Themes In The Kite Runner

“A widespread mythological and literary motif is the one of two brothers, who hate or are in conflict with each other and which sometimes even ends in the murder of one of those brothers.”

Khaled Hosseini writes the novel, The Kite Runner to make readers think of how his use of symbolism and other

The novel The Kite Runner by xyz is a story about an Afghan boy named Amir and his journey from his youth in Afghanistan to his adult life in the United States. Throughout this novel the symbolism in his childhood is important to how the main character lives his life. One of the most important symbols and title of the book is the kite runner and their relationship with the kite flier.

This article, by Richard Pallardy and J.E. Luebering, is a biography of Khaled Hosseini, the writer of the Kite Runner. It describes his life in chronological order, from his childhood to his accomplishments as a writer. Hosseini was born March 4, 1965 in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. He is known for writing the Kite Runner. Hosseini grew up in a wealthy family, with his father being a diplomat and his mother as teacher. After applying for political asylum to the US in 1979, his family relocated to California. Hosseini then studied biology at Santa Clara University. After he completed his graduate degree, Hosseini started medical school at the University of California, San Diego. A few years after receiving his medical degree, he began

Friendship and loyalty are essential to maintaining healthy relationships. Both involve thoughtful acts which not only occur from one but from both sides of a relationship. Khaled Hosseini writes The Kite Runner to express to his audience how loyalty and companionship make a tremendous impact on not just two ordinary friends, but also other behaviors and relationships in Afghanistan. Throughout his engaging novel, Khaled Hosseini shows readers an inexperienced boy’s journey of denial and redemption after he allows the brutalization of his friend. For two long decades, the main character, Amir, struggles to cope with the realization he can never regain his friend’s love and devotion. Through symbolism, the author emphasizes the one-sided friendship between a spoiled, Pashtun, Amir, and a low-class, Hazara, Hassan. Hosseini uses a kite, a slingshot, and a pomegranate tree to symbolize friendship and loyalty between a high class, wealthy boy, and low-class servant. In The Kite Runner, Hosseini’s use of symbolism illustrates friendship and loyalty and engages the reader in the novel’s dramatic journey.

Thesis: Betrayal leads to feeling of guilt which forces the person in search of redemption either directly or through indirect actions and gestures.

The Kite Runner was written by Khaled Hosseini and published in 2003. It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Hassan, his father’s Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan’s Monarchy, through the Soviet Military intervention, the exile of Pakistan refugees to America, and the rise of the Taliban. The main theme of this book focuses on guilt and redemption. Throughout the novel, Amir is constantly trying to redeem himself. Early on, Amir strives to redeem himself through his father’s eyes primarily because his mother died giving birth to him, and he feels responsible. The more important part of Amir’s search for

The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini is a novel with multitudes of themes but the theme most integral to the story concerns friendship, guilt, and redemption. This theme was most important to the novel because the conflict in the book is intertwined with this theme, following the life of a man haunted by regrets. The book is told from the perspective of Amir and this is something he deals with for the entirety of the book after the incident with Hassan. Amir, even as a middle-aged man, is still haunted by what he hadn’t done for Hassan all those years ago. Amir’s entire life takes a certain path because of what he did or didn’t do during and after Hassan’s assault. Amir’s decision affected not only himself, but also Hassan. Their lives forever changed. Amir and Hassan were each other’s best friends and they grew together like brothers, though they didn’t know at the time. Amir feels as though he broke the sacred bond they had and he decided to make it right by finding Sohrab. This is the last thing he can do for Hassan. He cannot tell him he is sorry anymore. He doesn’t have any other paths of redemption.

True happiness is not simply handed out, it must be produced, cultivated, built from the ground up. Additionally, happiness cannot be measured, nor can it be perceived. Yet, above all else, it is what people seek most. Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini aims to explore the origins of true happiness through the trials and tribulations in the life of Amir, the novel’s protagonist. Throughout the novel, Amir suffers through perilous hardships as he strives to attain redemption for the wrongdoings of his past. Subsequently, through the process of cleansing himself of his sins, Amir obtains true happiness. The first step Amir took towards attaining happiness commences with the realization of his father’s flaws, which allows Amir to forgive his father’s shortcomings. Furthermore, Amir obtains happiness by marrying his love, Soraya, granting Amir the companionship for which he yearned most. Above all, however, Amir reached true happiness as a result of atoning for his betrayal against Hassan and sacrificing himself in order to give Sohrab the life he never had. Despite the hardships and struggles faced by Amir, kite runner beautifully displays the path to true happiness and how one is able to acquire it. In Amir’s case, he stumbled upon true happiness with the acceptance of his father's sins, the companionship he gains in soraya, the sacrifices he makes for Sohrab, and the journey to redeem himself from his past sins.

Happiness is a feeling that many people strive to achieve, and yet have a difficult time understanding it. Happiness has many different inputs, and most people have their own definition of what traits achieve happiness. Many people believe that wealth is directly related to happiness. Although, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, hints that Amir's servant, Hassan, is happier than Amir. In The Kite Runner Hosseini, through the parallel lives of Hassan and Amir, reveals that obtaining a happier life requires minimal regrets, a positive perspective, and love.

Past experiences shape our future and ultimately can influence who we are and how we perceive any situation we are placed in. In the story The Kite Runner, Amir struggles with embracing his life in America while also having to deal with the memories that haunt him from his past. Our past experiences and the effect they have on you will remain with you forever, it is your choice whether or not you turn that into a positive or negative.

Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “All happy families are like one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” All families come across problems they have to face, but in the end, they will be overcome. In Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, the source of unhappiness within Baba and Amir’s family is their lack of understanding between each other. The characters experience a unique level of unhappiness due to the dark secrets of betrayal each harbor.

incomprehensible extent. In Afghanistan, Hazaras–the ethnic minority–have experienced ethnic discrimination by Pashtuns–the ethnic majority–because of a revolt dating back to the 18th century.Another form of discrimination in Afghanistan arises from the distinct religious groups–Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims. Shi’ite Muslims correspond with the Hazara ethnic group, but the Sunni Muslims correspond with the Pashtun ethnic group. This discrimination affects every age group in Afghanistan, and affects each of those individuals, “mental and physical health” (Pascoe). In his 2003 novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini exposes and discusses the ethnic and religious discrimination found in past and present day Afghanistan. By creating tense situations that originate, whether consciously or subconsciously within the characters, the author uses these conflicts to illustrate the impacts that stem from the masculine stereotypes associated with Afghan culture, the dire need for a father’s approval, and the on­going effects of a child’s jealousy. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses these intense conflicts to develop characters’ relationships and forces the reader to consider how the main character’s loss of innocence stems from a need of approval and ethnic and religious discrimination.

How does Hosseini use symbolism in ‘The Kite Runner’ to present key relationships? You should consider different reader responses and the extent to which your critical approach assists your interpretation.

Love, a universal feeling, the most powerful emotion a human being can experience, love is a significant emotion in The Kite Runner ; it motivates the characters to overcome their problems and creates a bond between one another. A relationship seeked by many, cherished by all. The connection between child and parent, can be pleasant and tender but it may also be filled with pain and regret. Love conquering all is a recurring theme in life, in which the novel and the film of The Kite Runner, displays characters overcoming their hardships.