The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossenini is his first novel that debuted in 2003. This novel has been on the New York Times best seller list for two years as well as being published in over 40 different languages in over 48 countries so more can enjoy. It was also turned into a film which was nominated for best motion picture as well as best foreign language film at the Golden Globe Awards. The Kite Runner tells the story of a young man; Amir who shares his experience, friendship and childhood while growing up in Afghanistan.

The story takes us through his many experiences till when he is an Adult in the United States and is finally able to deal with his childhood regret. The Kite Runner shows redemption and good versus evil through the characters, themes and symbols in his novel. Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul. Afghanistan on March 4th, 1965.

Hosseini is a writer as well as a physician. He and his family moved to Paris, France in 1976 due to his father getting a new job at the Afghan Foreign Ministry but the family never returned to Afghanistan due to communist takeover.The family was granted political asylum and in the 1980’s the family moved to the United States and resided in California. In California he graduated from Independence High School and went on to further his education at Santa Clara University where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1988.

After graduating from Santa Clara University he went on to The University of California to study medicine where he earned his medical degree. While working towards his medical degree he began working on his first novel; The Kite Runner. Within the first chapter the two pages sets the tone of the book.It shows that the main character Amir life changed at this age and is still reliving his pain and regret.

“I became what I am today at the age of twelve. ” (pg 1) Amir’s life changed at this age when he stood by and witnessed a horrible crime happen to his best friend and brother. Through out the book he has gone through many difficult times but one moment in his life is his biggest regret and feels the most guilt over. He has had to live his whole life knowing that he betrayed the one person who would never hurt him and only protect him.Hassan and Amir grew up together in Kabul, Afghanistan ogether. Hassan’s father Ali has worked for Amir’s father Baba his whole life as a servant.

Amir and Baba in Afghanistan are a wealthy family. Baba has made money by stealing such as bootlegging alcohol which is a sin in the Afghan community. Ali and Hassan live in a small mud shack on Amir’s property. The two boys became best friends but even growing up together still did not make them equal. Hassan was considered a Hazara which cause many of the other boys to look down upon him and harass him.

Hassan was Amir’s only and most loyal friend.Hassan has protected Amir from the neighborhood bully Assef from ever hurting Amir. In chapter 5 Amir and Hassan are confronted by Assef in an alley where he tells them that Hitler is a great leader and that they should too in Afghanistan get rid of all the Hazara’s. During this conversation Assef threatens the two boys but Amir is protected by Hassan when he takes out his sling shot and threatens to shoot at Assef.

It is in chapter seven that Hassan is raped. “But it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out.Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.

” (pg 1). With this quote he is referring to not helping Hassan while he was being raped. Amir witnessed this being done to his friend but did nothing to help. He had felt this guilt and weakness for his whole life. He did not know how to deal with the guilt but by trying to get rid of Hassan. Amir plants his birthday gift from Baba under Hassan’s bed which finally drives them away.

Amir thought not seeing him every day would lessen the guilt but only made it worse.Amir’s Character wanted to redeem himself for never standing up for Hassan in the alley so when receiving the call form Rahim he knew this was his chance. “Standing in the kitchen with the receiver to my ear, I knew it wasn’t just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins.

“(pg 1) After receiving this phone call he realizes he can finally redeem him self and ‘Save Hassan’ the way he should have when he was a child. After traveling to Afghanistan he receives the news that Hassan had a child and the child is being put up for adoption.Amir travels to the orphanage where Hassan’s child Sohrab is being kept to see that his is being held by Assef; his childhood bully. He was finally going to be able to redeem himself and ‘save Hassan’ the way he should have when he was a child.

This was his opportunity to go back and get redemption. He was finally going to be able to stop peeking into that deserted alley. This was an opportunity for Amir to make amends to Hassan. When he was finally face to face with Assef towards the end of the book Amir is almost again the same child as he was years ago. He was still scared of Assef and unsure of his plan.After Assef tells the guards to stay out of the room no matter he hears.

Amir was feeling comfort with the fight he was having and Assef. He is finally getting what he deserved a long time ago. The fight finally ends with Sohrab; Hassan’s son shooting Assef in the eye with the sling shot fulfilling the saying that Hassan said to Assef when they were children. Amri’s character finally was able then to deal with his guilt and did redeem himself from years ago. Amir felt the guilt for his whole life and was lucky enough to finally see what he had done to his own brother and how he could finally make things right.That experience as a child shaped his whole life and made him into the person he became at the end of the book.

In the Kite Runner there is never a clear line of good versus evil. Amir would be considered both because of his guilt and the way he treated Hassan but also good because of Sohrab. Another character shows both good and evil traits would be Baba. Another character who would be considered Evil is Assef.

Hassan would be thought as Good. Amir was both good in evil in himself. While watching Hassan get raped he was never sure of what to do.He was not sure if should help Hassan or just pretend nothing ever happened. He was looked at as an evil character and selfish for standing by while Hassan was being raped. He had made the choice to stand by and let it happen.

Amir was able to redeem himself with saving Hassan’s child Sohrab later in the book. His character was able to show the different sides to the good versus evil in the book. Baba was also considered both through out the book. While living in Kabul he was making money off bootlegging alcohol which was considered a sin. Another sin that was committed by Baba was sleeping with Ali’s wife.He was Hassan’s father.

Baba had always taken care of both Ali and Hassan while they lived together but he could not protect him from everything. He made sure on everything birthday to give Hassan something special and even allowed him to have the surgery for his clef lip. He had always treated Hassan as his own child as well. But with the sins he had committed his high figure in the book was views as evil.

A good versus evil would also be Hassan versus Assef. Hassan was a good friend to Amir and had always protected him and always had his best interest.He had helped Amir in the Kite race to help him look better with his father Baba knowing that he had done all the work. He lived to serve Amir and make sure he was happy.

Assef being evil always had it out for Hassan. He raped Hassan’s character and even after Hassan’s death took Hassan’s child; Sohrab and tortured him as well. In the book many symbols are used to show the guilt and pain the characters had been through. One of the big symbols is the kite.

The kite is made of a cloth and held together by two sticks which make a cross.The cross that hold the cloth together represents the guilt that Amir must carry around throughout his life. The kite also symbolizes the friendship that Amir and Hassan had as children. They shared a brotherhood that they did not even know existed.

The kite symbolized their friendship and the childhood. Amir and Hassan are symbols as well. Amir’s character symbolizes a loss of innocence and guilt as well. And Hassan’s character symbolizes loyalty. Amir lost his innocence in that alley that day because his whole life had changed.

He now had to deal with guilt and selfishness.Hassan represented loyalty because his character even after the rape still stood by Amir and never left his side. Even years later still stayed at the house and protected it for Amir and his father. His character was able to stay good and innocent.

Another symbol is the sling shot that boy Hassan and Sohrab have. The sling shot represented protection. It always had protected Amir from evil; Assef. Sohrab was also a very important symbol at the end of the novel.

He represented redemption to Amir. By Amir saving Sohrab he was able to pay back Hassan for all the help he had owed him.