Similarities Between The Kite Runner And Persepolis

Everyday, many families face difficult situations in which they might reach a point where they feel hopeless. Even though it can be tough, sticking with your family you can make it through any situation. In The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini and Persepolis written by Marjane Satrapi, both authors use family relationships to show how even through difficult situations, they managed to stay together and make it through.

In Persepolis, the main character, Marji, is living through the Islamic Revolution. The Islamic Revolution was a historical time period in Iran in which the people revolted against the Shah, overthrowing him and putting the Ayatollah in charge. These series of events put Marji’s life in danger, even at one point where

her house is nearly blown up by means of a missile.
Throughout the novel, Marji shows us her different relationships with different members of her family. In the beginning of the novel, Marji imagines having conversations with God at night, and asks him for advice. After deciding to become a prophet, she turns to her grandmother to become her first disciple.
Marji and her grandmother have a close relationship during Marji’s childhood. One of Marji’s reasons to become a prophet is due to the fact that she wants to heal her grandmother’s knees. Her grandmother is also the only person who supported her wanting to become a prophet, mostly because “only my grandmother knew about my book” (Satrapi, 7). Marji’s grandmother never doubted her. Her grandmother enjoys telling Marji past stories of when her grandfather was a prince and how he was put into the water cell. Marji’s grandmother helps Marji by talking about things in the past, to try and get Marji to understand the Islamic Revolution, even though she is still young.
Marji eventually meets her uncle, Anoosh, who she names her hero. Marji says, “and I had a hero in my family…Naturally I loved him immediately” (Satrapi, 54). Marji calls him a hero because of what he went through during his time under Prime Minister Fereydoon’s power. Anoosh and Marji spend about one night together, but Anoosh manages to tell her about numerous events during his life. He tells her about how he went to the U.S.S.R. and got married, then divorced. He eventually decided to return to Iran, but was arrested for nine years due to accusations that he was a spy. Marji and Anoosh become very close in the night they spend together due to the fact that Marji believes he is a hero, and wants to hear more about what happened. Their relationship doesn’t last long, however, as he is soon executed in prison.
Marji is considered being close to her family members, but as a child, is more interested in hearing about their memories of the Islamic Revolution and the times of when Marji’s family ruled Iran. She grows attraction to her family members such as her grandmother and her uncle Anoosh when she finds out what they went through. Hearing the stories of how her family members were treated causes Marji to grow angry towards the government. It influences her to go out and want to demonstrate, which she does numerous of times.
The main family relationship would be with Marji and her parents. Throughout Persepolis, Marji’s parents are mentioned in every chapter. She seems to have a close relationship with her parents, and admires their determination to demonstrate as much as they are able to. Marji begs to demonstrate with them, but they don’t allow her, since they know that it is dangerous. Marji states that “For a revolution to succeed, the entire population must support it” (Satrapi, 17), which shows that Marji wants to demonstrate, to fight against the same government that had tortured her family. She believes that everyone must demonstrate in order for the demonstrators to win. Her parents care much about her, since she is the only child, and don’t want her to get hurt since the Shah is violently attacking the demonstrators.
Satrapi uses family relationships to show how Marji is growing up and coming of age.

She uses her parents and other family members as figures who tell Marji about the Revolution and what it has done to their family. Marji believes that “The basis of education comes from the family” (Satrapi, 98) which means that the main source of learning, for everyone, is from their relatives. The terrifying memories they share with Marji help shape her opinion, allowing her to grow up with hatred towards the Shah. As a child, she isn’t fully aware of what is happening, it is her close loved ones who are responsible for telling her about the revolution in order for Marji to be able to find her identity and shape her opinion, as do many other teens

worldwide.
In The Kite Runner, Hosseini also uses family relationships to help with Amir’s coming of age. Amir is a young boy living in Kabul, Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion as well as the rise of the Taliban regime. He is from a rich background, living in a beautiful house with servants. As a kid, he isn’t fully aware of how terrible Kabul is becoming with the increase in poverty and the decrease in economy. To Amir, Kabul is a peaceful town where he and his servant, Hassan, go to fly kites. He has always lived in Afghanistan, but was protected from seeing the real Kabul, which isn’t as rich and peaceful as Amir had thought.
In the beginning of the novel, we immediately recognize a character, named Hassan, who appears to be a close friend of Amir’s. Amir then reveals that Hassan is his servant. Amir and Hassan are both young kids at the time, who are growing up and noticing the world around them. Hassan, being poor and living in a shack, is more aware of the poverty stricken state in which Kabul is. Amir, however, is wealthy, and believes that everyone else is wealthy.
Amir isn’t aware that he is related to Hassan at the beginning of the novel.

His father, Baba, is actually the father of Hassan, making Amir and Hassan half-brothers. Amir says, “Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words” (Hosseini, 11) which shows just how close Amir and Hassan are growing up. If Amir had known, he might have acted differently when witnessing Hassan being abused by Assef. Hassan has always stood up for Amir, such as when Assef threatened to beat them both up. When Amir realizes that Hassan is his brother, it is too late. The Taliban had already shot Hassan because he had refused to leave Amir’s

house.
Amir has a close relationship with his father, Baba, throughout the story. In the beginning, Amir feels like he is a ghost. He had heard stories of his father being courageous and fearless and felt like he had done nothing to impress his father. It isn’t until he wins the kite-flying event that he starts to feel like his father notices him. Even then, Amir continues to embarrass his father, for example when they were on the truck being smuggled across the border and Amir threw up. Amir believes that his father sees him as a coward due to his weak stomach.
While in America, Amir and Baba are forced to live in a tiny apartment together, so their relationship becomes stronger. Before, while living in Afghanistan, Amir lived in a huge house, and didn’t see his father as much as he does now in the apartment. They share many important memories together such as Amir’s graduation, marriage to Soraya, and publishing his first successful novel. Baba helps Amir build confidence in himself by encouraging him to pursue his dream to become a writer.
In both Persepolis and The Kite Runner, both protagonists, Marji and Amir have close relationships with their family. Marji and Amir both have a father figure, but Amir lacks a mother figure. Marji is close to her grandmother and they tell each other stories and get along well. Amir didn’t mention grandparents in The Kite Runner, but he does mention his relationship with his father, Baba. At the beginning of the novel, Amir and Baba aren’t very close. It isn’t until they move to America do they start getting along better. Even then, their relationship isn’t as strong as Marji’s with her family.
The authors of both novels use family relationships to show how the main characters were influenced while growing up. They both used family members to help in shaping the opinions of both Marji and Baba on the events going on around them such as the Islamic Revolution or the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Without the use of family relationships, Marji and Baba wouldn’t have an adult figure influence on them to help them get through complicated events in their country.