Final book review of Kite Runner

WARNING: CONTENT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS, BE CAUTIOUS WHEN READING THIS POST. THIS IS A BOOK REVIEW FOR "THE KITE RUNNER."

8. Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. You can also analze a relationship between two different characters.
The book,written by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner, is a novel that depicts a Afghani man’s life, who lives In Kabul Afghanistan and eventually moves to the United States. This man, Amir, grows up a son of a wealthy and respected Afghani father, Baba, who neglected him. Amir also grows up with the family servant boy, a Hazara named Hassan. These two are best friends, who live the optimal, “picture-perfect” idea of childhood, full of adventure and love. However, the climax is peaked when Hassan gets raped by the childhood bully, Assef, who worships Hitler and believes greatly in “ethnic-cleansing.” As Amir and Hassan grow and develop through their abruptly ending childhood, the differences of class and culture are strengthened and the similarities are left the same, or are even severed.

Hassan and Amir both develop their relationship during their childhood growing in Kabul, Afghanistan. However, their childhood and their relationship is cut short by a life changing event, rape. The rape shook  the boys to their cores and changed everything about their lives. Hassan, being the actual victim of the violent act, fell silent and surrendered to the rape, while Amir, a passive witness to the rape, fell silent and  became emotionally abusive towards Hassan from the guilt. However, before this event, Amir and Hassan were “little” boys with a “childhood” steeped in cultural boundaries and landmines.  It was a childhood spent together, living almost like brothers in the same household, sharing experiences together, but separated by an invisible classicist and racist wall that was so a part of the life in Afghanistan.

The issue of class separates these two boys. Hassan is a poor servant boy who serves his best friend, Amir,  privileged, rich boy who’s father is well-known and respected through out Kabul. 

“But he’s not my friend! I almost blurted. He’s my servant! Had I really thought that? Of course I hadn’t. I treated Hassan well, just like a freind, better even, more like a brother. But if so , then why, when Baba’s freinds came to visit with their kids, didn’t I ever include Hassan in our games? Why did I play with Hassan only when no one else was around?” pg 41.

Here, this quote shows how Amir and Hassan  are separated by a strong and thick class barrier. Amir struggles with the internal conflict of either loving Hassan like a brother or treating him like a servant. His class, his high class, says to treat them like servants, because that is what they are. However, he believes that they are more than servants, they could be friends, or even brothers.

Another way Amir and Hassan are separated is through racism and religious intolerance. In other words, people judge Amir and Baba for taking in Hazaras.

”If idiots like you and your father didn’t take these people in, we’d be rid of them by now” pg 41.

This is a quote from the bully Assef who believes in fascist ideas. I believe that Assef is the way he is is because his parents have most likely told him and neglected him so that the eventual outcome is being a member of the Taliban. However, Assef is not the only ones that make fun the Hazaras. Childhood “friends” also tease Amir and Baba when they walk down the street. They are considered traitors and un-loyal because of their “equality” belief. However, can one be truly equal when one group is serving the other group?    

Amir and Hassan grow up very different but yet very similar childhoods. They both have childhood ambitions that fully show the class issues. For instance, Amir has dreams of becoming a  writer, a fully published author that is successful in what he does. Hassan has dreams of learning how to read and write. Again, the boys are separated, not only through dreams, but the way their parent helps them achieve this dream. Hassan’s dad, Ali, supports Hassan, however there is not a good quote representing this in the book. Amir, on the other hand has no support and is told by Baba that writers do not make a lot of money. Instead of a writer, Baba suggests becoming a lawyer or doctor, something will actually make money to support a family.  Amir has never known love and validation. His only way of obtaining this love would be through is non-existent father figure who is either constantly out of the house or constantly pushing and showing shallow love toward Amir. he shows no validation to Amir, by not asking to read his book or maybe asking him what he really wanted for his birthday. There are countless examples of this theme in the book, thus there are countless chances for him to change things between him and Amir. However, will Baba take this chance up?
The rape of Hassan leds to a new difference to add on the list of differences between Amir and Hassan; the difference of guilt. Or, some can see it as a similarity. Hassan feels guilt for being a Hazara, as if it is his fault (whether it be a “fault” at all is another blog post) he is a Hazara. Amir’s guilt is different because he feels that he should have done something to prevent this from happening to Hassan.

“‘I want you to stop harassing me. I want you to go away,” I snapped. I wished he would give it right back to me, break the door open and tell me off - it would have made things easier, better. But he didn’t do anything like that, and when I opened the door minutes later, he wasn’t there. I fell on my bed, buried my head under the pillow, and cried.” pg 88.

Here, Amir says that his guilt over comes him to the point where he wants to take revenage, on himself.

Amir and Hassan grow and develop through racial and classicist barriers set up by Afghani Culture. They grow and develop, and they try to break and tear down this wall. They are separated but yet they are so close because they are best friends to each other. They both trust and love one another. Hassan said “For you, a thousand times over.” This shows the trust and strong bond they have in each other.

Kite runner; the final look

This last section of the book was hard to read because their was so much emotion and intense scenes. I felt many times that i could not continue reading, especially during the parts where Amir and Assef had a confrontation, or when Sohrab try's to commit suicide. Those scenes are hard to read because you feel very uncomfortable reading those parts.
          I think it is very interesting how easy it was for Amir to amit his feelings so easily to Sohrab, a boy who he had only just met. However, my class mate brought up a good point about how Sohrab had a right to know the truth about his dad's relationship with Amir. His dad was Hassan, who actually ends up being related to Amir. This makes Sohrab Amirs half nephew. Also, i think Amir so easily confessed to Sohrab about his problems because he was a stranger, more or less, and will not immediately judge. I believe that this has something to do with it.
          Another thing i noticed was that Amir looks up to Soraya. I dont remember if there is a direct qoute from the book about this, so if there is, then I am sorry that I took this idea. Amir wants to be as rebelious and "free" as Soraya, his wife. There are many examples of her expressing her freedom, like when she runs away with the other Afghani man. However, she is blocked to express her freedom fully because she is a women. Thus, she shuned and spat upon by others. For example, people wont stop talking about her running off and she gets really annoyed by this. We see how badly women are treated when the women and man are stoned to death because she and him where having an affair. Amir can express his freedom fully because he is a male and is thus given privileges not given to females. However, he is held back by the memory of Hassan, as a friend and as a constant victim. Amir is constantly being reminded of Hassan all the way to the end of the novel, the last page even, when he sees Hassan in Sohrab and in himself as the Kite runner.
 

Kite runner; the second look

wow. All i can say is wow. There is a lot of crazy things that happen to Amir, and his wife, and Hassan. I truly believe that the main theme of this book has something to deal within the realm of love. There are so much things that represent love. Validation and love have a border that is either very blurry or very defined. In this book The Kite Runner, Amir tells a story of his life and the encounters of love he has. 

          the first in the second part was Baba's love for America. this exemplified throughout chapter 11. (<it starts on page 125>). Baba shows that the idea of America was a strong one filled with optimism and dreams. 

          I also noticed that this 2nd section of the book deals with new beginnings. This is a new begging, moving to a new country. There is a new beginning with Amir's graduation of high school and when he moves to college. There is one when they begin to go to yard sales and to flea markets. They experience a new one when Amir and Soraya get married and when their culture puts a veil of shame on them when they cant have kids. its a new beginning when Amir finds out about Hassan. Loneliness is also another new beginning. For the first time Amir was not in the shadow of Baba, other Afghans, and even Hassan. Now he was by himself, naked to the world. This is love. letting someone find self discovery, whether it be from passing away or deliberately knowing, will always be a moment of love. All of these incidents listed above are all examples of a new beginnings and new found love. Love in these examples are either superficial or deep love.

          throughout the book, Amir feels supported, validated and loved at different moments in his life. He experiences loss of these things and has been shaped by them. All of these events lead to define Amir's character. all of these events somehow have an impact on his future, whether it be a positive or negative effect.