The kite runner free essay sample

Leesh bear Friendship with a Kite The desire for friendship comes quickly. Friendship does not. Aristotle In The Kite Runner, the theme of friendship is probably one on the most obvious themes to spot. The book is centered around the friendships made, and how the friendships will test their true loyalty and sometimes even their lives. According to Mark Vernon friendship is a complex thing. He says this; A heavy burden is placed on friendship. We turn to friends for our happiness. Some say they trust friends more than family. And there are those who want to marry their best friend a very novel idea. Then, in the networked age, we believe, or hope, that friendship is elastic enough to connect us across the web of complex lives, and strong enough not to snap. But is it? For whilst friendship offers much, few ask about its perils and limitations, as well as its promise. We will write a custom essay sample on The kite runner or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This relates to The Kite Runner almost perfectly. As it would tor any book dealing with the hardships and tests ot friendship, but somehow this one seems to fit best with this novel. one of the characters who reflects a lot on friendship Is Amir. Amir not focusing so much on his friendship, but the question of friendship completely, how two people of ifferent races, one accepted by society and the other outcast can be friends. But In none of his stories did Baba ever refer to All as his friend. The curious thing was, I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either. Not in the usual sense anyhow Because history isnt easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shia and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing. When Hassan talks about friendship or more so reflects on it, he comes from more of a third party outsider point of view. He never really goes into detail, but the author ets us know he is caring and forgiving. Hassan writes letters to Amir filled with warmth and nostalgia for their time in Kabul. Somehow, Hassan never thinks to hold a grudge against Amir. Its unthinkable its simply not part of the makeup of this character. (shmoop. com) Even th ough they come trom different back rounds the tact that they are Ilke brothers Is really nice to see. Though the time they live In their friendship Is considered bad, they pursue It anyways. Many trials their friendship faced, yet they continued to keep eachother close. Then, when Amir attempts to fit Into society he leaves Hassan behind. Someone who he was so close to for so long. Too late we learn, a man must hold his friend unjudged, accepted, trusted to the end Oohn Boyle OReilly). Hassan was the one who helped Amir choose the path of his future career. Amir had taken advantage of the friendship between Hassan and him. He made fun of him whenever he had the chance, but Hassan never took it to heart and still perceived Amir as his best friend. One day while he read to Hassan, Amir made up the ending of the story and Hassan loved it. He said, That was the best story youVe read me in a 1 OF2 Hassan was both physically and mentally stronger than Amir. According to Baba, Amirs father, there was something wrong with Amir since his birth. Amir never stood up for himself and he was different for the fact that he liked poetry, something that Baba believed was not normal for a young boy. One day while Hassan and Amir were walking towards their tree, they came upon Assef and his friends. Assef was the son of one of Babas friends, an airline pilot. He was known for his brass knuckles and wanted to start an argument with Hassan and Amir. Right before he was going to hurt them, Hassan grabbed his slingshot and aimed it right at Assefs left eye. He let the boys go but said he was going to get revenge. This part of the story foreshadowed an event that occurred later in the story in which Amir and Hassans lives were changed forever. The Kite Runner free essay sample Kahled Hosseinis novel, The Kite Runner, serves as a story of redemption and metamorphosis of child into man, through the eyes of a young Afghan boy born into a family of recognition and prosperity. Amir, son of businessman Baba, narrates his outlook on the struggles he faced from his troubled childhood, including jealousy, neglect, and the manifestation of his own insecurities. Amir thrives for redemption in hopes of relieving self-condemnation, due to pain inflicted on his best friend Hassan out of jealousy and cowardice.Transforming from a guilt-ridden boy to a supportive, independent man, protagonist Amir in Kahled Hosseini’s novel â€Å"The Kite Runner,† travels through life and uses his experiences and hardships to transition from boyhood into adulthood. Growing up with a successful father, Baba, Amir is constantly reminded of his failure to live up to his family expectations and is blamed for his mothers death. To separate from his troubles, Amir chooses to preoccupy his time with writing poetry instead of participating in violent sports. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Baba accuses Amir for not being a true man because of his preferred activities, and continues to harass his son, making Amir feel unappreciated and unloved. Amir especially feels such neglect when Baba presents Hassan, Amirs best friend and servants son, with a life-changing surgery to fix his cleft lip. This gesture stimulates Amirs animosity for Hassan, as he feels that Hassan does not have to work for Babas affection. Feeling unappreciated, neglected, and jealous, Amirs hostility builds both inward, toward himself and outward, toward his surrounding peers.With the seed of malice and insecurity previously planted, Amir takes out his animosity on his friend Hassan, which provides ammunition for his growth into adulthood. Leaving his childish concerns and entering the world of boyhood, Amir makes many mistakes affecting not only himself, but also others around him. One day as Amir stumbles upon Hassan being raped by bully Assef, he fails to defend his friend, partially due to his seeding animosity and also to his cowardice.Through this experience, Amir proves his lack in ability of strength and self-assertion to confront the troubles he encounters as a boy. Shadowing the traumatizing experience, Amir encounters a personal-war as he brims with guilt, yet avoids confession of the situ ation. Amir then proves his cowardice again by ridding of Hassan instead of submitting to his own guilt and taking responsibility. In doing so, Amir frames Hassan as a thief to his father Baba to ensure that Hassan and Ali will move away.Racked by his own emotions, Amirs boyhood encompasses the shame, guilt, and cowardice that result from his significant mistakes. Through his mistakes and experiences in Afghanistan, Amir finally undergoes his last transformation from boyhood into manhood by sacrificing his entitlement and learning to support himself and his family. During his adaptation to the U. S. , Amir is forced to work for money instead of life being served to him on a silver-platter. Eventually, Amir is able to drop his haughty and presumptuous attitude and establish a profitable and successful career. Once he reaches a point of stability, Amir falls in love with his beautiful Soraya while also taking on the responsibility in nursing his ill, aged-father. In doing so, Amir proves his newly achieved independence and support he provides for his family. Shortly after, Amir again proves his loyalty and selflessness when he agrees to rescue Hassans son, Sohrab, from an orphanage in Kabul.In saving Sohrab, Amir realizes that the Taliban officer is Assef and sacrifices himself, proving his gained courage and loyalty. In his confrontation, Amir finally gains redemption from all his guilt and is able to live his life in contentment. Resulting from these life-changing experiences, Amir gains redemption and in doing so undergoes metamorphosis starting as a neglected child, selfish boy, and finally into the selfless man that he always strived to be. In his final transition from child, to boy, to man, Amir proves his success, independence, support, and loyalty. The Kite Runner free essay sample The narrative The KiteRunner written in the first person point of view by Khaled Hosseini revolves around Amir and the three stages in his life. His childhood which was based in the early 1970’s was the most influential part of his life which is why Amir can bee seen as a coward and a selfish character. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although he does possess these traits his is not entirely to blame for them. Baba, his father can be seen as the character which influences Amir the most. His expectations are far to big for Amir to fulfill. Amir is also seen as a selfish character especially when he cant seem to get any attention from his father. The moment which shapes up the rest of the book is caused by Amir and his utter cowardliness. Watching his best friend get raped haunts Amir throughout the rest of the novel. Baba didnt give much attention or time for Amir which could be a cause as to why he is such a selfish character. Amir felt like he could not live up to his fathers expectations, he lacked approval and love which made him jealous and selfish. This is evident in the way Baba talks about Amir to Rahim Kahn, labeling Amir as a disappointment and also by the way Amir strives for his fathers approval by sacrificing Hassan in order to attain it. Evidence of Amir’s selfishness and cowardice can be seen throughout the text although his fathers influence is also a heavy contributor to his many flaws. Amir himself sees this â€Å"I realised how much of who i was ,what i was, had been defined by Baba† Although all these indecent acts Amir makes in his life, they are not solely to blame for his flaws. The lack of attention and love Amir receives from his father Baba, twists him to become selfish. Amirs only thinks about how he will benefit from his actions rather then the effect is causes to other characters. His jealousy he has of the attention Hassan receives from his father is a factor as to why is becomes so selfish. Amir frames Hassan and Ali which forces them out of the house. The self centered act of hiding a watch and money under Hassan’s mattress shows how powerful Baba is in his life. Amir believes his father favoured Hassan so with him out of the picture Amir sees this as an opportunity to become closer to his father and continues to struggle for acceptance. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb i had to slay to win Baba† This selfish acts only creates more havoc in his emotional battle to overcome his guilty conscious. Amir accepts that he will always be seen in Baba’s eyes as a let down and a burden. Even though Amir tried to be the ideal son for Baba he failed, but as he tried he dragged down other people with him, which Hosseini successfully portrays Amir as the selfish character, he only has himself to blame for. At the heart of the story is an act of cowardice in the face of abuse, a choice of self preservation over a stand to protect the vulnerable. Amir cowardly watched on as his best friend Hassan was raped by a group of boys. This act of betrayal destroys the boys friendship because Amir cannot forgive himself. This act of cowardliness is what made him who he was. â€Å"I became what i am today at the age of twelve† He struggles for redemption after this. Amir has the opportunity to stand up for Hassan or to run. In his own words, he says In the end, I ran. I ran because I was a coward. Amir attempts to rationalize his decision with the dehumanising thought that Hassan was just a Hazara. Ultimately Amirs cowardliness has a large flow on affect which haunts him throughout the rest of the text. Amirs actions are selfish and cowardly but he is not entirely to blame for his flaws. Baba can be seen as an influence of his selfishness, Amir only wanting his fathers acceptance leads him to selfish acts against friend Hassan. When in comes to being brave all his strength seems to go when he needs it the most, watching his frie nd get raped was the defining point in the text. Amir can only be seen at fault here because there is no other influence to make him the coward he is. The Kite Runner free essay sample The relationship between Baba and Amir is a complex one as Baba reveals his role as a father, friend, and foe. Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner explores this rollercoaster between Baba and his son Amir. As the novel unfolds, the lives of the characters unravel –as do their relationships and their sense of identity. Baba serves as an important link that connects each of the characters and also bridges the uncertain with the certain, lie with truth, pain with pleasure, servant with master, dark with light and then ultimately death with life. Each of these connections triggers strong emotions in Amir about feelings towards his father and how he feels about himself. This mixture of negative and positive feelings towards his father causes him much pain, but it also brings him closer to discovering him self and how in many ways he is truly his father’s son. Amir’s relationship with his father Baba starts off at a very rocky stage. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Amir felt as though his father resented him since the day that he was born when his mother died while giving birth to him. Amir constantly felt as though he had to make up for killing the love of his father’s life, Sofia Akrami. However, this became a problem since there wasn’t much that Amir could do to impress Baba as they did not have much in common; the two had very different interests. Baba was more athletic, brave, and adventurous whereas Amir is the opposite. The contrast between the two was so large that Baba even said, â€Å"If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d not believe he’s my son. † (pg. 23). Amir overheard this scarring quote and became more determined than ever to win his father’s love and affection. Amir began trying so hard to impress his father that Amir even started sports. It was evident however, that it wasn’t one of his strengths. Baba’s lack of affection drove Amir into an imaginary competition between Hassan-his Hazara servant- and himself. Amir felt as though Baba was more affectionate to Hassan and he began to envy him. This led Amir to have a secret resentment towards Hassan, though he knew how much Hassan loved him. This bitterness played out in a terrible way on the day after the kite tournament. Amir witnessed Hassan get raped by the town bully Aseff- and he did nothing to help. He abandoned him in his most desperate moment. All Amir thought about was going home with the kite that Hassan had in his hand. The kite that Amir believed would make Baba love him even more now that he had won the kite tournament. That is why Amir said, â€Å"Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. † (Pg. 77). Even though he got the kite he wanted, Amir’s abandonment of Hassan in this tragic moment was a secret torment he had to live with for many years. Though Amir’s guilt meant living a life with a heavy weight on his shoulder, his life seemed to be looking up, since his relationship with his father Baba seemed to be improving. Ever since Amir won the kite tournament, Baba had been putting more of an effort into his relationship with Amir. Instead of ignoring Amir and not sharing any moments with him, Baba and Amir begun going out more. Baba agreed to do everything that Amir wanted to do and to Amir’s surprise, he even initiated some of their plans. The two did have their few bumps in the road however. For instance, when Amir was unable to deal with the guilt of seeing Hassan every day, he asked his father if he ever considered getting new servants. This made Baba furious. He told Amir, â€Å"I’ve never laid a hand on you Amir, but you every say that again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pg. 90). This is the moment, that the reader first gets sense that the connection between Baba and Hassan and his father Ali was much more than loyalty of years spent together. We learn that Baba grew up with Ali like a brother. The reader gets a deeper insight into their relationship later on in the novel. The reader finds out that Baba’s emotional response to Amir’s request is because Hassan is actually his son. From there on the relationship between Baba and Amir changed and went downhill. Amir realized that discussing that idea with Baba was a big mistake; however his desire to get rid of Hassan did not diminish. Amir took a decision to engage in a masterful act of deception and framed Hassan for stealing his watch and birthday money. This of course led to a confrontation between Baba, Amir, Hassan, and Ali. Hassan confessed to stealing the watch even though he didn’t and Baba instantly forgave him. Despite Baba’s act of forgiveness, the shame or perhaps the suspicion changed things in the household. Ali informed Baba that he and Hassan were leaving and would no longer be working for him. This was the first time that Amir saw Baba cry. Hassan was a good boy and Baba knew him well. He must have known in his heart that Hassan would not steal and that this predicament was all Amir’s doing. Of course this would put an even stronger strain on Baba and Amir’s relationship, but this wasn’t able to be expressed since Afghanistan soon underwent immense changes after Hassan and Ali’s leaving. After Hassan and Ali left Baba’s house in Kabul, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Baba and Amir fled Kabul and headed towards Pakistan; later on the moved to America. These traumatic events that occurred strengthened the complex relationship between Baba and Amir. When the two began life in America, their relationship was stronger than ever. Baba and Amir really started bonding and connected as father and son should. Baba began taking an interest in Amir’s studies, supported him as he pursued his dreams to become a writer. They often joked with one another and Amir began helping out Baba a lot with everything and even took care of Baba while he was ill,. When it was time for marriage, Baba got permission for Amir to marry Soraya- an Afghan he met in America- and he paid for the entire wedding. The relationship was at a very good place when Amir witnessed his father die a happy, proud man. When Amir first found out that Baba was ill and was dying, Baba told Amir, â€Å"What’s going to happen to you, you say? All those years, that’s what I was trying to teach you, how to never have to ask that question. † (Pg. 157). Here Baba reveals to Amir that his poor parenting skills actually had good intentions. What Amir saw as poor fatherly skills were in fact Baba’s way of instilling in Amir a sense of independence and manhood. It was upon reflecting upon these conversations, that Amir realized just how many sacrifices Baba truly made for him and finally concluded that Baba did in fact love him. Baba went to America purely for Amir’s education and future, and even though he hated it, Baba refused to leave. Baba was forced to take manual work and therefore degraded himself to earn money in a gas station to support Amir and his life in America. Most of Baba’s savings went to Amir’s wedding. These are ways in which Baba demonstrated his love and care for Amir. However, though Baba was dead, Amir and Baba’s rollercoaster was not yet over; there was one last hiccup in their relationship. This came about when Baba’s darkest secret was revealed by Rahim Khan. The secret was that Baba had slept with Ali’s wife Sanaubar and impregnated her, making Hassan his child. Amir went through a series of mixed emotions at this revelation. Initially the news made Amir furious. He thought of his father as a hypocrite due to all of the lessons he had thought him in his past. Baba once told Amir, ‘There is only one sin – ‘and that is theft†¦ When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. (Pg. 225) Due to this lesson, Amir couldn’t help but think that Baba’s theft was the worst kind of stealing, since â€Å"the things he’d stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. † (Pg. 225). As Amir reflected on his father’s deception and betrayal, he started to see himself in a similar way. Amir realized that his father was more like him than he ever knew and this is when their relationship made the final shift. He saw how much they were one and the same. His feelings towards his father finally changed. â€Å"Baba and I were more alike than I’d ever known. We had both betrayed the people who would have given their lives for us. †(Pg. 226). Amir finally realizes that Baba was a man who also made mistakes and lived with regret. He recognized that the negative behaviors he had witnessed from his father, came from the struggles he had while trying to deal with the guilt and failures of the past. In the same way Amir had also suffered from the terrible things he had done. The big difference is at the end of the day Baba was a better man than Amir was, but Amir knew he had time to change this. From here on, Amir took on the task of redeeming both his and Baba’s mistakes. He agreed to go on the search for Hassan’s orphaned son Sohrab and to take care of him and raise him like he was his own. Amir is at last reconciled to his father. Although he was already dead, he is able to get some closure through Rahim Khan’s sharing with him. The conflicts and contradictions are also erased. His pain eases, he is sorry for his abandonment of Hassan and he forgives his father. Baba’s life of secrecy had broken with Muslim tradition in many ways and his behaviours had caused a chain of events that had the effect of both breaking and hurting relationships. He spends the rest of life making up for his failings. His example leads his own son Amir to see himself in a new way. He recognizes his weaknesses and forgives himself. He creates a relationship as a fatherly figure to his half brother’s son Sohrab and turns his life around. His outlook is now positive. There is no longer the darkness of secrecy and shame. Instead there is truth and there is love. Amir’s feelings of resentment turn to love and truth. The Kite Runner free essay sample People must sometimes defy the laws of society to overcome challenges in their path. In the novel, The Kite Runner authored by Khaled Hosseini, some characters face a lot of difficulties against the society in general. Hassan being a Hazara has constant opposition throughout his life. Baba finds a great change in his stature when he comes to America. Amir spends 26 years of his life keeping a secret that leads him to discovering many more secrets. Hassan faced a lot of challenges because he came from a social class that was considered inferior to the Pashtuns. Firstly, Hassan was always taunted by the society they lived in in Afghanistan. During a particular incident, a soldier calls to Hassan rudely, â€Å"You! The Hazara! Look at me when I’m talking to you! ,† and insults him (Hosseini 7). Here Hassan is referred to simply as the Hazara and Hassan was often reminded of his social status. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Secondly, Hassan’s friendship with Amir was not taken well by the people in the upper class who thought that their relationship should be nothing more than that of a master and servant. This is shown in Assef’s response, â€Å"Someday you’ll wake up from your little fantasy and learn just how good of a friend he is,† where Assef tells Hassan that he is only a servant and does not share any special relationship with Amir (Hosseini 77). This shows that it was difficult for Hassan to show the society that his relationship with Amir was more than that of a servant to master. Thirdly, Hassan sacrifices himself and suffers for Amir on countless occasions. For example, after the Kite Flying tournament, Hassan preferred to get raped than handing over the blue kite that was so dear to Amir. Hassan is shown to be extremely loyal to Amir on these instances. From the above mentioned points, it is proved that Hassan led a life of suffering and faced a lot of obstacles in challenging the rules of society. Another character who interestingly also faces a lot of obstacles although they are not very apparent is Baba. Baba confronted a lot of challenges during his life in both Afghanistan and America. Firstly, Baba was never able to openly show his affection for Hassan although he was his illegitimate son. He however does try to treat him like a son. In the quote, †Do you want to ask Hassan to come along to Jalalabad? ,† Baba is shown to be doing exactly that (Hosseini 86). Baba has had to live his entire life knowing that Hassan was his son but never directly showed it in any way. Secondly, unlike most people in Afghanistan, Baba was not a great believer in God. This is shown in the quote, â€Å"If there is a God out there, then I would hope he has more important things to attend to than my drinking scotch or eating pork,† where Baba clearly does not put his trust in God (Hosseini 20). Despite the teachings by the Mullahs, Baba does not believe them at all whereas the rest of Afghanistan is shown to be extremely religious. Baba was originally a merchant in Kabul. In fact, he was one of the most prosperous of them. After coming to America, Baba worked at a petrol station. He was quite hard hit by this change in lifestyle. At one instance, Baba gets angry at the fact that Mr. Nguyen asks Baba for a piece of ID. His irritation is clearly shown when Baba says, â€Å"What kind of a country is this? No one trusts anybody! † (Hosseini 135). Baba faces this change in his lifestyle and is unable to quickly adapt to it. Baba clearly faces a lot of obstacles in challenging the norms of society. In the following paragraph, Amir is proved to have faced a lot of obstacles in challenging the rules of society. Amir faces a lot of challenges in going against society during his lifetime in The Kite Runner. Firstly, Amir must go against the defined rules of society if he wants to accept Hassan as a friend in public. After he realises that he is brother he openly confronts the truth and is no longer attempting to hide it. He is shown confronting it in this quote, â€Å"He’s my nephew. That’s what you tell people when they ask. ,† where ‘he’ is Sohrab (Hosseini 380). Here he wants the world to now know that Hassan was his half-brother although this is against the rules of society. Secondly, when he returns to Afghanistan to get Sohrab back he can’t believe the condition Afghanistan is in. He goes against the Taliban who have become part of Afghan culture there and heavily influence the lifestyles of people there. A specific example is when the beard patrol comes and Amir looks right at them. This shows that Amir is ignorant towards the new leadership and does not completely accept them. Thirdly, Amir is shown to have tried to redeem himself so that he may feel better. He brings back Sohrab from Afghanistan even though he is a Hazara and knows that questions will be raised about him because Sohrab comes from a socially lower class even though he is Amir’s nephew. This shows that although Amir was brave enough to face the world even though what e had done could have serious consequences on his reputation. All the points above show that Amir had to go against society a number of times due to which he faced many obstacles in his path. In conclusion, any person must go through many hurdles in asserting the rules of society. Khaled Hosseini in his novel The Kite Runner has shown that these characters must surpass these hurdles to challenge the norms of society. As is proved by the three arguments stated above, Hassan, Baba and Amir were characters that braved these hurdles.