and wickedness can all classify as cruelty. In areas such as Afghanistan where corrupt political groups, like the Taliban, are seizing control of the government widespread suffering is weakening the people. When in power these groups are able to exercise control in whatever way they deem necessary. Cruelty is utilized in The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, as the main characters inhabit Afghanistan during times of extreme turmoil. Throughout the story the characters suffer through and cause cruelty which affects each other and their own lives. The hardships suffered by the characters is connected to the lives of the reader by using empathy to create emotions. Cruelty can be portrayed through motifs such as rape, blood, death and executions. In literature, cruelty serves the purpose of showing how the characters function and their quest to acquire power by demeaning others.

One triumphant day, Amir won the local kite fighting tournament and finally earned Baba’s praise. Hassan ran to retrieve the losing kite, which was considered a trophy, and told Amir “For you, a thousand times over”. When Hassan finally obtained the kite, he was cornered by Assef and his friends. Assef was the neighborhood bully and had tortured Amir and Hassan for years. When Hassan refused to give up the kite, Assef beat and raped him. Amir watched the whole thing but didn’t interfe because he didn’t want to lose the respect of his father. The guilt ate Amir alive. “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.” Soon after the incident, Amir tried to distance himself from Hassan and Hassan and his father eventually leave. A couple years later, Amir and Baba flee to America to escape the war in Afghanistan. Amir graduates and gets married but even after all those years;

Amir, the protagonist of the novel, is a man who grew up in Afghanistan but made a life in America. He is a successful writer who is married but unable to have children. However, he struggles with guilt from his past. He mistreated his loyal companion, Hassan, and did not prevent the brutal rape Hassan endured to keep the kite he retrieved for Amir. Guilt over his selfishness never leaves the Afghan man, and he searches for a way to atone for his wrongdoing. Although he realizes depth of his selfish negligence, it is too late to repair the damage done. However, as Amir grows, he matures into a much more noble character. His life-threatening rescue of Hassan’s son Sohrab serves as a form of penance and redemption for Amir. He finds some deliverance from his crushing guilt by doing for Sohrab what he had failed to do for Hassan. Throughout the novel, Amir progresses from a selfish, jealous child into a self-sacrificing, mature adult.

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

In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the main character Amir is a boy who’s cowardly actions and hunger for his father's attention lead him to a very destructive mind against his loved ones. Throughout Amir's time in Kabul he has countless times where he was jealous of Hassan his Hazara servant. Amir is tainted from the scene after the kite flying tournament; He finds Hassan in an alley holding the last kite proudly that Amir cut, but cornered with 3 other boys Kamal, Wali, and Assef. What happens here keeps haunting Amir of his cowardly actions and it spreads through him festering, and getting worse as Amir doesn't face it head on ,and keeps burying it deeper and deeper in himself. After that snowy night in Kabul, Amir is found drowning in guilt and constantly trying to gain redemption for his cowardly actions and thoughts.

Conflict between guilt and redemption has been one of the big themes of mankind, as it is described in many notable literary pieces and scriptures including the Bible. Similarly, The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini vividly depicts a young Afghan man, Amir, suffering between sin and guilt, realizing how he could’ve changed one’s destiny. This story is not merely about repentance, but also about the whole process of realization. Although Amir remains guilty by avoiding Hassan consistently after the betrayal, he seeks true repentance after realizing that apologies towards Hassan are too late.