Authors often times include a character(s) in their novel who they have alienated from the society that they have created for their narrative. These characters could be anyone from the foil character(s) to the protagonist him/herself. Authors incorporate these characters as they give substance and genuineness to their work. In the novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, such characters are presented in similar but different ways. These differences are crucial however, because they are what make each novel unique. More importantly, they play a key role in the development of the protagonist. Alienated characters, depending on how close they are to the protagonist, in essence, determine their outcome.
The novel, The Kite Runner, and its protagonist, Amir, present an archetypical example of the relation alienated characters have with the works they are in. There are several alienated characters in this novel, one of which is Assef. Assef is sociopathic and violent older boy who is also the antagonist. He always scorned Amir for associating with Hassan, a Hazara, which is, according to Assef, an inferior race that should only live in Hazarajat. He is a devout supporter of Adolf Hitler and his ideologies. On page 35 he says “It’s too late for Hitler, but not for us” (Hosseini), suggesting that he wanted to follow in his footsteps and annihilate who he believed was a substandard race from his country. Assef contributes extensively towards Amir’s development. Firstly, he killed Hassan. If this would not have occurred, then no circumstance would have unearthed itself for Amir to redeem himself. Secondly, and most importantly, according to Baba, Assef presented a perfect example of what a...
... middle of paper ...
...uineness and authenticity to the work which makes it easier to follow and more enjoyable to the reader.
Works Cited
Dumas, Alexandre. The Count of Monte Cristo. New York: Tor, 1998. Print.
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.
"SparkNotes: The Count of Monte Cristo: Character List." SparkNotes: Today's Most
Popular Study Guides. Web. 30 Dec. 2010.
.
"SparkNotes: The Count of Monte Cristo: Important Quotations Explained." SparkNotes:
Today's Most Popular Study Guides. Web. 30 Dec. 2010.
.
"SparkNotes: The Kite Runner: Character List." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study
Guides. Web. 30 Dec. 2010.
runner/characters.html>.
Since the emergence of literature, thousands upon thousands of characters have graced our imaginations. From trouble maker Bart Simpson of the celebrated cartoon television series The Simpsons to Mr. Darcy of Jane Austen’s renowned novel Pride and Prejudice, the world has witnessed a plethora of characters in literature. Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, and Billy Collins, distinguished American poet, as well as countless other authors, share the utilization of characters in their literary works. The manner in which these authors use the literary element of characters varies immensely.
In the novel The Kite Runner, author Khaled Hosseini writes about Amir a young Afghan child who is a coward and who later as an adult seeks redemption from past mistakes. These characteristic effects Amir’s live throughout the novel from childhood to present. However, these are just words on a paper without some proof and the novel happily supports this either through the events or the behavior of other characters. Now let’s start with Amir’s past childhood.
to write a story. The key is to keep a reader until the very end. The
Integrity is the basing of one's actions on an internally consistent framework of principles. Meaning, one who has integrity bases their actions on a moral code of honor, character, strength, and courage. These principles guide a character’s motive and cause, putting public image aside to lead a life chivalry and conviction. One example this is Willie Bodega of Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quiñonez. Although Willie’s means are shady, he strives for the betterment of Spanish Harlem through the improvement of abandoned and damaged apartments. Next, there is John Proctor of The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Proctor refuses to provide a false confession is a true religious and personal stand. By refusing to give up his personal integrity Proctor proclaims his conviction that such integrity will bring him to heaven. Lastly, there is Holden Caulfield of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. However, Holden displays the intrinsic converse of integrity by embodying a hypocrite. Willie Bodega and John Proctor embody the principles of integrity and let it shine through their actions. However, Holden Caulfield shows his deceit and impiety through his consistent dishonesty and hypocrisy.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini depicts the story of Amir, a Pashtun boy raised in an environment in which worth is determined by birth. Hosseini uses the social hierarchy in Afghanistan to compare to the ideal of the Nazis during the Holocaust. Assef in The Kite Runner depicts the ideal by alluding to the Holocaust and Hitler. The allusion to the Holocaust allows Asseff to be the connection between Afghanistan and the Holocaust as a result of superiority ideal’s depicted by Elie Wiesel in Night. The comparison depicts how due to superiority ideal’s individual 's morals can be altered in which they are willing to turn on their friends; Pashtuns and Hazaras; Aryans vs Jews.
In Khaled Hosseini’s book, The Kite Runner, Amir is an example of growing up, making mistakes, and facing the consequences for those mistakes. Amir grows so much throughout the book. He is a fictional example of maturing and growing up in a realistic manner. Making mistakes is a part of this growth, even though his were extreme. The reader is introduced to Amir and is disgusted about how he treats Hassan and abandons him in a time of needing rescuing. His mistakes disgust us, especially after Hassan has been by his side the entire book. As the reader gets deeper into the book, they start to develop feeling of anger but sometimes sympathy, towards Amir. By the end, we are not as angry as Amir than the reader to begin with. Amir has grown into
Going through all these different motifs, it taught Amir many different lessons, good and bad. But in the end, Amir finally is able to let go of his guilt and make his awful choice to not help Hassan in his time of need, have somewhat of a better outcome. In the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini’s repeated the use of rape, sickness, and sacrifice to represent many different things throughout the novel.
What is it that makes us human and what does it mean to be human? These questions should be frequently and relentlessly contemplated by all members of society. What makes us human is the notion that we have complex thoughts and emotions. No two individuals are exactly alike in every way who share the same opinions, tastes, thoughts, ideas, or feelings. Which is quite fortunate, because it would be a complete bore if everyone acted completely identical to one another. So, what is it that makes us abhor another based on their uniqueness as an individual or as a group? The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is about a friendship between two boys set in Afghanistan. The story spans over the last thirty years. Amir is the son of a wealthy business man, Baba. Ali is a longtime childhood friend of Baba’s and works as a servant for him. Hassan is the son of Ali and spends time with Amir. Hassan and Amir one day run into Assef—who has a superiority complex—and threatens to beat Amir for being friends with a Hazara. Later on in the story, Hassan is cornered by Assef and his two friends and Assef rapes Hassan. Amir witnessed the event concealed in the shadows, and is tormented for the rest of his life with his decision for not standing up for Hassan. The author,
It is difficult to face anything in the world when you cannot even face your own reality. In his book The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses kites to bring out the major themes of the novel in order to create a truly captivating story of a young boy’s quest to redeem his past mistakes. Amir is the narrator and protagonist of the story and throughout the entire novel, he faces enormous guilt following the horrible incident that happened to his closest friend, Hassan. This incident grows on Amir and fuels his quest for redemption, struggling to do whatever it takes to make up for his mistakes. In Hosseini’s novel, kites highlight aspects of Afghanistan’s ethnic caste system and emphasizes the story’s major themes of guilt, redemption and freedom.
...fered from continued to grow on a guest for redemption. Amir destroyed the relationship of two half-brothers through his own ignorance. As a young boy he made the wrong decision in life by letting Hassan get raped, which led to his guilt. The guilt grew to the point where Hassan and Ali had to move out from Baba’s house and start a new life away from Amir. Hassan’s son Sohrab is a significant character who represents Amir’s hope for redemption. Sohrab led to Amir’s redemption by giving Amir the opportunity to do good for his past actions. On the quest for redemption Amir achieves the redemption he desired through his fight with Assef. Further more, The Kite Runner shows the theme of guilt and redemption through the character development of the protagonist Amir. Hosseini used Amir’s guilt of his past to grow the impression that with regret lies a hope for redemption.
Albert Camus has his own toolbox of literary devices when it comes to accentuating the theme of The Stranger, one of them being his unique sense and use of secondary characters. Whether major or minor, every character in the book serves a purpose, and corroborates the theme in some form of fashion. Camus describes his secondary characters as foiling Meursault in one aspect or another, and thus, shining light on Meursault’s characteristics. Whether through close connections like familial relationships (Maman) and friendships (Salamano, Raymond, and Marie), or through bonds as distant as people he briefly converses with (Chaplain), or even so much as complete strangers (Perez and unidentified lady at the restaurant), characters that Meursault encounters foil and therefore, emphasize many aspects of his nature. Furthermore, because Meursault aptly embodies Camus’s ideology of Absurdism, emphasizing Meursault through secondary characteristics simply highlights Camus’ doctrine and theme of the book.
Throughout Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, Hosseini depicts a character unlike any other, Baba. Baba is portrayed throughout the novel as a tough man who is always willing to help someone in need. Baba seems to love and care for everyone in the novel except his son, Amir. Amir is always trying to pursue eminence in Baba’s eye and give Baba a reason not to loathe him. Amir thought Baba hated him because when Amir was born, it killed his mother, Baba’s “princess.” Baba’s transformation throughout the novel is very clear as he transforms from a father who despises his son, to accepting his son and finally being a true father to Amir.
The theme of alienation has been depicted by two different characters in a resembling series of events. The two protagonists were alienated by their peers, inflicting negative consequences they must undergo. Both characters are finally pushed to alienating themselves rather than being alienated. In conclusion, the struggles both characters undergo are practically identical to one another. They have experienced alienation in such similar ways that you must ask yourself: are all those who suffer from alienation alike in more ways than one?
Amir also committed a sin that affected him negatively throughout his life. This sin occurred when Hassan, Amir’s best friend during his childhood, was getting raped by Assef. This situation occurred when the children were chasing kites. Hassan got the kite first, but Assef insisted that he wanted the kite. Assef also had a racial and religious prejudice against Hassan. Because Hassan did not give the kite, Assef decides to rape Hassan as a “punishment”. Instead of helping his friend out, Amir just walked away from the scene and let Hassan get violated in one of the most vulgar ways. After this incident, Hassan quietly walked back home and gave Amir the kite for which he was confronted by Assef for. The kite in this situation proves to be an important symbol. Whereas earlier in the novel the kite represented happiness and fun to Amir, in this situation it represented sin and guilt to Amir. The only reason that Hassan got raped was that he was trying to get a kite for Amir. Now the kite acts a reminder to Hassan of his wrong-doing and it will now begin to haunt him for a long time. Although when in America, Amir does not get reminded about Hassan, deep inside he still feels guilty. Amir immediately begins to feel the most guilt when he goes to Iran when Rahim Khan, Amir’s childhood friend, asks him to come. He feels that Rahim Khan has reminded him of his “past of unatoned sins”(Hosseini 2).
Theme of Alienation in Literature A common theme among the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne is alienation. Alienation is defined as emotional isolation or dissociation from others. In Hawthorne's novels and short stories, characters are consistently alienated and experience isolation from society. These characters are separated from their loved ones both physically and psychologically. The harsh judgmental conditions of Puritan society are the cause of isolation for these characters and eventually lead to their damnation.