Preview

Symbols In 'The Kite Runner'

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
476 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Symbols In 'The Kite Runner'
Honors English 10
Mrs. Mills
May 7, 2010
The Kite Runner symbols The author of The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini added many symbols to his book. These symbols are important to the life of Amir, and the rest of the characters.
The symbols range from something as inconspicuous as a few words from Hassan’s letter, to something as prominent as kites and kite-running. Of these symbols this essay will give three examples. Every one of them is important to the development of the story. When Amir went back to Afghanistan, Rahim Khan gave him a letter from Hassan. In this letter Hassan had written “the tree hasn’t borne fruit in years”. The tree that Hassan is referencing to is a pomegranate tree that they had often visited as children. On

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the movie Frauds there are a few characters who play major roles. Jonathan Wheats portrayed by Hugo Weaving, plans a scam to claim insurance money for things that were not actual destroyed or stolen. He his married to Beth Wheats and is a very smart person but becomes paranoid very easily. Furthermore, Beth Wheats played by Josephine Byrnes, married to Jonathan, is a teacher and is unaware of Jonathans plans. Beth becomes annoyed and frustrated by the actions of Roland, due to her lack of knowledge. In addition, Michael Allen portrayed by Peter Mochrie, is the best friend of Jonathan Wheats he helps him with his scam, and ends up getting murdered by Beth. To continue, Roland Copping portrayed by Phil Collins, is an insurance…

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    2. The pomegranate tree is a symbol of the different stages of Hassan and Amir's friendship. "One summer day, I used one of Ali's kitchen knives to carve our names on it: "Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul.' Those words made it formal: the tree was ours" (26). This quote represents Amir and Hassan's relationship between them during their early childhood. They are extremely close and carving their names on the tree shows that they will be a part of each other's lives as long as they live. This is true because even though their friendship ends up deteriorating eventually and Amir moves to America, they still carry their memories of each other to their adulthood and think about one another constantly. "Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. "There," he croaked, red dripping down his face like blood. "Are you satisfied? Do you feel better"(93)? When this happens, it marks Amir and Hassan starting to become distant, which also happens to be at the pomegranate tree. When Hassan crushes the pomegranate on his own forehead, it symbolizes their friendship starting to become crushed and them splitting apart. The juice from the pomegranate "dripping down Hassan's face like blood" relates to later on in the story when Amir discovers Hassan's death and thinks that Hassan's blood was on his hands. "A pair of crows sat on the low wall that enclosed the cemetery. Hassan had said in his letter that the pomegranate tree hadn't borne food in years. Looking at the wilted, leafless tree, I doubted it ever would again" (264). The pomegranate tree being dead represents Amir and Hassan's friendship being dead completely. Their friendship can't be restored anymore because Hassan is now dead and Amir will never be able to show him that he is sorry for what he did in the past and how he tried to make up for it, which is expressed when Amir says that he doubts the tree would ever…

    • 1497 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Covering: The covering up of his eyes, face, and the large blood stains were an emphasis on the brutality of the situation. Amir had visited the stadium this scene took place in before the Taliban took over. When he revisited the stadium as a tourist in Afghanistan it was completely different. It was no longer a place of happiness to watch sports it was a place of evil for the Taliban to kill innocent people. The evilness of the Taliban was hidden in the mix of the evil in Afghanistan. The people in Afghanistan now only know evil, but with Amir revisiting and blind to how bad it has actually gotten he is astonished by the destruction. In the overall book there were many times he covered himself out of fear. For example, during the rape with Hassan the sense of covering was when he ran away so he didn’t have to see it happen. Here, he covered his eyes so he didn’t have to see the stoning.…

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As mentioned, Hosseini’s use of foreshadowing almost encapsulates the chapter. Baba states that “God [should] help us all”, anticipating the Taliban's takeover of the country decades later. Hosseini’s use of foreshadowing connects him to the genre of magical realism. Even though there are no supernatural events in the novel, there is an underlying sense that every action has significance and must come full circle. From this foreshadowing, we can infer that Amir’s guilt has something to do with Hassan, who we can already tell is a crucial character, as he is referred to as “the hair lipped kite runner”, the title of the book. Moreover, the narrator tells the reader that he went for a walk in golden gate park. The narrator also describes two kites that he sees flying. Not only is this a reference to the title of the book, it also foreshadows the relationship between Amir and Hassan. The fact that they are flying together but held to different strings, shows that though they are friends, they will never be the same, and could easily be split by any blow of the wind. With only one image Hosseini conveys to the reader the relationship of the two central characters, as well as the fragility of said relationship. Furthermore, the kites are flying over San Francisco “like a pair of eyes looking down...” This shows the reader that whatever events may happen, the relationship between Amir and Hassan is the most important theme of the novel.…

    • 942 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “There is a way to be good again.” Marks a point in Amirs life when he truly discovers redemption can be attainable even in the worst of circumstances. After years of dnial, lies, hiding and ignorance this phone conversation with Raham Khan plants the seeds for Amirs ultimate redemption. Khaled Hosseni’s The Kite Runner explores this theme as Amir faces emotional and physical hardship in an effort to quash the ghosts of his past. Throughout the novel Hosseni uses symbols to help illustrate Amir’s guit…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Im a writing an easy on the book The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini. I am going to explain how Hosseini use symbolism to reflect important themes or ideas in his novel. Themes of guilt and redemption feature many times in this novel. In the book The Kite Runner Hosseini Uses many symbols and themes but what I am going to talk about first is the symbols he uses.…

    • 175 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Within the story The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, their are several qualities of the characters that are discovered by the audience. This help readers understand the relationships these characters have with one another. The relationship between Amir and Hassan is quite different than the ideal friendship individuals see in today’s society. While Amir is a Pashtun, Hassan is Hazara which is not as accepted in their society, since the majority is Pashtun. Throughout the novel, readers learn more about how their religious differences separate and change their friendship.…

    • 561 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    (Hook). Lord of the Flies, by William Golding is about a group of boys that are evacuated from england and get trapped on an island with no adults. In this story there are many pieces of symbolism. For example three pieces of symbolism are the fire which represents hope, the beast that represents fear, and the (3rd symbol) that represents (something).…

    • 244 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Mockingbird symbolizes innocence, hope and peace. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the greatest books I have read. While reading the book I have chose some people to be mockingbirds. I chose Atticus and Tom Robinson to be mockingbirds. I chose these two particular people because they both play a wonderful part in the book and haven't done anything horrible. They just try to help others out and never lied once.…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The inclusion of flight in a novel can be symbolic of freedom or escape for the character. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the protagonist, Amir, goes back to Afghanistan to rescue his half-brother’s son, Sohrab when the Taliban begin to take over the country. Once, Amir escapes with Sohrab to the United States, he feels himself escape from his guilt about not telling anyone about Assef raping his half-brother, Hassan, when he was a boy. The flight back home also relinquishes Amir of the guilt he has for abandoning Hassan when he and his father left for the U.S. years ago. Although, Amir isn't the only character flying away from pain. When it comes down to Sohrab, he feels like he should have never left Afghanistan despite being free…

    • 171 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kite Runner Themes

    • 2157 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The Kite Runner is an Afghan American fiction novel written by Khaled Hosseini. In the text the story of a man, named Amir’s, past is told. In continuation, a reader of the novel may get the impression, at the beginning of the book, that Amir is just an ungrateful child that receives everything he wants, but in reality that is not the case. Throughout his journey he dealt with various hardships that inflicted drastic alterations on it. As readers explore a journey down memory lane with Amir, a magnitude of themes is presented through the challenges that Amir faces. Ultimately, the trials and tribulation that people face help mold them into who they are.…

    • 2157 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While Amir and Hassan were young and lighthearted and as close as a servant and master can be, they inscribe their names in the tree, and it bears fruit. Thus, the tree symbolizes their relationship. Years later, however, after Hassan is dead and Amir is exhausted with remorse, the tree, just like Amir's memories, still exists but no longer bears fruit. The tree not only symbolizes a uniting strength between Amir and Hassan but also serves as a source of detachment. Amir wants Hassan to hit him with the pomegranate fruit in order to inflict a physical punishment to lessen his guilt as a partial equalizer; instead, Hassan breaks the fruit over his own head causing Amir more…

    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Kite Symbolism

    • 92 Words
    • 1 Page

    Who knew that a square of paper, a wooden frame, and a strand of twine could have so much meaning hidden beneath the surface? In the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, among many layers of plot twists and character development, symbolism is an integral part of the storyline. Particularly, the symbol of the kite was one that remained prominent throughout the entire plot. The kite could be interpreted as a representation of freedom, among other ideas. For the protagonist Amir, the kite was arguably what shaped him as a…

    • 92 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lord of the Flies Symbols

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Conch Shell: The Conch was discovered on the beach at the start on the novel. It is what gathered the boys together. It becomes a powerful symbol of civilization and represents order in the novel. It governs the meetings, giving the boys the right to speak. Therefore, the shell is more than a symbol- it is an actual vessel of politic legitimacy and democratic power. As the island loses its civilized manor, the shell loses its power among them. When Ralph discusses his role in murdering Simon, he clutches onto the conch. The boys on Jack’s camp ignore him, and throw stone at him. When the bolder falls and kills Piggy, it also crushes the conch, signifying that all civilized instinct is gone on the island.…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Kite Runner

    • 1306 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Amir is riddled with mental anguish as a young boy when he discovers the true nature of Hassan’s loyalty. As Hassan sets out to run the kite for Amir he says “for you a thousand times over” (67). The promise that Hassan makes seems simple in the beginning. Amir sees it as a reminder that Hassan will always…

    • 1306 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays