Jealousy In The Kite Runner

Freedom is what allows one to pursue their dreams and discover happiness. Unfortunately, very few people are given a privilege so powerful. The Taliban is an Islamic political movement that has been disintegrating the freedom of Afghanistan citizens since the late 1990s. The majority of individuals are not able to comprehend the hardships endured with a lack of this right. Author Khaled Hosseini and director Siddiq Barmak help create a picture that increases the readers understanding of such hardships. In his novel The Kite Runner, Hosseini reveals the influence of jealousy and the destructive nature of humanity through protagonist Amir’s experiences in Afghanistan. The reader learns the importance of determination as Amir loses everything

he loves. Similarly, in Barmak’s film Osama, Osama faces several challenges under the strict rule of the Taliban. Although both The Kite Runner and Osama illustrate the dreadful effects the Taliban has had in Afghanistan, they outline the influence in significantly different ways including variation in character, circumstance and outcome.
The characters of Amir and Osama each have their own personality which causes the reader to recognize various similarities and differences between them.

The reader immediately identifies the distinction between Amir and Osama in that Amir is male and Osama is female. One is also able to acknowledge Amir’s desire for power over the other kids. He learns at a young age that knowledge allows one to be authoritative and plays tricks on his dear friend Hassan in order to feel superior. “My favourite part of reading to Hassan was when we came across a big word he didn’t know. I’d tease him, expose him of his ignorance” (Hosseini 30). On the contrary, Osama who is a girl has fewer rights and learns to be humble. She never experiences control therefore becoming skillful at avoiding attention. Additionally, the reader discovers early on that both Amir and Osama are passive individuals who are too cowardly to stand up for themselves. However, unlike Amir who finally becomes brave enough to act selflessly and confront his oppressor, Osama remains overwhelmed by fear and does nothing but accept her brutal punishment. Despite the plentiful diversity between Amir and Osama, one is able to distinguish several resemblances as well. One clear instance of this is that both Amir and Osama have a secret that they endeavor to keep to themselves. Amir finds it difficult to hide his emotions from his father and to run away from his past, just as Osama has to conceal her true identity and feelings from those around her. All things considered, the contrasting components of Amir and Osama allow the reader to accumulate a better understanding of the impact the Taliban has had on individuals in

Afghanistan.
Evidently, the varying aspects of Amir and Osama’s characters allow the reader to develop an improved comprehension of the authority of the Taliban, but it is necessary to also regard the prominent comparison between their circumstances. For instance, Osama and Amir both have a guardian whom they thoroughly rely on. Amir’s father watches over him and protects him throughout his life, shielding him from the cruel realities of the world around him. Correspondingly, Osama hides behind her mother in order to feel safe. An equally significant factor is that both characters have a close friend who prevents any misery from affecting their lives. Amir’s beloved friend Hassan acts as a brother to him. He stands up for Amir, supports him and plays with him throughout their childhood. “‘Yes, Father,’ Hassan would mumble, looking down at his feet. But he never told on me. Never told that the mirror, like shooting walnuts at the neighbor's dog, was always my idea” (Hosseini 4). Hassan is always loyal to Amir and continuously keeps him out of trouble. The bond between Osama and her acquaintance Espani is not as loyal, nor is it as emotionally strong as Amir and Hassan’s, but Espani still manages to help Osama stay safe and keeps her identity hidden. The likeness between the situations of Amir and Osama is apparent however, there is an abundance of disparity as well. Osama is a poor girl whose father died and she now lives with her mother and grandmother. In Afghanistan, because of the Taliban rule women have no rights. Consequently, Osama must pretend to be a boy in order for her and her family to survive. In opposition, Amir comes from a wealthy family. His mother died while giving birth to him and his father is very well respected. Therefore, the terrible events that encompass the life of Amir are caused by his own wrong doings, while Osama’s are a result of the Taliban. Amir and Osama are raised in completely reversed environments, yet the reader is still able to acknowledge several relations between the distresses they tolerate.
Along with the circumstance of Amir and Osama, the outcomes of their actions also differ in numerous ways. After considerable suffering, Osama’s secret is discovered and she is sentenced to death. She is not executed, but given a punishment far worse; she is wedded to an elderly Taliban man and locked up for eternity. On the other hand, Amir betrays Hassan and escapes with his father to America. Some years later once he is a grown man, Amir redeems himself by saving Hassan’s son Sohrab. “The Kite Runner ends with an accepting and positive tone, whereas Osama concludes with the desolation of any dream or hope of happiness. While there are obvious differences the reader can distinguish between the conclusion of Amir and Osama’s stories, the similarities are more subtle and difficult to discover. As a result of their experiences, Amir and Osama are physically and emotionally exhausted. They have persevered through an incredible amount of sorrow, yet they are rewarded with further depression. “There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood” (Hosseini 333). Although Amir escapes to America, both he and Osama lose their innocence of childhood gradually throughout their respective works. In The Kite Runner, Amir stands by as his closest friend is raped, he watches public execution and is almost beaten to death. Osama is discriminated against because of her gender and lives in anxiety, always having to worry about how the Taliban will react to her actions. These are occurrences that no child should ever have to witness, but they still are happening every day. Through the experiences of Amir and Osama, the reader is able to empathize with the characters and realize the severity of these conditions.
The works of Hosseini and Barmak offer two alternative perspectives about the impact of the Taliban in Afghanistan through the descriptions of Amir and Osama’s character, condition and consequences. The state of fear that is present in the personalities of Amir and Osama causes them to back away from responsibility and confrontation. This terror is a product of the ruthless control of the Taliban and their view of women. Amir and Osama live their day to day lives in dread. Osama acts as a boy in order to stay alive, whereas Amir must learn to use his power for the betterment of others. As both individuals continue on with their lives they begin to observe the awful events around them. When Osama is locked away and Amir reflects on his actions in the past, the reader becomes aware of the reality Hosseini and Barmak have been illustrating throughout their works. Ultimately, the reader learns that not everybody has the opportunity to live happily ever after.