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The sense of family theme in the kite runner
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The sense of family theme in the kite runner
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Amir, the Troubled Soul
As Cassandra Clare once said,“Lies and secrets, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind.” Secrets are all around and there is no way to prevent them. Secrets are unquestionably symbolic in literature. They hurt everybody that they are related to. If you keep a secret to yourself, it eats away at you. If there is a secret told to you, you are now guilty of whatever comes. In the book The Kite Runner, Amir holds in his secrets in order to protect himself from the trouble he would be in. The secrets Amir had hurt him and all of the loved ones around him. Rahim Khan is the confidant, the one that everyone comes to with all the information. He was the confidant to
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Hassan and to Amir in order to help Amir be good again. Amir started out being Hassan's so called best friend, but was afraid to show it or be seen with him.
Amir and Hassan had an awkward relationship, unlike normal ones. They blood brothers but neither of the two knew until Amir found out from Rahim Khan when he grew older. Amir carved into a tree, “ Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul.” (27). This writing made them formally the owners of the tree. In most relationships would show a vow to one another, but truly the relationship between them was mostly favored towards Amir. Instead of Amir viewing Hassan as a best friend and a brother like character, he saw him as what he really was, a hazara child. To Amir, Hassan was inferior, but to his Baba, Amir's dad, they were both seen as equal. This is where the relationship met its conflict. Amir had done bad things to Hassan because Hassan was liked by Baba equal to how much Amir was liked. Amir had a lack of self-confidence which interfered with his ability to have a true relationship with Hassan. Also Amir's jealousy of Hassan because of Baba rejected his chance to ever be on good terms with Hassan again. This haunted him throughout the rest of the …show more content…
story. When Amir watched Hassan and let him get raped by Assef.
While the reason why Hassan was put into the situation was to make Amir happy, Amir watched as Hassan was violated. This shows the one sided relationship that was between the of them. Amir knew he was wrong but didn't want to admit it to himself. Throughout the childhood of Amir and Hassan, Amir tested Hassan and took advantage of him. The reason for Amir to take advantage is to prove to himself only that he is better and that he deserves to be seen as better the Hassan to Baba. THere was never once throughout the book when Baba showed acceptance towards Amir which put Amir in the state of jealousy and angry from that jealousy. After Amir has finally found out that him torturing Hassan wouldn't get him the acceptance he wanted by his father, he pursues a way to make it up to his father after his death. Rahim Khan said “There is a way to be good again.”(2). Rahim Khan knew everything about Baba, Amir, and Hassan and their relationships. He heard every side of the story and heard from each of them personally. Rahims major wish in the story was to have Amir save his talented nephew Sohrab, from being tortured and killed. He knew all that Amir had done and knew that Amir would do anything to fix it, which is why Amir in the long run saved
Sohrab. Rahim Khan was the confidant of the story. He had heard everything from Baba, and heard everything from Hassan. It was his job to inform Amir about these things. Rahim knew everything about Baba not accepting Amir and everything about how Hassan was seen as an inferior to Amir. Hassan gave Rahim the letters while Baba talked to him on the phone. But this proves how Rahim was the confidant of The Kite Runner. Rahim understands the situation Amir was in so from what he had hear from the Baba and Hassan, he had came up for a way to make everything good again and to repay Hassan for everything bad he has done and to make it up to Baba for never being the son Baba wished he could've had. Rahim Khan was correct about Amir wanting to make things better because Amir indeed did go on a journey to get Sohrab. In conclusion, you can see how bad of a person Amir was but you can also see how Rahim was indeed the confidant of the story. He took in information from all and put out the most important thing to not only those people but to himself also. He was the wise one in the book allowing for him to be able to assign a job to someone to make things right, this person was Amir. Hassan may have been seen as inferior at the beginning of the book but by the end of the book Amir realized that his choice to sacrifice his morals for this one decision ended up haunting him for the rest of his life, from what we know because Amir hasn't made it completely right again. This matters in the book because this helps you understand how this book is set up. It is formally set up with Amir as the protagonist and Rahim as the confidant. Said by Amir to Sohrab “Do you want me to run this kite for you?”... ”For you, a thousand times over.”(371).
Although Hassan is his best friend, there are many instances where Amir reveals his jealousy, most notable when Baba sees Hassan as the stronger boy, "self-defense has nothing to do with meanness. You know what always happens when the neighbourhood boys tease him? Hassan steps in and fends them off. I 've seen it with my own eyes…” (Hosseini 24). Clearly, Amir hears how his father compares the two, and unlike Hassan who manages to meet Baba’s expectations, Amir grows bitter towards Hassan. He is unable to fight off his envy which later causes him to sacrifice his best friend’s innocence: “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (82), and this is all because he realizes “his shame is complicated by his own realization that in part he doesn’t help his friend precisely because he is jealous of him” (Corbett, 2006). From here, Amir develops strong feelings of guilt that induces him to perform even more destructive acts, such as having Hassan and his father evicted from the house. Amir not only loses a close friend, but now he has to continue to live with remorse as he dwells on these memories. The only way for Amir to redeem himself of his repercussions is through a challenging process of sacrifice and self-discovery. Although one is unsure at this point whether Amir succeeds at his endeavors, it is clear that this story
Throughout Amir’s journey to absolve himself from the internal and distressing pain he has felt ever since witnessing the devastating altercation in the alley, trying to reach a standard his father, Baba, would approve of also took a toll on his childhood. Baba often speaks of how he cannot fathom the fact that Amir is a part of his bloodline. (quotes quotes quotes) Trying to achieve the perfect son status that Baba wanted Amir to be clouded his mind so greatly that, during the moment, Amir did not show compassion towards Hassan’s troubling moment of need. What matter most was retrieving the last fallen kite to his father to prove he was not a mistake that Baba made Amir believe he was. Even after Baba’s death, his actions brought more despair and uncertainty to Amir’s complicated life. The secrets and lies that were kept from Amir and even Hassan could have altered the fate of both men. (quote quote quote) Throughout the novel, Amir could arguably be considered as selfish, rude and mean toward his half-brother Hassan. However, since Baba never told the two about their true relationship Amir grew up disliking Hassan because he did not know that they shared blood. Knowing their true identities possibly could
Happiness is everyone’s main goal in life; however, one cannot define happiness, nor how it is achieved. Happiness plays a pivotal role in the novel “Kite Runner”, written by Khaled Hosseini. The main character, Amir, is on a quest for happiness and strives for it throughout his entire life; however, it is not without struggle and hardship. Amir achieves many accomplishments in this novel which ultimately lead up to him becoming truly happy. One of Amir’s accomplishments that contributed in his quest for happiness is his marriage with his love, Soraya. Another one of Amir’s accomplishments that also contributed in his quest for happiness is the discovery of his father’s flaws. Furthermore, Amir also gained happiness by giving his orphaned nephew,
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
Over the course of the novel, Baba implies that he is not proud of Amir and the only reason he knows Amir is his son, is because he witnessed Amir 's birth. He states to Rahim Khan that he thinks Amir needs to stand up for himself more often. Countless times during the novel, Amir feels like he has to fight for his affection, that he has to earn Baba’s love. In order to prove himself worthy of affection and to redeem himself for not being a son Baba could be proud of, Amir yearns to win the kite runner competition. He reminisces on a memory, when all “I saw was the blue kite. All I smelled was victory. Salvation. Redemption” (65). In the aftermath of Hassan’s rape, Amir got rid of Hassan so he would not have to face the cause of his guilt on a daily basis. Amir buries the secret of the rape deep within him, where he hopes that it will not come back to haunt him, which is not the case. “We had both sinned and betrayed. But Baba had found a way to create good out of his remorse. What had I done, other than take my guilt out on the very same people I had betrayed, and then try to forget it all? What had I done, other than become an insomniac? What had I ever done to right things?” (303). As mentioned earlier, Amir is not one who stands up for himself. In order for Amir to redeem himself for betraying Hassan, and not standing up for him earlier,
Hassan would do anything for his friends and treat everyone, even bullies, with respect because his respectful dad, Ali, taught him to always be loyal to all, and never hurt anyone. Ali was Baba’s servant and long-time friend, and stayed close to him throughout their childhood and adulthood. Amir's actions showed how much of a coward he was. Amir suffered his whole life living with the guilt of knowing that Hassan was raped, much like Baba lived his whole life in guilt knowing that he stole the truth from Ali by committing adultery.
Apart from being a Hazara, Amir has grown up with a rich and lavished childhood. Amir’s father, Baba, was a rich and respected man, however he was cold-hearted towards Amir. Part of the reason is because he sees no similarities between him and Amir, and had even said “If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son” (Hosseini p.23). Baba was also not the same person as he was when his wife was alive. She had passed away while she was giving birth to Amir, and this caused Amir to grow up without a mother. Not knowing it feels like to have a mother, Amir only had Baba to look up to. Amir is always seeking approval from Baba, but he never gets it. Baba is never interested in what he does. This
In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, the author follows the development of protagonist Amir through a life filled with sorrow, regret, and violence. Amir encounters numerous obstacles on his path to adulthood, facing a new test at every twist and turn. Amir embarks on the long journey known as life as a cowardly, weak young man with a twisted set of ideals, slowly but surely evolving into a man worthy of the name. Amir is one of the lucky few who can go through such a shattered life and come out the other side a better man, a man who stands up for himself and those who cannot, willing to put his life on the line for the people he loves.
Lies are something that many people have said before, either for gain or harm. In The Kite Runner lying in the story leads some important events in the story. As the story goes one each lie affect the story in many ways as it guides the main character, Amir to start of his growth and to the end of this story. This is why I think lies is an important theme in The Kite Runner as it's used as a proxy for the actions of its main characters. As the novel goes on the Amir begins to wonder how his life could have differed if the lies weren’t prevalent. Khaled Hossenini’s novel, The Kite Runner, teaches the reader how lies lead to life and choices that were made during the story through Amir‘s lie affecting how he lives from then on and Baba’s lie could have lead to a different future.
And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he'd stolen from me had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honour” (Hosseini, 225). Amir comes to acknowledge the Secular nature of Baba’s actions; Turning on his own blood and his own values. He starts by disrespecting Ali, lying to Hassan and being a reoccuring sinner when Ali and Hassan have been honest and faithful to him. Baba’s non-religious attitude was ultimately picked up by Amir, his son. Amir becomes dishonest and discourteous to Hassan and Ali in the beginnings of the novel, particularly when Amir witnesses Hassan being helplessly sexually assaulted in an alleyway. During this revolting act, Amir contemplates; “I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan – the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past – and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran.” (Hosseini, 77). Amir’s cowardness and selfishness is what differentiates him from Hassan, as Hassan would have saved
In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, the character Rahim Khan highlights the main character Amir’s insecurities about paternal approval and courage during his quest for redemption, illuminating the theme of always standing up for what is right.
Even Baba’s joy in Amir’s win at “kite fighting” was short-lived. It is not until much later in life that Amir finally understands why Baba acted the way he did towards him. After Baba’s death, Amir finds out that he is not an only child. Hassan, his childhood friend and servant, is his illegitimate half-brother. He remembers that, when he was younger, Baba would always say Hassan “is staying right [there] with them, where he belong[ed] and that “he had wept, wept,” when Hassan had left them (225). Amir realized that Baba was disappointed as he was not Hassan. He was the hopeless, legitimate son that was to carry on Baba’s legacy. Hassan was the independent son with no connection to his dead wife. This betrayal wounded Amir and intensified his hatred towards his father and Hassan and is the beginning of Amir’s realization that he will never truly please his
Amir always seemed ungrateful for the stuff Hassan has done for him and reveals lack of mutuality various times.One of the examples that showed of Amir and Hassan throughout their childhood, “ What would you do If I hit you with this “,”Hit me back”. Amir and Hassan go way back. Amir has a lot of demons one of them is about Hassan, Hassan is actually Amir’s servant but when they were younger Amir stood and watched Hassan be raped by a boy named
The relationships Amir had forged early on in life largely consisted of Hassan and Rahim Khan when he was young because of Baba’s ignorance of Amir’s interest and silent pleas for attention. However, Rahim Khan and Amir were able to display a relationship like that of a father and son. Throughout the book it was seen that Baba would often turn Amir away when he talked about literature or showed any signs of weakness, whereas Rahim khan always encouraged and listened to Amir. Additionally, Amir would occasionally make comments that alluded to him seeing Rahim Khan as more of a father figure than Baba and later within the story Amir specially flies to Pakistan when he heard of Rahim’s failing health. Both Amir and Rahim were not blood related, however this special bond between Amir and Rahim Khan came about through the 17 years that they spent together in Kabul through the good and the bad. Similar to Poncho Bebe, Rahim grew fond of Amir and they created a special bond similar to that of family. This bond was especially driven by Amir having been acquaintanced with Rahim ever since he was little, and Rahim would treat Amir as if he was his own son. In chapter four of The Kite Runner when Amir just finished his first short story, he eagerly ran to Baba’s study and showed his story to him looking for approval, however Baba was unresponsive.
Now yes, there are multiple excuses for why Amir did not do anything to stop it. Some of them include that he was too young, too inexperienced, and too weak but even with all of those there is no reason that Amir should have let that happen. Amir fully agrees with his cowardliness when he says “I actually aspired to cowardice because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba.” This quote brings up Amir’s final major flaw. How badly he tries to make his father happy. Everything that Amir does revolves around making his father proud of him. This is easily shown by an early quote saying, “Baba and Rahim Khan were drinking tea and listening to the news crackling on the radio. Their heads turned. Then a smile played on my father's lips. He opened his arms. I put the kite down and walked into his thick hairy arms. I buried my face in the warmth of his chest and wept. Baba held me close to him, rocking me back and forth. In his arms, I forgot what I'd done. And that was good.” (pg 148) Baba’s happiness with Amir is all that Amir wants in his life and that is what dictates a lot of his decision in his young and older