Book review assignment:The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner is an exploration of Amir, a Sunni Muslim who is navigating various challenges of life and struggling to discern his position in the globe. Amir is recuperating from the trauma that emanated from distinct childhood experiences. Amir further struggles to establish a value-adding association with his father, Baba. On the other hand, Amir tries to comprehend his association with Hassan, his Shi’a Islamic subject. One of the challenging encounters of Amir is the tackle of the cultural forces. Though he has grown in a privileged class, he doesn’t enjoy the life of being brought up as an exempt family unit. Though Hassan and Ali, his father, pose in the text as servants, they at times offer Amir Comfort and association as if they are members of his family. In addition to the challenges that Amir is confronting, he additionally has to contend with political hostility prevailing in Afghanistan. Amir also fails to respond to the episode that occurs during a Kite Flying exercise. Amir chooses not to act towards aggressors, and this decision culminates to a series of betrayals and lies. Amir and Ali flee away from Afghanistan, and this makes Amir develop the mind of going to America and forgetting his traumatizing past.
Khaled Hosseini, the producer of the Kite Runner, is an ardent supporter of the Islamic religion. Throughout the book, he associates himself with the Islamic tradition. The paper digs deeper to critically evaluate how Islam is represented and magnified in the text. The Kite Runner is done in Afghanistan, a nation that is enriched with Islamic culture. More significant part of the country propels Sunni Islam. Sunni is a significant religious sect in the Islamic tradition. The other major Islamic denomination is Shi’a. The Kite Runner reflects a variety of modes by which the Islamic religion is undertaken. In the Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini represents a countryside where severe aspects of Sunni Islam are executed. In the nation, an Islamic fundamentalist movement referred to as the Taliban expands to sound levels. On another dimension, Kabul individuals are represented as more learned, wealthier, and less concerned with religion. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
In “The Kite Runner,” religion appears to be overrated. “They act nothing but thumb definite prayer beads and pronounce a text produced in an unfamiliar dialect that they don’t even comprehend. God assists us all if entire Afghanistan ever lands in their hands.” In this case, Baba informs Amir that the Islamic scholars who propagate religion at the learning institutions aren’t correctly skilled. Baba isn’t a firm believer in the Islamic sect of religion. He tells Amir that in a situation where individuals subscribe to a belief that they don’t comprehend, they can, at times, understand it in weird and harmful ways. Even though Baba isn’t a firm believer in religion, he does possess moral values. Baba informs Amir that sin prevails, but only one sin, that of theft.
The Islamic religion is magnified as a comforting religion. The text stipulates that “Baba erred because there is God, who has been ever present. He is noted in every moment of desperation. This reflects that those who defy God’s intents will perish.” Therefore, Islam is embraced in times of desperation as portrayed in the text. For instance, Hassan’s son Sohrab tries to commit suicide and in that situation Amir searches comfort and reconfirmation from religion. Amir falls in the healthcare center seeks reassurance from prayer. He requires God to support the life of Sohrab. Baba’s close associate Rahim Khan assures Amir of God’s protection and forgiveness. Islam values are perceived as more important than just the interpretation of the Islam itself. The book postulates that the Amir must contemplate to forgive himself and that’s necessarily denominational aspect. The book also reflects religion as an excuse. In the novel, the Taliban in the text’s time is controlling the Afghanistan nation. The sadistic Assef is also a Taliban administrator. In the Kite Runner, Taliban initiates enforcements that seek to reinforce Islamic religious laws on the people. The Taliban initiates strict concerns on the people, stressing that individuals must observe Sharia law which is also regarded as Islamic law. Therefore, there is a sense in which the Taliban has employed religion as an excuse to propel violent acts. We can identify this extremism via some texts. The book assesses how those who dishonor the sanctity of engagements can maintain by institution of punishments. Those who wrong in the face of the God have to be punished. Other facets that have to be punished according to the book are “those who stone holy places”. The book asserts that the stones will be thrown back to those who throw them. On this regard, the book reflects that religion is an excuse for executing violent acts and promoting the formation of extremist groups that seek to punish others via harmful means in the name of promoting religion. Via stipulating these mechanisms of dealing with those who defy religious laws, the Taliban indicates that revenge is the way. By alleging that stones should be used to punish, the book promotes severe acts. Most of the times individuals fail recognize the necessity of obedience to religion. From another dimension, the book indicates strict concerns on Islamic religion and postulates that all means would be used to support and propel the Islamic denomination.
Islamic culture promotes peace in the family. Islamic culture also supports essential values such as love and harmonious coexistence among the people. This is well represented in “The Kite Runner” via employment of themes of identity and belonging. Characters in the text explore various associations and Islamic culture aspects. Via comprehending own sense of belonging and engagement in marriage Amir who is the main participant in the text sources peace in the situation.
When attesting odd Muslim”, we must point out Hassan. He represents best aspects of Islam in the text. Despite the few negative aspects, Hassan is a Hazara and a subscriber of Shi’s sect. Her mother rejects him at birth. He emanates as a loyal servant as reflected by Amir, who argues that Hassan never denied him anything. Even after rape case Hassan remains to be a true manifestation of Islam as a religion that is compassionate and supports helping the needy and less fortunate in the society. The western world may not believe the fact that Muslim love and help the less privileged, but Hassan remains an important icon to justify this. From this perspective we can identify contemporary initiatives in the real world that are examples of how Islam is represented in the text. We have Islamic banking that rejects oppression of the poor and less fortunate in the society by providing non-interest bearing loans. They offer loans to help but not generation of profits. In fact, profits are prohibited by Islamic banking.
Additionally, the historical 9/11 event represents the extreme and harsh perception of Islam as reflected by the book when it points stone attacks on those who go contrary to what God expects. This historical phenomenon has made some facets to believe that Islam is made of terrorists, primitive and pagan individuals who pose as religious and God fearing people.
In conclusion, The Kite Runner is a literal work that has reflected Islam in various dimensions. It should be used to reinforce the important aspects. It teaches various virtues and values such as love, compassion and empathy. Readers must also use to comprehend the ideal sense of religion. In summation, we should use religion to positively impact the world.