Violence In The Kite Runner

2385 Words5 Pages

Violence means to behave in a way involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something. Violence in our world today affects the people that surround us – strangers and our loved ones – and the planet we live on. Every day when viewers search the TV remote to watch CNN, CBC, or any other news network, they watch acts yet again, of terrorism, shootings, or fatal accidents. These tragedies occur in most countries around the globe and we’re all affected by it in some way. Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan native, is one of those people that is struck by these tragedies. Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965. He and his family left Afghanistan due to his father’s work moving to Europe when he was 11. While they were …show more content…

During an interview, Hosseini is asked if he felt guilty about leaving Afghanistan and is that what motivated him to write about his country. He replies by saying he did feel a sense of guilt about his own undeserved good fortune to move away from the war in his homeland and that he only writes to educate and bridge gaps between people in the West and the region where he’s from. He creates The Kite Runner in order to characterize the violence in the country of Afghanistan and its citizens. He uses violence even in the innocent activity of kite fighting, it’s a kind of battle and young boys injure their hands when they participate. Hosseini creates characters to express how violence, guilt, and betrayal destroys relationships and the world around them. The most significant theme of all that occurs in the novel several times is rape. Rape is the ultimate act of violence and violation of a character, which strips them of their selfhood and integrity. There are three main acts of rape in the …show more content…

Hosseini uses this event to represent Amir’s guilt and betrayal throughout the novel. It is also the beginning push that propels the rest of the novel forward. Hassan’s loyalty to Amir does not budge when Assef threatens that he will hurt him if he doesn’t give him the winning kite. Instead, Hassan takes the beating and sexual abuse for Amir without a complaint. “It struck Assef in the forehead. Assef yelped as he flung himself at Hassan, knocking him to the ground. Wali and Kamal followed.” (Hosseini, 78) Amir is frightened by what he sees, he stays silent, and watches what plays out. “Hassan didn’t struggle. Didn’t even whimper. He moved his head slightly and I caught a glimpse of his face. Saw the resignation in it.” (81) Amir’s main reason for not stopping Assef and his friends is selfish. Amir wants to please Baba and he thinks the only way to do so is by bringing the kite home. Amir believes that Baba will then forgive him for killing his mother. Hosseini uses irony in this scene as Baba wants Amir to stand up for what is right. If Amir had stood up to Assef and his friends, Baba surely would have been ecstatic. However, Amir does the opposite and runs away. This is the central betrayal of the novel. “I had one chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan – the way he’d stood up

Open Document