The story opens in pre-Taliban Kabul, Afghanistan. The protagonist, Amir, is recalling events from his childhood. He lived a lavish life with his father, Baba, and their servant, Ali and his son Hassan. Hassan and Amir grew up together and were almost like brothers, however Ali and Hassan belonged to the religious minority group, the Shias, and Baba and Amir, Sunni Muslims, superior. The different religious sects made it difficult for the boys to be real friends, despite their many character similarities and personal connection to one another. Hassan and Amir had a lot in common, such as the fact that they both grew up without a mother. Though they were raised with different beliefs, they were brought up together, and spent their entire childhoods making memories with each other.…
I believe the source of Amir’s power is in his ethnicity because he was born in a higher class. I also believe that Hassan had some power since he was the son of Baba. Throughout the book, you can see that Hassan had lived a plight free life. Amir would always scoff at Hassan about literature even though Hassan is unschooled. Hassan always stayed loyal although I would think he would feel animosity towards Hassan. I also think that Hassan’s passive ways have power over Amir. Amir hates that he cannot undo what he did, or have Hassan deal the same pain unto him. This makes Amir feel bad because he knows that he has hurt Hassan. While Hassan doesn't hurt Amir back, Amir is handling things in a pragmatic way. Amir’s goal was to get rid of Hassan.…
It is a blessing to have both parents. Some people lost that opportunity. Losing a parent is like losing a part of yourself, it's not easy to live without it. Losing a parent can be a huge impact on someone’s life especially on a young child, they suffer from the lack of love, attention and support, which affects the child physically, mentally, and emotionally. The lost of a parent might also affect the child’s education and social life.…
What is a father? A father is someone who is more than just a person who created you. A father is a person who should be a mentor to you and helps guide you through life. What isn't a father is one who simply puts their children aside to live their own lives and have no part in their children's life and growth. The stories I will be contrasting are "The Last Game," by Jan Weiner and "Reunion," by John Cheever. My first reason of contrast is that in "Last Game," the relationship between characters Jan Weiner and his father is that of mutual admiration in which the son had great respect for his, his pride and braveness of choice which is contrasted in "Reunion," as the son Charlie has feelings of disdain for his a father in that his father's actions were disappointing, disgraceful and selfish. My second reason of contrast is in "Last Game," Jan Weiner's father is dealing with political problems in that he lived in the time of the holocaust and was Jewish, consistently chased by Nazi's who forced him to make a tough decision on suicide as opposed to dying the Nazi way which is contrasted in "Reunion," where the father is dealing with psychological problems in that he is a drunk who's very obnoxious with an abusive mentality. My last reason of contrast of contrast is in "Last Game," there is a strong bond between Jan and his father where their sense of family was strong and they had a deep understanding for each other is contrasted in "Reunion," as there was a lack of a bond due to the father's arrogance and bad personality. I chose these three reasons because I believe they represent and answer the questions what is and isn't a father.…
When you read two great stories you always notice that they have things in common and some things different. From what I read “The Bean Trees” and “The Kite Runner”, their meaning had the most in common.…
Everybody remembers their childhood. It’s is the time when kids enjoy their carefree lives and when everything seem to be so perfect and cheerful. Amir’s childhood was quite different. He grew up in Kabul, in Afghanistan and seemingly he was very happy and successful child. In fact, he was constantly chasing something he could never get, and later on he became a victim of his own memories, which haunted him in his adulthood.…
Hassan’s first word as a baby was “Amir,” and whenever he does anything for Amir he…
When the novel begins and Amir says “I became what I am today at the age of twelve,” he is referring to when he witnessed his friend get rapped and made no action to do anything about it. His assertion is not entirely true, because he underwent many other life transforming actions. Amir was changed by the facts of growing up with no mother and a unusual afghan father, his character was undoubtedly changed when he went back to Afghanistan and found out that he and Hassan were half-brothers and went on a treacherous journey to find his half-brother’s son. Amir would be described as a sensitive, caring man who was hard on himself in his childhood all the way up to his adult years.…
`Of Mice and Men, and To Kill a Mockingbird; what do these novels have in common? Both show childlike innocence, and how it is annihilated in society by adults. However, Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, thinks the exact opposite. His novel encompasses the topic of growing up, and how it is fueled by making and fixing mistakes that prompt mature decisions in the future. Throughout the novel, Khaled Hosseini depicts coming of age through the main character, Amir, a boy living in Afghanistan with his best friend and servant, Hassan. As a child, Amir makes bad decisions that end up hurting Hassan. The decisions he makes when he is more mature reflect Amir nearing completion on his path to manhood. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini portrays that coming of age…
Amir resembles Baba because he too takes up redemption for the awful things he did. He understands the great danger Sohrab is in. He risks his life to help Sohrab; this shows loyalty to Hassan. Even though Sohrab is not Hassan sa his son shows that Amir is loyal to him. He would do anything for Hassan to make up for his childhood. After finding Sohrab, Amir comes face to face with Assef, Hassan's rapist. “Another rib snapped, this time lower. What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that, in some hidden nook in the corner of my mind, I’d even been looking forward to this… My body was broken – just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later – but I felt healed” (Hosseini 289) This scene depicts the acceptance that Amir finally faces. He starts coming to terms with his past because he feels at peace over the fact that he is finally getting justice for Hassan. That he is brave enough not to run away just as Hassan would stay to fight. Amir sacrifices everything for Sohrab just as Hassan did for him once. Amir finally shows the love for Hassan that was given to…
The opening paragraph of Khaled Hosseini’s novel "The Kite Runner" immediately expresses one of the central themes, guilt. Amir, the main character, is continuously antagonized by guilt. While on the surface, Amir seems to be a lighthearted child of a rich and popular father, he harbors the guiltiness of his sins deep within his heart. These guilts come back to haunt him throughout his whole life, resurfacing as vivid recollections in which he re-experiences his sins. While he tries to suppress his past and overlook these tragic moments, he feels remorse is persuaded him to take action. His father, who he fondly calls Baba, likewise harbors the guilt of his sins. To Amir, as well as to the rest of the world, Baba is seen as a strong and authoritative man, strong willed in both actions and heart. Yet under these fallacies lies a guilt that is so strong that all of his actions are based upon it. Both Amir and Baba are driven by these feelings of guilt, and every action they take and every decision they make is an attempt to reach redemption. Baba expresses his explanation behind that all sins are a variation of theft. “If you kill someone, you steal a man’s right to life and his family’s right to a father…
Fighting kites demonstrate the internal and external struggles of Amir. Personal disappointment cuts deep into Amir’s conscious after the initial celebration of the retrieval of the blue kite. He is unable to view the kite without the accompanying feeling of guilt. Rather than being the origin of fatherly respect Amir desires, the kite becomes a concrete symbol of his cowardly decision. As a result, Amir’s memories are now tainted with remorse. As mentioned earlier, Hassan’s face is that “of Afghanistan” (25) but, after the incident, he sees “lines etched into [Hassan’s] tanned face [that he] might as well have taken a knife and carved [himself]” (92). By mentioning how Amir feels he damaged Hassan, Hosseini draws parallels with the kite. Both Amir and the kite appear…
Novels have to be catching to eye; a good book has to possess certain characteristics to allow the reader to be engaged in the novel and to be able to make personal connections or references to their everyday lives. Having a theme gives the novel an edge and creates a better story to read. Three key themes that are portrayed in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini are betrayal, forgiveness and atonement.…
You could read many books throughout your life and never notice how some books may compare to each other. The Lord of the Flies and The Kite Runner are both books that have an interesting plot and you can’t help but feel emotionally attached to both of these stories. The Lord of the Flies and The Kite Runner both experience emotional battles caused by bullying and physical wars that affect their homes but the content of their own battles are different.…
In the movie Tsotsi, there is one prime example of redemption that occurs. Throughout the entire movie, the main character, Tsotsi can be seen wearing black clothing at all times. It represents his impurity and his evil intentions. While wearing black, he kills a man, threatens a woman with a gun, and bullies an old man. In the last scene of the movie Tsotsi wears white, symbolizing his purity and his good intentions. He accepts his mistakes, goes to return the baby and to seek for forgiveness for his sins. This change in clothing may not seem big, but it shows the audience the change that Tsotsi has gone through, the purity in his heart, and shows that he wants to be a better person.…