The Importance Of Violence In The Kite Runner

Violence is a guiding force in the development of theme and of characters. In such a case, Khaled Hosseini 's The Kite Runner demonstrates the importance of violence that effectively contributes to Amir’s development throughout the novel and its purpose. Most specifically, the two acts of violence including the rape of Hassan and the brawl between Amir and Assef. As Amir faces an internal battle waging within, the immense guilt is contributed and influenced by the acts of violence Amir had witnessed. Without these acts of violence, The Kite Runner would lack in significance of Amir’s journey to redemption and the idea of redeeming any wrong doings.

As one of the most violent scenes in the book, Hassan, Amir’s friend, and later discovered brother,

Violence, in its brutal honesty, is engaging and climatic. Violence has the ability to give different perspectives and “heighten awareness of one’s own and other’s feelings and beliefs” (Letwin 1). Violence contributed to The Kite Runner‘s importance on the healing after a traumatic experience, such as the rape endured by Hassan and witnessed by Amir. Violence has the ability to confront issues and discern the reason such violence occurs which in this case, follows Amir’s story and descent into the restoral of past mistakes (Letwin

In Afghanistan, Amir came from a family that were considered wealthy and of a high class. Amir was also of the ethnicity, Pashtun, which at the time was the largest ethnic group and considerably one of the most recognized and esteemed in Afghanistan. One other main ethnic group that was focused on in the novel were the Hazaras, considered a “mongrel race” and frequently compared to “donkeys” (Hosseini 9). Although Baba and Amir did not actively practice it, the main religion was Islam and the Muslim people were divided between the Shia and the Sunni Muslims, with the Shia Muslims commonly discriminated against for being