The novel Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The novel Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini narrates a story of protagonist Amir, who seeks recognition and approval from his father Baba, by joining a Kite-fighting competition together with his friend Hassan. It is a father-son story, prioritizing themes of love, guilt, violence, and redemption. It also features agitating warfare events including fall and defeat of Afghanistan monarchy and its takeover by the Taliban regime. The novel is fueled by Amir’s actions of anger and sadness following the betrayal of his best friend Hassan, motivating him to redeem himself and reveal a different identity. This paper focuses on how the protagonist acquires a new identity following his actions driven by betrayal and redemption.
Amir endeavors to redeem himself and win his father’s approval
Amir endeavors to redeem himself and win his father’s approval because he is agitated by his mother’s death who passed away during his birth. He is determined to win the Kite-Tournament prize to please his father who believes “a boy who doesn’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything” (Hosseini 31). Amir’s father Baba, accredits Hassan in the tournament as he says “he knows where the kite will land without watching it”, and considers his son as feeble and lacking firmness (Hosseini 42). One day Assef, a more aged boy with a great taste of brutality threatens Amir for socializing with Hazara from Hazarajat community, but Hassan defends him.
Amir's regret and betrayal of Hassan
Later in an alleyway, Hassan is overpowered by Assef beating and raping him, Amir observes the incidence but he fails to intervene because failure to take the Kite to his father would make him less pleased. Amir regrets that “I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan – the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past. Or I could run. In the end, I ran” (Hosseini 97). Being guilt-ridden by his cowardice, Amir believed life would be better without Hassan around, and he betrayed him again as he says “I lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it. Then I told Baba what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies” (Hosseini 121). After Amir and his father left, Amir lived in shadows but not anymore reminded of his cowardice act.
Amir's journey and redemption
Five years after, Soviet Union confronted Afghanistan, Amir and his father fled to Pakistan and later California. Amir joined San Jose State University, became a successful novelist and met a fellow emigrant Soraya Tahiri, however, his father gets diagnosed suffering from cancer and can only grant his son one last favor. He seeks permission from Soraya’s parents to let Amir wed their daughter as he describes, “Amir is my only son and he has been a good son to me. I ask that you honor Amir and me and accept my son into your family" (Hosseini 145).
Amir's final redemption and adoption of Sohrab
Fifteen years after marriage, Amir received a call from his father’s old friend Rahim Khan, asking for a meeting at Peshawar. Khan confessed to Amir that Hassan was his half-brother, and he was recently massacred together with his wife defending Baba’s house from Taliban’s confiscation. He explained to Amir that the reason he had called is that Hassan’s son, Sohrab needed rescue from Afghanistan’s asylum. Accompanied by Farid, Amir found Sohrab in the hands of Assef, who admitted releasing the boy if Amir defeats him in a fight. Amir is badly beaten, broken multiple bones but he acknowledges, “For the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that, I had been looking forward to this” (Hosseini 317). After they won, Amir took Sohrab to America and adopted him.
In conclusion
In conclusion, the novel narrates the story of Amir’s betrayal of Hassan and his redemption by adopting his son Sohrab. Amir’s father Baba also redeems himself by granting his son one final favor in his marriage after mistreating him for his shortcomings in childhood. The protagonist's love for Hassan, sadness, and guilt-ridden by Hassan’s betrayal leads him to reveal his new identity.
Work Cited
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. London: Bloomsbury, 2011. Print.
