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The Kite Runner explains the importance of being virtuous, and of acting ethically. Baba, Amir’s father, tells his son, “Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft…. When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?” (Hosseini 17-18). Amir lives by these words through his life, and remembers them as he attempts to redeem his past mistakes. The novel impresses upon the reader the importance of understanding concepts like these, and the disastrous situations which can result from ignoring them. Upon finishing the novel,…
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In the novel, “The kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseni, multiple themes are clearly demonstrated. However, the two themes, Loyalty and Betrayal, are mostly displayed throughout the book. Hassan proved his loyalty to each and every character in the book, especially to his master, Amir. Hassan never denied to do anything for his Amir agha. In the beginning of the book, Hassan always used to make Amir very happy by firing walnuts with his slingshot at the neighbor’s German shepherd. When Ali scowled at Hassan, he just mumbled but never incriminated Amir. Hence, this proves Hassan’s genuine love, and loyalty toward Amir. Similarly, When Amir hits Hassan with pomegranates and asks the same in return, the loyal servant declined to throw the pomegranate…
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Amir’s favorite activity was to go Kite Fighting with Hassan. The object of the game was to be the last kite in the air while trying to cut the strings of the others. Hassan’s job was to pick up the fallen kites for Amir to keep as prizes. However, the book takes a turn for the worse when Hassan runs off to get the last kite fallen as the greatest prize for Amir. Not only does he find the kite, but also the bully, Assef and his henchmen. Assef sexually assaults Hassan while Amir is watching in the background, too wrapped up in his own ambitions to seek approval from his father. In Amir’s selfishness for approval, he loses not only himself, but also his best friend and half-brother. This loss changes him when he finally opens his eyes.…
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Flying kites is a passion of both Amir and Hassan and as they win the national kite fighting championship Amirs finally wins a spot in the heart of his torn father. But after this competition the kite takes on a very different significance to the boys as Amir witnesses Hassans rape but does not step in, in the fear the perpetrators will steal his victory prize and his father will see him as a failure. Ironically Amir not standing up to the boys meant that he had become “ The boy [I] his father was afraid he would become.” Amirs actions that day and his failings to step in and save amir switched the symbolism of the Kite from victory and happiness to a sign of betrayal and guilt. Amirs guilt means that he can’t stand to be in the same house as Hassan so he frames Hassan of theft and force his father to fire him. This is the last time Amir would see Hassan. But despite all of these adversities Amir many many years later finds his redemption as the novel closes, Amir and Hassan orphan Shrobha are flying a kite, again the symvolism has done a complete turn around and the kite signifies happiness and the fact that even in the worst of circumstances redemption is attainable. Significantly the roles have also reversed as Sorbha cuts a kite Amir runs it looking back over his shoulder he…
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Amir is very selfish and only does things for his own benefit. He did not have the courage or strength to step in and save his friend in the alley from Assef. He made the choice to betray his friend. As Hassan stood his ground in the alley and chooses to honor his promise to Amir and return the kite to him, Amir stood silent at the end of the alley and watched the beating and rape of his friend Hassan. The following quotation emphasizes how Amir is unworthy of Hassan’s loyalty: “I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan – the way he’d stood up for me all those time in the past – and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran.” (82). Amir’s betrayal continues, as he later decides that he no longer wants Hassan and his father in the household, so he decides to set up Hassan and accuse him of stealing. “I went downstairs, crossed the yard, and entered Ali and Hassan’s living quarters by the loquat tree. I lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it.” (110). Amir betrays Hassan by trying to have his friend fired for stealing. Hassan took the blame to keep Amir out of trouble. This…
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After Amir wins the competition, Hassan goes to retrieve his kite, when he then gets into a brawl with Assef and his two other boys. When Amir goes to find Hassan, he sees how he is getting abused by Assef and decides not to do anything about. He thought to himself, “I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan- the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past- and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run” (Hosseini 77). In the end, Amir decided to run because he was a coward and only thought of the best for himself, not Hassan. Readers uncover irony within this section of the novel. In order for Hassan not to be raped, he had to give Assef Amir’s kite, which Hassan knew would help boost Amir and Baba’s relationship. So Hassan, being a great friend, sacrifices himself, just so that Baba can be proud of Amir for once. After the rape, Amir and Hassan become distant from one another. When the two are face-to-face, Amir wishes Hassan would punish him. For instance, he pelts Hassan with the pomegranates, because he wants Hassan to hit him back. Punishment, Amir feels, would at least begin to make up for the way he wronged Hassan. Hassan, however, will not retaliate, and that became the greatest torment for Amir. Since Amir is still filled with the guilt of leaving Hassan to be raped in the alleyway, he decided he has to put an end to this. Seeing Hassan everyday was a constant reminder of his wronged actions. So, Amir went into Hassan’s living quarters, lifted his “mattress and planted [his] new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it”, which made Baba believe Hassan stole all those items (Hosseini 104). Baba begs for Ali and Hassan to stay with them, but Ali makes the final decision that it would be best if they…
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Amir betrays Hassan the most in the book. First, he allows Hassan to be assaulted by Assef. He does nothing to stop it and only worries about the kite when it is over. “He had the blue kite in his…
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The day of the kite running Amir wins and Hassan goes off to run for the kite, this was the day Amir made his father so proud of him. But what he didn’t know is that while Hassan was running for the kite he was trapped by Assef and his two followers. Amir found Hassan but he was being beaten up and then he was raped. Amir decided that he would save himself and went away to pretend it didn’t happen. These responses that Amir…
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Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" is a touching tale about one's struggles through hard times. Although the author does not specifically relate to the reasons of Hassan's loyalty, the text explores how the incident of the alleyway has brought out the best as well as the worst in human nature. The unconscionable horrors that follow might dehumanize the victim, erode their faith to mankind irrevocably, however, Hassan never sinks to such levels but rather transcends from this and shows the full degree of his devotion to Amir. Contrary speaking, Amir fails to overcome his shame and resorts to such acts as betraying Hassan's loyalty, as his guilt has resulted him to frame Hassan where these actions have caused Amir fleeting moments of remorse…
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Amir's selfishness costs him his friendship with Hassan. From the beginning of "The Kite Runner" it is evident that Amir and Hassan's relationship was a very close one. However, Amir betrays Hassan and their friendship when Amir watches Hassan being raped by Assef. Amir makes no attempt to stop or prevent the rape. This can be contrasted to when Sohrab cuts himself with a razor when Amir makes the most effort that…
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In the novel The Kite Runner, betrayal is one of the key themes. Many characters in the novel portray betrayal but one that is most lucid to the reader is Amir. Amir portrays betrayal when he allows his loyal friend Hassan to get raped by Assef, the hometown bully. After…
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Amir's actions in the alley show how selfish a person he is. After returning to the alley to confront Hassan, he admits that the first thing he did was look for the kite Hassan was protecting in order to "scan it for any rips"(78). Because the kite was a means for him to get along…
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Throughout The Kite Runner, Hosseini promotes the idea that friendship can be one sided, and one person can be more dedicated to the other. Prior to reading the book, I held a perfectionistic view that friendship was always equal between two people. However, the author created the more realistic view that there is always one person who is prepared to do things that the other isn't. In The Kite Runner, this is displayed with the two central characters, Amir and Hassan. From a glance, the boys' friendship appears equal, but it is when Amir reveals his inner thoughts, the reader understands how his dedication to Hassan is not as strong as Hassan's dedication to him. To illustrate, Amir narrates, 'I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan- the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past- and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. I ran.' This insight into Amir's depiction of the situation demonstrates that he cares more about his own safety than his friendship with Hassan. This line really poses the question to the reader, how much does Amir really care about Hassan, if at all?…
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Amir required forgiveness from his brother Hassan. Amir stood by and witnessed Hassan as he was raped at a young age. Amir framed Hassan; he left him in a country at war. In his novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini tells a story of finding redemption. A complex tale about a man who betrayed his brother and friend, The Kite Runner takes us through Amir’s life as he passionately searches for the redemption of his detestable acts as a child. Through his story and symbols, Hosseini describes the pain in finding redemption, the perseverance it takes, and the reward of gaining it in the end.…
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In the alley, when watching transfixed as Hassan is tortured and humiliated by Assef, Amir opts to “[run]. [He] ran because he was a coward. [He] was afraid… maybe Hassan was the price [he] had to pay, the lamb [he] had to slay, to win Baba”. Knowing full well that Hassan would have gone to any length to protect Amir, for his perpetual loyalty never faltered, Amir fails to help the one who was always by his side in his time of need. For purely egocentric and self-protective reasons, and the fleeting gain of Baba’s attention, Amir betrays Hassan in an appalling manner, severing the ties of allegiance and brotherhood once holding them together.…
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