Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner

1589 Words4 Pages

Writer Ayn Rand once said that, “Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.” This happiness is not what a person feels when common pleasures occur in their lives, such as the purchase of a new car, or a promotion at work and an increase in salary. The feeling of genuine inner well-being and peace is a completely separate state of being that can be witnessed in Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner. The two key characters to the story, Amir and Hassan, share a very unique relationship. They achieve the deepest longing of humanity to achieve happiness through the different choices they make and experiences they have. Hassan proves to be on the proper path to happiness early on with a strong moral conscience in his life, sense of purpose to serve others, and the self-confidence to be independent. On the other hand, Amir struggles to achieve these same qualities as Hassan; to do the right thing, to think of others, and to carry his own weight with confidence.
Hassan’s morals and saintly nature bring him happiness in knowing that he does God’s will, while Amir questions God as well as Hassan’s pious personality. Hassan strives to make the moral choice every day of his life. He refuses to shoot walnuts at a one-eyed German shepherd when Amir insists that he can, subtly bringing out the instinct of integrity in Hassan. Similar to this, Hassan strives for good as he notices a plot flaw in one of Amir’s stories that involves death. Hassan’s inherent morality prompts him to suggest a non-violent option for Amir. Evidently, Hassan’...

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...a greater purpose than to only think selfishly, Amir is able to begin to develop a soul that is at peace with his mind. The novel, The Kite Runner instills that on humanity’s unending journey to true happiness, it is simply about developing, and awakening. Development is about realizing human potential and responding to life with morality and good judgment, while awakening is about discovering true nature and using God-given gifts and talents to give back to a world that offers so much to everybody. Only when the fundamentals of everyday life are transformed, and the transformation is genuinely felt, can it be said that true happiness is accomplished.

Works Cited
"Ayn Rand." Quotes by. An Quote Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. .
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Print.

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