Theme Of Jealousy In The Kite Runner

Jealousy is not Love

The common theme of jealousy is easily found in images, music, videos, the Bible and stories in literature. The negative outcome from this harmful feeling can be devastating. Most people will feel jealous at some point in their lives – children often feel resentment towards a sibling; boyfriends and girlfriends can be suspicious of each other. Jealousy is an emotion that is normal, but it can also easily become out of control, leading to negative behaviors and, at times, even devastating consequences. Jealousy can even lead to actions that result in the betrayal of others and result in anger, a by-product of jealousy. The world renowned author Khaled Hosseini explores this theme in his novel, The Kite Runner, through

the relationship of the main character, Amir, who is jealous of his servant Hassan because Amir’s father favours him but is dismissive of his own son, Amir. Hosseini explores the pain and suffering that can result from someone’s jealousy. Hosseini suggests that jealousy can destroy relationships and lead to needless suffering, betrayal and harmful anger shown through Amir’s broken relationship with his friend Hassan.

First Hosseini shows the pain and suffering that can result from someone’s jealousy through Amir’s broken relationship with Hassan. Amir realizes that he sacrifices Hassan when he does not stand up for him and stop his rape by Assef. He says, “The real reason I was running was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay to win Baba. Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it: He was just a Hazara wasn’t he” (82). Amir realizes that after this incident Hassan stops smiling and life in the house for both boys becomes unbearable, full of pain and suffering. Hosseini shows the harm that jealous feelings can bring into the lives of the characters in this novel.

Not only does jealousy cause tremendous suffering, Hosseini illustrates the idea that it can ruin relationships and lead to actions of betrayal as shown by Amir’s serious betrayal of Hassan. When he plants the money and watch in Hassan’s bed, Hassan and his father, Ali, feel they can no longer live with Amir and his father and leave the only home they have ever known (110). Amir describes the impact of his betrayal on Hassan and his father Ali: “that was when I understood the depth of the pain I had caused, the blackness of the grief I had brought onto everyone, that not even Ali’s paralyzed face could mask his sorrow” (113). The “blackness of grief” and the “depth of pain” show the pain of Amir’s betrayal and the life changing impact it has on Hassan and Amir as well as both of their fathers. There no hope of keeping their relationships with Amir’s family intact. In this way, through Amir’s deceitful actions, Hosseini explores the idea that jealousy can lead to devastating betrayal that destroys even the closest of relationships.

Finally, Hosseini explores the way anger can also be a by-product of jealousy breaking relationships apart through Amir’s hateful feelings toward Hassan.

Amir is angry with Hassan and wishes his father would not pay for the surgery Hassan needs to fix his harelip:

I wished I too had some kind of scar that would beget

Baba’s sympathy. It wasn’t fair. Hassan hadn’t done

anything to earn Baba’s affections, he’d just been born

with that stupid harelip (50).

Amir clearly responds to Baba’s generous offer with misplaced anger towards Hassan. Because of his anger, Amir loses and important relationships in his life. Amir loses his best friend forever as well as distances himself from his father. The anger that can result from jealousy breaks and ruins relationship – some that are irreparably damaged.

Overall, feelings of jealousy never lead to a good outcome. In the novel The Kite Runner, the jealousy of the main character, Amir, causes much pain and suffering for the others in their lives. Further, his jealousy leads to betrayal and anger – damaging emotions that hurt themselves as well as others. If people could really understand the harmful effects of jealousy, there would be no room for jealous emotions to take over and hurt

others.