The Kite Runner

"For you, a thousand times over"

Ending Scene

Realization

"And you've always been far to hard on yourself" (Hosseini 222)

Even in his adulthood, Amir is still

the Amir he wanted to leave in Kabul.

Rahim Khan notes his pessimism as

an unlikable trait because Amir is not

the only one responsible for his torment.

Amir's low self-esteem multiplies for betraying Hassan. He carries this burden throughout his adolescent years, unknown to others, and decides to make things right after receiving a phone call from an old friend, providing a way for him to be good again

Resources

This marks Amir's transition into a

respectable character, becoming the man

Baba would have been proud of for standing up to what he believes in. Although he could no longer apologize to Hassan, he could make up for his sins by saving Hassan's son, Sohrab, who became

an abused sex slave sodomized by his

captors.

Fitzgibbons, R. (2009, January 1). Selfishness in Youth. Retrieved November 25, 2014, from http://www.childhealing.com/articles/selfishchild.php

Hosseini, K. (2003). <i>The Kite Runner</i> (p. 371). New York, New York: Penguin Group.

Pashtuns/Hazaraz. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://www.minorityrights.org/5433/afghanistan/pashtuns.html

A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer" (Hosseini 301).

With his successful rescue of Sohrab, Amir is able to rescue his step-brother's son and his sanity from the undying guilt he dreads.

With this in mind, Amir redeems his former self, becoming an admirable character in the end of the story. The once cowardly child is now a respectable father figure to the person's son that he betrayed, proving his transcendence from a traitor to a changed character meant to be forgiven and understood. Amir ran for the final time, re- experiencing his childhood happiness with the thought of nothing but sheer joyous accompanied with a radiant smile.

Self-Hatred

In his childhood, Amir lived in the shadow casted by his father's greatness, longing for his approval and attention he only got when Amir and Hassan won the kite running competition.

Amir's mother, which was described as an intelligent and kind woman, passed away after birthing him. He believes her death was his cause, which became the beginning of his self-loathing. Amir's disgust with himself snowballs throughout the story, to a point where he prefers it rather solving the actual problem.

Reasoning for his Internal

Conflict.

He takes this event and concludes it as the source of

his father's "hatred" for him, unbeknownst that the

hatred he perceives is actually disappointment.

Baba seems ashamed to have Amir as a son

due to their different interests and attitude,

skeptic if he really is Amir's true father.

Amir constantly lives with this feeling of useless-

ness, and as a child, resulted in his withdrawal

towards his father. His unsatiated desire for

attention was reflected to Hassan, insulting and

establishing his greater knowledge to experie-

nce his wanting for dominance.

"If I hadn't seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I'd never believe he's my son" (Hosseini 23).

*The picture on the left shows Amir's

portayal in the movie.

The Kite Runner

A Misunderstood Protagonist

Amir might come off as immature and tactless to some readers (in fact, he is!) due to his selfish disposition as a child, but throughout the book, Amir's transition portrays his guilt and his desire to rid of it; or at least atone for his betrayal and cowardice.

Amir's character exudes angst which is obvious in the

presence of Hassan, his foil. This fault is juxtaposed

with Hassan's goodly manner, easily making him the

more likable character of the two, portraying Amir

as nothing but an ungrateful, priviledged, rich Pashtun.

Amir's Character's Explanation

Is he an unlikable character at first?

Yes...

But Hosseini's sudden shift to a bildungsroman

adds to the complexity of Amir's already compli-

cated journey.

Amir's Characterization

Background Information

Like the protagonist, Amir, Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. They grew up in a different Afghanistan unknown to the majority, living in a once peaceful and prosperous country.

Hazara vs. Pashtuns

• Most targeted minority in Afghanistan
• Prone to violent attacks and enslavement (especially children and women) committed by the Talibans, which are Pashtuns.

The Kabul Amir and Hassan (his previous servant and later on, his step-brother) witnesses is merely the husk of its former self. Due to the widespread fear caused by the Taliban, destruction became common of not only its country, but also its people.

The image on the left illustrates a

Hazara woman

• Largest ethnic group in Afghanistan
• Afghan policy is more supportive to Pashtun individuals.

The Kite Runner focuses on Amir's angst, trying

to find a way to be good again, due to his

unfriendly betrayal of Hassan - a loyal and

altruistic servant. He journeys back to

Kabul (witnessing its decimated form while

shortly re-living old experiences and re-

membering ghosts of the past)

in search of his longed sought

atonement.