The Kite Runner Analysis

The Kite Runner analysis

Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan-born American author. He debuted with "The Kite Runner" which was his first novel, in 2003. The Kite Runner takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan and ends in California, America. It is about a friendship between two boys and how the oldest boy gets another chance make up for the mistakes that he committed in is his childhood.

The plot takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan in the 70's. Amir is a wealthy boy from the upper class. He has always had problems being acknowledged and accepted by his father, which is also introduced as Baba in the book. Amir has always felt like Baba was blaming him for the death of Amir's mother, because she died giving birth to him. But Amir is lucky enough to have someone like Rahim Khan, Baba's friend, who understands and supports him better than Baba. And on the other side, we have Hassan who is Amir's best friend and introduced as a mere "hazara". A "hazara" is a member of Afghan ethnic minority group, and is primarily of the Shi'a Muslim faith. Hassan is the son baba's servant Ali. And they usually spend their days flying kites, climbing on pomegranate trees and telling stories.

In the wintertime, during the holidays in Afghanistan the usual kite tournament took place. There were hundreds of kite flyers competing to be the best, but this tournament meant more to Amir than anyone else. This was the only chance he had to impress Baba. He wanted to win so badly, because he knew that he had never been the son his Baba always wanted. Baba always claimed that he was though and masculine, and this made Amir, who were more into stories and books feel like a coward. He felt like Baba loved Hassan more than him, this made him jealous. Hassan was a skilled kite runner for Amir; he always knew where the kite would land without even watching it. On a triumphant day, Amir won the local competition and Baba's acceptance. Hassan runs along to get the last kite for Amir, while shouting "For you, a thousand times over". Unfortunately he meets Assef, a bully who Hassan threatened to save Amir earlier, on his way to get the kite. Assef is threatening to beat him up if he does not give up Amir's kite, but Hassan refuses to give him the kite. So as revenge for the events that happened earlier, he rapes Hassan. Amir is starting to wonder why Hassan takes so long, so he goes after him and witnesses this while hiding. Amir, who is a coward, does not dare to help because he basically thinks that Hassan deserves it a little. Amir walks home, ashamed of his own cowardice. He has been jealous of Baba's love for Hassan. Amir feared that if Baba found out how heroic Hassan defended Amir's kite, and how cowardly Amir himself had acted, he would love Hassan even more.

Later in the book, Amir accuses Hassan for stealing his watch and hides it under Hassan's pillow. Hassan does not deny, because of his blind love and loyalty for Amir. Baba forgives Hassan even though he previously explained Amir how he viewed stealing as the worst act a human could do. But because of shame Hassan and his father leaves for good. And Amir was finally rid of the daily reminder of his cowardly betrayal, but he still lives with the shame.

Five years later, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. So Amir and Baba escape to Peshawar Pakistan, and then Fremont California. And he meets the woman who eventually became his wife, Soraya Teheri. A few days later, we get to know that Baba is very ill and will not live for long. But he still manages to ask Soraya's father for his blessing and her hand for Amir. He says yes, and Baba dies soon after. Several years later, Amir gets a successful career as a writer. One day, he receives a call from Rahim Khan, who is dying of a disease. Rahim asks Amir to come to Pakistan, and says: "there is a way to be good again". Amir accepts the challenge and leaves without knowing what he'll face.

When he meets Rahim Khan in Pakistan, he tells him that Hassan got married and had a son called Sohrab. Taliban soldiers killed Hassan and his wife while they were protecting Baba's house where they grew up together. And Sohrab had been sent to an orphanage. He also reveals that Baba was Hassan's biological father, so Hassan was his half brother. And that he should go back to Kabul and save Hassan's son Sohrab from the orphanage. When Amir returns to Kabul, he meets Assef again after all these years. He was sexually abusing young boys, and Amir suspects that Assef abused Sohrab as well. Assef says that Amir can bring Sohrab home in one condition, which is that he will beat him up thoroughly. Assef strikes and kicks Amir until Sohrab shoots Assef in the eye with a slingshot and meet the threat his father had given Assef years earlier.

Amir takes Sohrab home to America and adopt him, it takes hard work and dedication because they were having complications with his migration. Later Amir takes Hassan to teach him how to fly a kite like he and Hassan did. Amir cuts the wire to one of the other kite's, and runs after it while whispering: "For you, a thousand times over".

We can also talk about who these characters are, and what characterizes them. We have Amir who is the story's narrator and protagonist. He is an Afghan boy who lived a peaceful life with his father in Kabul until the invasion in Afghanistan. He betrays his closest friend, Hassan. He is also a very jealous type. In the book we can see how Amir develops as a character, he returns back to Afghanistan to face the consequences of his actions. He basically becomes more and more like Hassan. Hassan is the most loyal and devoted servant. A quote that makes him stand out is; "For you, a thousand times over". No matter what Amir did to him, he would never betray or do anything to hurt Amir. He is smart and stands up for other, and not to mention the best kite runner in Kabul. His love for Amir and Baba was indescribable. Baba was a wealthy and well-respected man with a dark secret; he had an affair with Ali's wife and Hassan was his illegitimate son. He always talks about how stealing and murder is the worst act a human being can do, but later in the book we see that Baba is not a very trusting man. And that he never holds his word. Baba's closest friend,