Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Themes of the kite runner
Symbolism and redemption in the Kite runner
Critical interpretations of the kite runner
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Themes of the kite runner
Fatherhood in this novel is seen by different shade of colour, not knowing what the true shade really is. There are many turning points which show various stages in being a true father. Therefore, being a father is very difficult, having to overcome obstacles and being strong for each other. A well-known saying “like father, like son” is evident in this novel by the different ties of relationship each character had. In the novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini proves that there is need of a fatherly figure when growing up. Having a father-son bond helps the child differentiate right from wrong. The relationship which demonstrates the need of a father figure is depicted by Baba and Amir, Hassan and Sohrab as well as Amir and Sohrab.
A father is an important role in a child’s life, but more than that, a father expects his son to be the same or at least similar in one way or another to themselves. However, this was not the case for Baba or Amir. Baba does not know why Amir is not like in any particular way. Baba is speaking to Rahim Khan who is Baba’s business partner and best friend about Amir hobbies and interests as it was not similar to his as a child: ““But he’s always buried in those books or shuffling around the house like he’s lost in some dream”…“I wasn’t like that at all and neither were any of the kids I grew up with” (Hosseini 23). Baba is frustrated and annoyed over the fact that Amir is not similar to Baba in any way. Baba wanted a son who could carry on his name in honor and pride as a perceived typical man in Afghanistan instead of a man who is “always buried in those books” (Hosseini 23). Baba would not take any time to develop his relationship with Amir, as he feels that there is no father-son connection at all e...
... middle of paper ...
...at Baba had made and corrected himself as he was growing up alone. On the flip side, Hassan and Sohrab had a close-knit relationship by Hassan always being there for Sohrab since the time he was born. Hassan never left Sohrab’s sight and wanted him to be a great child when he grew up. But when Hassan had passed away, Sohrab was left alone to make his own decisions in life. And lastly reflecting upon Amir and Sohrab, Amir was seen to be a true fatherly figure learning from all the rejections throughout his life. Amir was seen to guide Sohrab to find a better place for him rather than make him struggle. Being a true fatherly figure plays a key role in not only being there for their children but also to guide them in the right direction and differentiate between right and wrong.
Works Cited
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Toronto: Anchor Canada, 2004. Print.
Baba teaches Amir the ways to become a virtuous man, however Amir is not as courageous as his father and it is difficult for Amir to demonstrate his teachings. Baba teaches Amir how to be a strong good man, but Amir does not seem to grasp these values as much as he may want to. Thusly, Amir constantly seeks his father’s approval, yet he does not follow the one thing his father has taught him, being a decent man. This does not just include knowing the difference between right and wrong, it is being strong enough to stand up for what is just. Courage and bravery are two characteristics Amir needs to gain acceptance not only from his father but also from himself. Amir overhears his father talking to Rahim Khan about him and Hassan. He hears his father say, “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up for anything,” (Hosseini 22). This saddens Amir, because he re...
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
Though some may rise from the shame they acquire in their lives, many become trapped in its vicious cycle. Written by Khlaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner describes the struggles of Amir, his father Baba, and his nephew Sohrab as they each fall victim to this shameful desolation. One repercussion of Baba hiding his sinful adultery from Amir is that Amir betrays Hassan for his father’s stringent approval. Sohrab’s dirty childhood also traumatizes him through his transition to America. Consequently, shame is a destructive force in The Kite Runner. Throughout the course of the novel, Baba’s shameful affair, Amir’s selfish betrayal, and Sohrab’s graphic childhood destroy their lives.
Fathers have a remarkable influence on their children. Every son looks up to their dad, and dreams of becoming a man just like them. In the novel Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Ali and Baba play a tremendous role in their sons lives: Hassan and Amir. Both boys strive to become the man their father is, and would go to any measures to mirror their fathers. All children need a father figure in their lives, and even though Ali and Baba raised their children differently, they were both loved unconditionally.
The movie The Kite Runner is based on the book and it contains both subtle and explicit differences as all books and movies do. Both the book and the movie have very compelling and moralistic themes though at times the movie’s themes seem limited. The themes presented throughout the movie and the book are penance, loyalty, prejudice, religion and growing up. The characterization, overall plot of the movie and the setting of the book seem to be consistent with each other though at times they both may vary both slightly and drastically.
The constant battle of love and a sense of tension between all of the father and son pairs is extremely apparent throughout all of The Kite Runner. It always seems as though one character is trying to make something up to another character. Feelings of guilt, the need to redeem themselves, and extreme jealousy between Amir, Baba, Hassan, and Ali are the primary factors that keep the plot moving. Whether it is Baba to Hassan or Amir to Baba, there is always a sense of the need for redemption going on. This sense of redemption can be found not only within characters, but also incorporates a bit of polical view in to the novel by giving a glimpse in to the various lives of different ethnicities and how they interact with one another.
...rough his actions to save Sohrab, Amir became the man his father had always wanted him to be. Although Baba never lived up to the persona he created for himself, Amir did, and that is why his attempts to achieve atonement were more successful than his father’s. While Baba was unable to seek more than personal redemption, Amir found atonement with himself, Hassan, and God. Amir also found the courage his father lacked to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve redemption. Amir’s ability to transform into a strong character was a result of what he learned from his father’s strengths and weaknesses. While Baba was unable to achieve true redemption, he was a true role model that provided his son, Amir, with the necessary skills to achieve atonement for both of them.
Perfect heroes are unrealistic in literature because even though they seem ideal, the characters become flat and unrelatable. Therefore, authors often add other dimensions to characters that reveal their personality flaws and mistakes. Authors are able to use these dimensions to both relate the characters but also teach the readers life lessons from the characters mistakes. For example, in The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini crafts multiple ambiguous characters who are good people that make major mistakes. By contrasting these characters to the more pure characters, Hosseini is able to show both the ideal life to live and the ways to do that. In The Kite Runner, Amir and his father, Baba, display lives of contradictions while Hassan and Rahim
Throughout Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, Hosseini depicts a character unlike any other, Baba. Baba is portrayed throughout the novel as a tough man who is always willing to help someone in need. Baba seems to love and care for everyone in the novel except his son, Amir. Amir is always trying to pursue eminence in Baba’s eye and give Baba a reason not to loathe him. Amir thought Baba hated him because when Amir was born, it killed his mother, Baba’s “princess.” Baba’s transformation throughout the novel is very clear as he transforms from a father who despises his son, to accepting his son and finally being a true father to Amir.
Amir’s redemption is a large part of the novel and is carried out almost entirely until the end of the story. He travels to rescue Hassan’s son, Sohrab, from the orphanage he was placed in after the death of his parents. He promises to find him a safe home with someone but after time passes he feels like this is not enough. He then speaks to his wife and decides to take Sohrab back to the United States with him and take care of his as if he was one of his own. Earlier in the novel when Baba is speaking Amir over hears his conversation as he is referring to him stating, “A boy who won 't stand up for himself becomes a man who can 't stand up to anything” (Hosseini, 22). Thus meaning that if he is able to stand up for himself as a young boy, when he is grown he will not be able to stand up for anything that is in his future. This is true throughout the story until he stands up for himself and Sorhab when he is arguing with his life long bully, Assef. Amir lacked the courage to defend himself in the novel until he finally took charge and went against
In the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir and Baba struggle to find a way to talk one on one with each other and bring their relationship closer. They try to bond over countless activities, but none of that works out. Amir also accumulates guilt, and cannot let it go. To resolve his issues, Amir needs to learn how to “be a man” just as Baba has been trying to teach him to be all his life. Amir finally learns how to be a man by taking the examples from Afghanistan and applying them in America, learning how to stand up for himself, and more importantly for others.
Hassan and Sohrab is completely set aside to Amir’s relationship with Baba, and their family acts as a foil to Amir’s, promoting the theme of the necessity of an empathetic father. Hassan listens to his son,enjoys spending time with him, and plays with him. He takes his son’s feelings into account. Sohrad has a strong connection with his father and enjoys his early years spent with Hassan. While Amir’s early childhood was spent trying to get his father 's attention while also trying to find ways to make him proud of him. He tries his best to make a bond with his father while Sohrab’s bond is organic and natural. Sohrad has his father’s love and affection and does what he is told while Amir constantly strives without success for his father’s love. This leads to him carrying on bad decisions.These two father-son relationship hassan is foil to Baba while Sohrad is a foil to Amir. Both Baba and Hassan are strong and brave men who stand up for what they believe is right in the world. For example Babe puts his life at risk trying to save a woman from rap by a soilder. “Tell him I’ll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place”. Same thing goes for Hassan, when he went to go get a kite for Amir. Hassan runs the losing kite for Amir, then finds himself in a situation rap, mine while Amir made a choice to put
Because of Amir’s extreme desire to receive the attention and affection from Baba, he begins to subconsciously sacrifice his relationship with Hassan in order to fulfill his interests. However, as Amir continuously matures and begins to recognize his initial ignorant, detrimental actions towards Hassan, he no longer “worships” his father like he did in the past. This causes him to ensure a sense of independence because of his ability to quickly adapt to a completely new, unfamiliar environment and remain adamant on pursuing their own aspirations. When individuals highly idolize and worship the successes that their loved ones have achieved, their in-suppressible desire to emulate the achievements of others causes them to inevitably experience difficult circumstances that challenge their morality and principles. In The Kite Runner, Amir has always displayed overflowing affections for Baba due to his prideful feelings of being the son of a wealthy, prominent father.
The contrast between these two coming-of-age works and their protagonists’ different resolutions highlights that mentors make the ultimate difference in characters’ journeys to adulthood. Amir’s dead mother and his hopelessly aloof father do not provide him with much guidance or love; their inattention to Amir is what causes him to seek alternate mentorship. After his mother dies giving birth to him, Amir is left alone with only one parent - Baba, his father. One would assume that as the sole members of their family, father and son would be close, but instead they have a distant and chilly relationship.
Khaled Hosseini on his novel The Kite Runner illustrates that how the hero of this novel “Amir” affected by his father. Amir thought that his father does not love him because Amir admits