Alicia Correa: The Kite Runner

The novel The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini (Doubleday Canada, 2003) describes
how culture, prejudices, religion and family are important in people’s emotional development. In this story, a twelve-year-old Amir, a Pashtun rich boy, decided not to help his servant when he was sexually abused in order to achieve a goal and make his father proud of him. What he did not know was the consequences of his decision; he felt a guilt that was going to be with him for the rest of his life. Amir grew up in the city of Kabul in Afghanistan; in this culture history, religion and family’s reputation were major matters. However, Amir’s character has been formed mostly based on the relationships with his father Baba, and his Hazzara servant, Hassan.

The Kitte Runner is about Amir’s life, a pashtun afghan boy that lived in Kabul with his father Baba, a rich, proud and generous man. The family lived in a Mansion and they had a servant, Ali, who lived with his son, Hassan, in a mud shack next to the mansion. Amir and Hassan had had many things in common during their childhood: both had lost their mothers because Amir’s mother died after the delivery and Hassan’s mother left him after he was born, and the same Hazzara woman had breast fed them that made them share a brotherhood based on people’s belief. Also, they spent time playing together and reading books. In additon, they loved to spend time with Baba, and flew kites in winter. When Amir was not at school he was with Hassan. Hassan loved Amir in an unconditional way, but for Amir, their relationship was very complicated. He felt that sometimes Hassan was his best friend; however, Hassan was also his servant, and their social and ethnic differences made the idea of Hassan as a friend unreal. The relationship with his father Baba was also complicated because they did not have many similarities to share, and for Baba, it was difficult to understand Amir and his passion for books and writing. On the contrary, Rahim Khan, Baba’s friend and business partner, understood Amir and his passion for books. Sometimes, he was the father that Baba could not be for Amir. One day, Amir saw the opportunity to make Baba proud of him; he would have to win the Kite Runner Tournament, and Baba would be the father he had always wished for. On the tournament’s day, Amir and Hassan were the best team; Amir cut the last Kite and won the competition. Hassan, the best kite runner, ran to bring the kite to Amir; this kite and Baba’s recognition was everything Amir wanted . Hassan found the last kite, but a group of children intercepted him asking for the kite. Hassan fought back becuase he had promised Amir “for you a thousand times over” (pag.86). One of the children, Assef, decided to give up the kite; instead, he wanted to give a lesson to Hassan about race superiority. Assef raped Hassan when Amir was hiding and watching it. Amir wanted Baba’s recognition so much that he decided not to stand up for Hassan. This happened when Amir was twelve years old; as a result, the guilt would make him suffer from insomnia for the rest of his life. He tried to get rid of the guilt by getting rid of Hassan. Knowing that Baba could not bear a thief, Amir created a plot to make Hassan seem like a thief in front of Baba’s eyes; even so, he would not stop feeling guilty for the rest of his life. From that day on, everything had changed for Amir; also, the country had changed, and they had had to flee to America to avoid the war. Once in America, the relationship between Baba and Amir changed; now,it was time for Baba to rely on Amir who found America like his home. In America, Amir had the joy of Baba’s love; he became a writer and he fell in love and got married to Soraya, before Baba died. When Amir was thirty- eight years old, a phone call changed his life. He went back to Afghanistan to meet Rahim Khan, and he received a letter from Hassan with a picture of his family. Rahim told him that they were half brothers, and Hassan and his wife had been killed by the Taliban, leaving behind their son, Sohrab, who was ten years old, and was living in an orphanage. Also, Rahim khan told him, “there is a way to be good again” (pag.247) by finding the boy. When Amir tried to rescue the boy, he found out that Sohrab was Assef’s slave, and he had been sexually abused. Assef had become a member of the Taliban. Amir and Assef decided to fight until one of them would die, and the winner would keep Sohrab with him. During the fight, Sohrab could not tolerate more aggression because Assef was killing Amir, so he took sides shooting Assef with his slingshot, and destroying one of his eyes. After they could escape from Kabul, Amir tried to bring Sohrab to America. The paperwork became complicated, and Sohrab could not handle the idea of staying in an orphanage. He tried to commit suicide. When he was recovered, and the paperwork was done they went to America; although, life is senseless for Sohrab. The new family goes to a meeting with Afghans, after one year living together, and the children flew kites like in the old times. Sohrab and Amir were bonded in same way when they flew a kite together. That demonstrated to Amir that there was still hope in Sohrab’s life, and also in his life.


Hassan was an influential person in Amir’s childhood. Hassan was Amir’s true mentor. Amir shared with Hassan his passion for reading, and Hassan was pleased with Amir’s stories specially with the Shahnamah about ancient Persian heroes. One day, Amir had been reading to Hassan, and he decided to make up a story. When he finished, Hassan was clapping excitedly and told him that this had been the best story in a long time. Amir was fascinated with Hassan’s excitement, and this encouraged him to write his first story. When he finished the story, he asked Hassan about his opinion. He approved Amir’s writing with a bravo like Rahim Khan, but he suggested why the man in the story did not peel an onion to cry instead of killing his wife. One more time, Hassan surprised Amir with his intelligence, teaching him about the irony in the story, even though he did not know how to read. Also, Hassan taught Amir about loyalty more than once in his life. Firstly, when Aseef, a racist, rich and Pashtun boy wanted to attack Amir, for he believed Amir and Baba should not take care of a Hazzara because they should be exterminated. Even though Hassan was scared, he stood up for Amir with his slingshot, making Assef and his friends to back up. Secondly, Hassan shoewed his loyalty when he was raped by Aseef because he wanted to keep the promise to bring the kite to Amir. Thirdly, when Amir could not stand to see Hassan because he reminded him about his lack of courage and his betray; he made a plot to accuse Hassan of stealing some of his birthday gifts. Even after Baba asked to Hassan if he was responsible, Hassan said he was to protect Amir. Finally, Hassan gave Amir the last lesson of loyalty when the Taliban wanted to take Baba’s house, and he was killed defending Baba’s property. In addition, Hassan taught Amir to forgive. The first time was at the age of twelve, after the incident with Assef and the kite. Amir’s guilt did not allow him to sleep, and he felt an intolerable pain. He convinced Hassan to go to the hill to read a book; instead, he attacked Hassan throwing pomegranates to him. Hassan cried and felt the humiliation even though he did not punish Amir. The second time was at the age of thirty eight when Amir read the letter that Hassan had written before he died. The letter does not show any feeling of resentment; on the contrary, it expressed the love and respect he had felt for Amir and his father.




Besides Hassan, Amir’s father Baba had a major impact on the development of Amir’s personality. Amir was raised by a father who could not demonstrate love which made him feel unloved and insecure. Amir was always trying to please Baba, but not matter how hard he tried, there were rare occasions that Baba made him feel special. When Baba was busy he sent Amir away to read with disapproval; Amir sometimes spent one or two hours sitting outside of Baba’s studio hearing him or waiting for the right opportunity to be with him. Amir had learned how a father should express love thanks to Rahim Khan who had demonstrated affection holding Amir’s finger in a baby’s picture, reading his first story, encouraging him to write, and sharing Baba’s anecdotes. However, the most important lesson Amir had learned from Baba was about morality. Baba told Amir that the only sin was stealing. The other sins were a variation of stealing because when one lies or kills, he or she is stealing the right to the truth or to life. One more lesson about morality was that he should not trust the Mullahs because they did not know anything but to pray and recite The Koran. In addition, Amir learned about jealousy from Baba. He could see the pride Baba felt every time that Hassan showed similarities with Baba. Commonly, when Baba and Amir went out, he invited Hassan. One time, Amir and Hassan were skimming stones in a lake, and when Hassan made a stone skip eight times, Baba patted him on the back. Also, Baba was proud because Hassan was strong and good with the slingshot. Amir could not compete with Hassan’s abilities; he had not inherited it from Baba. The only time that Amir believed Baba would be proud of him was when Baba suggested that he could win The Kite tournament. Amir decided to try hard to win the tournament, and he would be the son that Baba always wanted. Hassan knew how important this was for Amir; he supported Amir all the time, and he would not let him down. Amir was so desperate for Baba’s approval that he let down Hassan; however, when Amir came back with the last kite he had cut, Baba finally was proud of him.

The novel shows how such factors as religion, culture, education and family interact and influence our personality although we are responsible for our own choices or the way we decide to react in different situations. In addition, we form our lives by adding individual choices; therefore, these choices should be consciously taken because when our choices do not turn out the way we have expected, we are able to correct them and change the course of our lives.