The Kite Runner review

The Kite Runner review

            The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, is a fiction and a coming-of-age novel that illustrates the life of one Amir, the protagonist of the novel, divided into three sections based on his age. Amir is literally seen to come of age over the continuity of the novel, as it starts with him as a child in Kabul, Afghanistan and ends when he is a man of middle age in America. Hosseini (2003), describes the moral and psychological growth that took Place in Amir’s life based on the fact that Amir is disturbed by a traumatic event that happened in his childhood. The novel is a complex work of literature that illustrates and shades light on a number of issues ranging from morality, historical issues as well as national issues.

There is a complicated relationship between Amir, who is the protagonist of the story and his father, Baba. Amir is just a little boy from Kabul, Afghanistan, who really craves the love, attention and acceptance of his father because he feels that he is not loved enough. Amir is ready to do anything in the world and to go to all extents just to get his father to love him. Chapter 6, Amir says he is ready to write one hundred stories if his father, Baba would read just one. He is even ready to betray his best friend Hassan so his father can see him as a good son. He lets Assef rape Hassan and does nothing about it despite the fact that he has the ability to stop that cruel action. At some point he also staffs some money and a watch under Hassan’s pillow so that Hassan can be seen as the thief. In Chapter 9, Hassan accepts when asked if he stole the watch and the money which results to him being thrown out while it’s raining.

The author uses a number of characters to bring out his story into perfection, each character with his or her own specific role towards the life and growth of the protagonist. Baba, Amir’s father, fails to offer him the much that a parent can offer his or her child which forms a basis of Amir’s character and actions in the story, for instance, his betrayal of Hassan. Hassan’s character as compared to Amir’s is that of a beautiful person despite the fact that he has had tougher times than Amir. Hassan does not let his sufferings make him bitter about life and is instead a constantly good person showering Amir with his warmth and goodness, which in turn infuriates Amir.  Amir one time calls Hassan a coward and fails at an attempt to provoke Hassan to hit him back as illustrated in chapter 8 on  page 88. Hassan can be said to be the hero in the story. Assef unlike Hassan, is the villain of the story. He goes on to portray an evil character again and again. He has no conscience and is not even slightly remorseful for his cruel action of raping Hassan when they were just young boys. According to chapter 7 on page 106, Assef blatantly calls Hassan out for being a fool because he thinks him and Amir are friends. He asks Hassan if he is sure about sacrificing himself for the sake of Amir.

As the story progresses, Amir is conflicted by his feelings of guilt resulting from his betrayal to Hassan who is his best friend as well as his half-brother as it is discovered later in the story. Chapter 16-17 Rahim Khan, tells Amir the Story of how he found Hassan. He tries to seek redemption for all the things he has done to the people in his life, for instance, he wants to be forgiven for betraying his only friend Hassan and for not being the son that his father wanted him to be. In chapter 4 on page 23-24, Amir reads Hassan books which make Hassan shed tears from feeling nostalgic. He feels guilty for simply existing. He even feels like it is his fault that his mother passed on after giving life to him and also wants to be forgiven for that. He therefore lives his entire life trying to redeem himself. It becomes his main goal of life. These series of events take place at a time when Afghanistan was at war with the Soviet Union. A clear illustration of the town of Kabul is given from when it blossomed, all through its intervention up to the time it was destroyed. It is now clear that a lot of these events, if not all of them, were significantly led to by this war. Afghanistan as a country as well as its people were negatively affected by this war and the people that suffered most included Amir.

From this novel, we see the moral, national as well as historical issues of the life of Amir as well as that of Afghanistan altogether. The activities of the past, the present and the future are connected and the relationship between all these times has been clearly illustrated. Amir’s childhood and past experiences have played a tremendous role in moulding him into the man that he presently is. A man that will do everything it takes to redeem himself from the mistakes he made in the past.

Works Cited

Hosseini, K. “The Kite Runner.” 2003