Trauma In The Kite Runner

When someone has experienced trauma, it's hard for that someone to let go of that experience and just simply forget about it. Often, trauma can influence the way a person would think and act. Though there are similarities between the different people dealing with past injuries, there are also contrasting traits. In Toni Morrison's Beloved and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner touch on past experiences of trauma and how those actions can influence a person in what they do.

First, the similarities between of past damage between the two novels, starting with Sethe’s story. The story of Beloved is forged around Sethe’s rape and, in the story, it’s tough for her to let go of that encounter; which caused her to try and kill her children then herself.

Her anguish was so great that she could not bare to see her kids relive that. In justifying her actions she tells Paul D, a close friend, that: “It ain't my job to know what’s worse. It’s my job to know what is and to keep them away from what I know is terrible.” (Morrison 194) Though this seems like Sethe wanted to harm her children she was actually keeping them safe and caring for them. Sethe, in her own mind, did what she thought was right, protecting her loved ones from what she knew was horrible.
Now compare this to Hassan from The Kite Runner. He was violated by his childhood bully, but still wanted to help his friend no matter what. Shortly after Amir, Hassan’s friend, violently assaulted him. Even though Hassan was assaulted physically before he did not lash out at his friend. Instead he simply asked: “Are you satisfied?” (Hosseini 93) Like Sethe, Hassan did not want to hurt Amir. In asking if Amir was satisfied, Hassan wanted to make sure that Amir was all right. Hassan immediately wanted Amir to take what he needed to because he cherished Amir.
By way of contrast, Sethe’s and Hassan's experiences differ as well. Sethe reacted fiercely to the threat of having her milk taken again and hever her kids subjected to that type of misery.