The Theme of Cruelty - the Kite Runner

The Kite Runner
Explore how Khaled Hosseini presents descriptions of cruelty in the novel. You should focus in detail on one or two episodes. In your answer you should consider; Language choices and Narrative viewpoint.
The novel `The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini explores and involves many themes. One of the key themes in this novel is that of Cruelty and Violence. An obvious element within this theme is how Hosseini addresses and explains the horrendous invasion that evolves Afghanistan. It becomes a place where joy cannot be experienced separately from pain and fear.
Within the novel there are many encounters of pain and cruelty. One of these encounters is the way that Amir is endlessly teasing Hassan and instructs him to do things that he doesn’t really want to do. At the beginning of the novel Amir, our narrator, recalls the childhood he shared with Hassan. `I talked Hassan into firing walnuts with his slingshot at the neighbours one-eyed German Sheppard. Hassan never wanted to - ’. This suggests that even though Hassan protested to hitting the dog with his slingshot, if Amir was to ask him then Hassan being the loyal friend that he is, would comply.
It is also known to us that Amir teased Hassan because he couldn’t understand a lot of words. Amir would take this opportunity to play tricks on Hassan, exposing his ignorance, by giving him false definitions of words he could not understand. An example of this is when Hassan, listening to Amir’s storytelling, does not understand the word Imbecile. Amir then says `It means smart, intelligant’ and then he even says `Hassan is an imbecile’.
It is also cruel how Amir often has dark and nasty thoughts towards Hassan when he out-smartens him. Although these thoughts are unsaid they are still quite cruel. This happens when Hassan has a question about Amir’s first story. His quick and innocent thinking leads Amir to ponder; `What does he know that illiterate Hazara?’. Although all of these examples are mild forms of cruelty and are not physically violent, they do encourage you to empathise with Hassan and even develop a strong disliking towards Amir. It shows the audience that Amir likes to tease Hassan simply because he can and that sometimes he even conforms to others ideas of his race.
The cruelest thing to happen within Amir and Hassan’s relationship is what follows after Amir abandons Hassan and leaves him to get raped. Amir is unable to deal with pressure and the guilt that he has brought on himself and therefore devises a plan to get rid of Hassan and Ali. Amir decides to frame Hassan, setting him up to look like he has stolen Amir’s possessions. `I lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my watch’. This is a very cruel attempt to get rid of Hassan because he can’t cope. The audience’s attitude towards Amir during this act of cruelty is that of resentment. As a reader it is quite hard to understand what Amir is doing and why he feels the need to do it. Although Amir is quite cruel to Hassan we do know that he loves him and that deep down he hates himself more than we ever could.
Another element within the theme of Cruelty is the relationship between Baba and Amir. In the beginning chapters of the novel Baba is very ignorant towards Amir and shows him no love or attention. Naturally this causes Amir to feel angry and unloved. He goes out of his way to try and get his father to listen to him and spend time with him. This is the reason, of course, why Amir enters the Kite Flying Competition in the first place. On many occasions Baba is very ignorant towards Amir. For instance the way he always makes excuses not to spend time with his son `this is grown-ups time’. Even when Baba does agree to go somewhere with his son he always tells Amir to bring Hassan along. `It should have been just the two of us, that’s how I wanted it’. It is understandable that Amir is jealous and upset. His jealousy may be what causes him to be angry with Hassan sometimes.
It is though that much of Baba’s ignorance stems from the fact that Amir is not similar to him when he was a boy. It is as though Baba is punishing Amir for not being the boy that he was when he was younger. `I wasn’t like that at all’. Baba then tells Rahim Khan that he has trouble believing that Amir is even his son claiming that Hassan is more like him. `Id never believe he was my son’. Baba tells Rahim Khan that he does not understand Amir and because they are so different he does not think that he is his own son. He even goes so far as saying that `there is something missing’ in Amir.
Hosseini writes the novel from two narrative viewpoints; Amir’s and Rahim Khan’s. The examples that I have used are all from Amir’s viewpoint. It is wonderful how we can feel two very different things from the same viewpoint. When Amir is teasing Hassan we feel angry and disgusted, when Amir is being ignored with feel empathetic and concerned. I think Hosseini uses this to really engage the audience. What Hosseini is doing here is making guidelines for the reader to follow. By this I mean that Hosseini wants us to feel concerned and understanding towards the relationship between Baba and Amir, just as he expects us to be disgusted by the way that Hassan is treated by Amir. Hosseini does this is a very intelligent way; he makes you feel like you are making the decision to either like or dislike Amir on your own. I believe that Hosseini is using free direct speech and because it is from Amir’s viewpoint we instinctively feel as he feels.
Hosseini uses a wide range of language choices to enhance the theme of the novel. Much of the novel seems present and active by the way he describes movement and senses. One of my own personal thoughts is that Hosseini uses a bit of irony. The way Amir says `Hassan is an imbecile’ could relate to when Hassan smashes the pomegranate over his forehead in order to show his loyalty and willingness towards Amir. This act makes him look like an imbecile in some ways; how many people would remain loyal to somebody who had let them suffer in order to save themselves?
When Amir is talking, Hosseini uses a wide range of vocabulary to really create the character of Amir. Amir is a very intelligent boy who has great Literature skills and therefore when he speaks he speaks in such a way that enhances his intelligence. He uses words like `illiterate’ and `lifted’. Any ordinary boy of his age would say `thick’ and `picked up’. I think that this is a simple technique that is used by Hosseini to create a maximised effect of Amir’s knowledge.
I think that the novel is wonderfully crafted to really engage its audience. The way Hosseini writes provokes a sense of imagination and judgement. All of the characters are brilliantly tailored to resemble somebody we know or know of. He uses a fine sense of language to take us on a journey, along with Amir. We really feel the themes of the novel; sin and redemption, literature and intelligence, relationships, culture and homeland, love and loss. All of these things help to create the vivid description of Amir’s life.