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Themes of the kite runner
Symbolism and redemption in the Kite runner
Critical interpretations of the kite runner
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Fatherhood in this novel is seen by different shade of colour, not knowing what the true shade really is. There are many turning points which show various stages in being a true father. Therefore, being a father is very difficult, having to overcome obstacles and being strong for each other. A well-known saying “like father, like son” is evident in this novel by the different ties of relationship each character had. In the novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini proves that there is need of a fatherly figure when growing up. Having a father-son bond helps the child differentiate right from wrong. The relationship which demonstrates the need of a father figure is depicted by Baba and Amir, Hassan and Sohrab as well as Amir and Sohrab.
A father is an important role in a child’s life, but more than that, a father expects his son to be the same or at least similar in one way or another to themselves. However, this was not the case for Baba or Amir. Baba does not know why Amir is not like in any particular way. Baba is speaking to Rahim Khan who is Baba’s business partner and best friend about Amir hobbies and interests as it was not similar to his as a child: ““But he’s always buried in those books or shuffling around the house like he’s lost in some dream”…“I wasn’t like that at all and neither were any of the kids I grew up with” (Hosseini 23). Baba is frustrated and annoyed over the fact that Amir is not similar to Baba in any way. Baba wanted a son who could carry on his name in honor and pride as a perceived typical man in Afghanistan instead of a man who is “always buried in those books” (Hosseini 23). Baba would not take any time to develop his relationship with Amir, as he feels that there is no father-son connection at all e...
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...at Baba had made and corrected himself as he was growing up alone. On the flip side, Hassan and Sohrab had a close-knit relationship by Hassan always being there for Sohrab since the time he was born. Hassan never left Sohrab’s sight and wanted him to be a great child when he grew up. But when Hassan had passed away, Sohrab was left alone to make his own decisions in life. And lastly reflecting upon Amir and Sohrab, Amir was seen to be a true fatherly figure learning from all the rejections throughout his life. Amir was seen to guide Sohrab to find a better place for him rather than make him struggle. Being a true fatherly figure plays a key role in not only being there for their children but also to guide them in the right direction and differentiate between right and wrong.
Works Cited
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Toronto: Anchor Canada, 2004. Print.
Because of Amir’s extreme desire to receive the attention and affection from Baba, he begins to subconsciously sacrifice his relationship with Hassan in order to fulfill his interests. However, as Amir continuously matures and begins to recognize his initial ignorant, detrimental actions towards Hassan, he no longer “worship” his father like he did in the past. This causes him to ensure a sense of independence because of his ability to quickly adapt to a completely new, unfamiliar environment and remain adamant on pursuing their own aspirations.
Amir’s redemption is a large part of the novel and is carried out almost entirely until the end of the story. He travels to rescue Hassan’s son, Sohrab, from the orphanage he was placed in after the death of his parents. He promises to find him a safe home with someone but after time passes he feels like this is not enough. He then speaks to his wife and decides to take Sohrab back to the United States with him and take care of his as if he was one of his own. Earlier in the novel when Baba is speaking Amir over hears his conversation as he is referring to him stating, “A boy who won 't stand up for himself becomes a man who can 't stand up to anything” (Hosseini, 22). Thus meaning that if he is able to stand up for himself as a young boy, when he is grown he will not be able to stand up for anything that is in his future. This is true throughout the story until he stands up for himself and Sorhab when he is arguing with his life long bully, Assef. Amir lacked the courage to defend himself in the novel until he finally took charge and went against
Baba teaches Amir the ways to become a virtuous man, however Amir is not as courageous as his father and it is difficult for Amir to demonstrate his teachings. Baba teaches Amir how to be a strong good man, but Amir does not seem to grasp these values as much as he may want to. Thusly, Amir constantly seeks his father’s approval, yet he does not follow the one thing his father has taught him, being a decent man. This does not just include knowing the difference between right and wrong, it is being strong enough to stand up for what is just. Courage and bravery are two characteristics Amir needs to gain acceptance not only from his father but also from himself. Amir overhears his father talking to Rahim Khan about him and Hassan. He hears his father say, “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up for anything,” (Hosseini 22). This saddens Amir, because he re...
Baba is a very high standing man in Kabul, but seems to be extremely harsh to Amir when he was a child. He is a very large, tough man who was very well known in the town and as Amir stated in the novel, “Lore has it my father once wrestled a black bear in Baluchistan with his bare hands” (Hosseini 12). This small detail of Baba makes it known to the reader that Baba is a man of great courage and strength. Some may think that an honorable man is one with no flaws, but many disagree. Every human being makes mistakes, including Baba. When Amir grows up and goes back to visit Rahim Khan in Afghanistan, he finds out that his father lied to him his entire life about Hassan being his half-brother. He also finds out from Rahim Khan that all Baba had back then “was his honor, his name” (Hosseini 223). He did not tell Amir and Hassan that they were brothers because they had a different mother and that would have made their entire family be looked down upon in the town. He did it for their own good, and wanted for them both to grow up as honorable men, like himself. There is a difference in making mistakes and trying to do what’s best to fix them, rather than making the same mistakes over and over again, which is what Amir seemed to do in the novel. Amir was the exact opposite of his father, which made it very hard for them to have a
Fathers have a remarkable influence on their children. Every son looks up to their dad, and dreams of becoming a man just like them. In the novel Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Ali and Baba play a tremendous role in their sons lives: Hassan and Amir. Both boys strive to become the man their father is, and would go to any measures to mirror their fathers. All children need a father figure in their lives, and even though Ali and Baba raised their children differently, they were both loved unconditionally.
...ominent in this novel and is set from the very beginning of the book. Amir knows that when he failed to stand up for himself as a child; so in his adulthood, he has to prove himself by standing up for what he knows is right, no matter how hard it will be. He learned this from when Baba told him in his childhood that a boy who does not stand up for himself can never and will never stand up for anything.
Just as Hassan is the primary juxtaposition for Amir, Rahim Khan is the primary juxtaposition for Baba. During Amir’s childhood, Rahim Khan is the fatherly, caring figure that Baba should have been. Rahim Khan encourages Amir’s writing and is the reason that Amir pursues writing in the end. However, this should have been Baba because it is a father’s job to always love his son unconditionally. Even more than this though, Rahim Khan also seems to be an all-knowing figure in the household. He knew about the rape and that Amir witnessed it and yet did nothing. However, this knowledge could be used for anything. Instead of using it to take advantage of Amir, he uses this knowledge to sympathize with Amir. Just as a father should do, he takes Amir’s side and supports him even though Amir does not deserve it. He writes Amir a letter and tells him not to feel guilty about what he has done. Even in person Rahim Khan says to Amir “[insert quote here].” Rahim Khan has no reason to care about Amir and be nice to Amir and yet unlike Baba, he does. He shows that love and care do not need a reason. This is something that both Amir and Baba seem to struggle with throughout the book. It is only after drastic life changes that they begin to realize that they should care about other people around
Amir never stands up for himself in his youth. He always uses others to execute his dirty deeds for him. Consequently, Baba doesn’t recognize Amir as a
...rough his actions to save Sohrab, Amir became the man his father had always wanted him to be. Although Baba never lived up to the persona he created for himself, Amir did, and that is why his attempts to achieve atonement were more successful than his father’s. While Baba was unable to seek more than personal redemption, Amir found atonement with himself, Hassan, and God. Amir also found the courage his father lacked to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve redemption. Amir’s ability to transform into a strong character was a result of what he learned from his father’s strengths and weaknesses. While Baba was unable to achieve true redemption, he was a true role model that provided his son, Amir, with the necessary skills to achieve atonement for both of them.
When Amir takes Baba to the doctors, the doctor suggests chemotherapy for Baba to prolong the cancer but Baba did not want any medication. Amir tells the reader, “He had the same resolved look on his face as the day he’d dropped the stack of food stamps on Mrs. Dobbins’s desk” (156). Baba did not want help even if his life was on the line. Baba also starts to take pride in Amir when he tells General Taheri, “Amir is going to ne a great writer,” Baba said. I did a double take at this” (139). Amir is starting to realize that his father who was untouchable and was a legend in Kabul was truly human. When Amir tells Baba that he wants to marry Soraya, Baba calls General Taheri to set up a meeting between the two men. As Amir dropped off Baba at the Taheri’s for the meeting, he says, “Baba was hobbling up the Taheri’s driveway for one last fatherly duty” (163). In this instance, Amir sees Baba as a true father. Amir feels Baba’s acceptance when Baba tells Amir on lafz, “It’s the happiest day of my life Amir” (166). Baba is telling Amir that through everything in his life from him marrying Sophia, to Amir winning the kite tournament, all the way to Amir graduating high school, Baba has never been prouder. After Baba’s death, Amir says, “As words from the Koran reverberated through the room, I thought of the old story of Baba wrestling a black bear in Baluchistan. Baba had
Hassan and Sohrab is completely set aside to Amir’s relationship with Baba, and their family acts as a foil to Amir’s, promoting the theme of the necessity of an empathetic father. Hassan listens to his son,enjoys spending time with him, and plays with him. He takes his son’s feelings into account. Sohrad has a strong connection with his father and enjoys his early years spent with Hassan. While Amir’s early childhood was spent trying to get his father 's attention while also trying to find ways to make him proud of him. He tries his best to make a bond with his father while Sohrab’s bond is organic and natural. Sohrad has his father’s love and affection and does what he is told while Amir constantly strives without success for his father’s love. This leads to him carrying on bad decisions.These two father-son relationship hassan is foil to Baba while Sohrad is a foil to Amir. Both Baba and Hassan are strong and brave men who stand up for what they believe is right in the world. For example Babe puts his life at risk trying to save a woman from rap by a soilder. “Tell him I’ll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place”. Same thing goes for Hassan, when he went to go get a kite for Amir. Hassan runs the losing kite for Amir, then finds himself in a situation rap, mine while Amir made a choice to put
First, Baba’s looming shame of his affair prohibits him from being a proper father to Amir and Hassan. Baba fails to inform Amir that his best friend, Hassan, is actually his half-brother because of this affair. Years after Baba’s death, Rahim Khan tells Amir of Baba’s act of adultery. With this betrayal, Amir begins to question everything he values in his father, stating that “Baba had been a thief. And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he’d stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali [Hassan’s “father”] his honor. His nang. His namoos” (Hosseini 225). Despite his guilt, Baba makes a vow with Rahim Khan and Ali to keep the affair a secret from his own sons, causing a distortion
The contrast between these two coming-of-age works and their protagonists’ different resolutions highlights that mentors make the ultimate difference in characters’ journeys to adulthood. Amir’s dead mother and his hopelessly aloof father do not provide him with much guidance or love; their inattention to Amir is what causes him to seek alternate mentorship. After his mother dies giving birth to him, Amir is left alone with only one parent - Baba, his father. One would assume that as the sole members of their family, father and son would be close, but instead they have a distant and chilly relationship.
The movie The Kite Runner is based on the book and it contains both subtle and explicit differences as all books and movies do. Both the book and the movie have very compelling and moralistic themes though at times the movie’s themes seem limited. The themes presented throughout the movie and the book are penance, loyalty, prejudice, religion and growing up. The characterization, overall plot of the movie and the setting of the book seem to be consistent with each other though at times they both may vary both slightly and drastically.
Khaled Hosseini on his novel The Kite Runner illustrates that how the hero of this novel “Amir” affected by his father. Amir thought that his father does not love him because Amir admits