The Pomegranate Tree in The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is a novel of a Sunni Muslim, Amir, and a Hazara boy, Hassan. Hassan is the son of Amir’s father’s servant. Amir and Hassan spend their childhood days playing with one another in the streets of Kabul. Amir’s father, Baba, as referred to in the novel, loves both of the boys equally. Although, Amir believes that Baba loves Hassan more than himself. Amir struggles to find understanding from Baba for killing his wife during childbirth. Amir strives to make him proud. The Hazara boy, Hassan, finds himself often in trouble protecting Amir, and questioning whether Amir would do the same for him. Over twenty years after Amir left Kabul, and his childhood friend, Hassan, Amir returns to Kabul to find his brother dead by the Taliban, and his son residing in a local orphanage. Amir ventures on to find a way to be good again, while trying to save his childhood friend, Hassan’s son. The motif changes to show how their relationship is growing and evolving thus helping Hosseini, the author of, The Kite Runner, develop his theme in the novel. Friendship does not require physical connection.. The Pomegranate tree is used as a motif and changes throughout the novel. Amir often returns to the motif of the Pomegranate tree. In the beginning of The Kite Runner, Amir and Hassan’s friendship is flourishing as they share stories and laugh by the pomegranate tree. Hassan and Amir bond over stories such as, “Shahnameh,” (Hosseini, pg. 103). As the novel continues, Amir throws pomegranates from the tree at Hassan, breaking the physical relationship between himself and Hassan. At the end of the novel, Amir returns to find the tree dead, and their physical relationship is gone, but they both think of themselves as friends.

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...e relives the adventures that he shared with Hassan. All three experiences with the pomegranate tree, are unique, because they highlight important, and different parts of their relationship with one another. The relationships that were built, and torn apart at the pomegranate tree made it evident that after years of guilt and regret for Amir, he was proud of the relationship he had with Hassan, and is hopeful for the wellbeing of the relationship with Hassan’s son, Sohrab.

Works Cited

"Friend" Merriam-Webster: Definition of Friend. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014..

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.

Ncowie. "The Kite Runner." Weblog post. The Kite Runner. WikiFoundry, 31 Oct. 2007. Web. 09 Apr. 2014. .