Main Message
At this
point in the novel (through chapter 20), several issues and themes on life have
been portrayed and explored. Of the following, which theme (themes) would
you consider to be most important/most explored? Explain why, citing evidence
from the text itself.
1. Role of books, literacy
2. Friendship, guilt, & redemption
3. Relationship between Fathers & Sons
4. Coming of Age (becoming an adult/"man")
5. Resiliency of the human spirit
6. Man's inhumanity towards man
7. Discrimination, prejudice, bigotry, class structure
1. Role of books, literacy
2. Friendship, guilt, & redemption
3. Relationship between Fathers & Sons
4. Coming of Age (becoming an adult/"man")
5. Resiliency of the human spirit
6. Man's inhumanity towards man
7. Discrimination, prejudice, bigotry, class structure
I believe "Friendship, guilt, & redemption" would be the main theme that shows itself the most prominently above the rest. Considering the first few lines of the book were Rahim Khan asking Amir to come back so he can, "be good again" speaks heavily into the redemption portion. Amir has been struggling with guilt ever since Hassan was raped, and he did nothing to stop it, even though Hassan was the closest thing he ever had to a friend at the time. There is plenty of evidence to show why this theme would be the most showed above the rest, however, the others certainly do find their place in what we've read.
ReplyDeleteTo me, one of the biggest themes explored, is friendship, guilt, & redemption. I say this because Amir’s friendship with Hassan and the guilt he feels for not doing anything to help Hassan has brought him back to his homeland. Rahim Kahn askes Amir to come back to see him because there is “a way to be good again.” Rahim Kahn asks Amir to do one last favor for him, and if Amir didn’t feel so guilty, he wouldn’t have done it. I think the other theme that is really shown in this book is, man’s inhumanity towards man. I believe that this is another theme because there our various points throughout the book about this, but the one that really sticks out to me is when Hassan gets raped. This proves just how bad people can be to other people, and the evil of human nature. Another part from the book that could work for this theme is when Rahim Kahn is talking about how he went to a soccer game and got hit in the face with a gun for “ Cheering to loud” even though Rahim wasn't the one who was cheering so loudly.
ReplyDeleteHugh Molony
The main theme portrayed in the novel is friendship, guilt, and redemption. This is shown countless times throughout the book specifically when Amir witnessed Hassan's rape and decided not to step in. This lead to Amir feeling immense guilt for what he did. Amir decided he only had two options, run or fight back, "In the end I ran." The guilt Amir felt from this resulted in him attempting to get rid of Hassan and Ali solely because he was too much of a coward to face his own mistake. Amir achieves this by planting evidence in their hut, "I lifted Hassan's mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it." When Baba found out about this Ali and Hassan were forced to leave, but it was their decision, not Baba's. Amir continues on with his life for 25 years until he is asked to come to Pakistan which began his redemption story. Amir was sent on a mission to save Hassan's son, Sohrab, from the orphanage he was staying in. If Amir was to achieve this he could redeem himself from all of the past mistakes he had made as a child. He also had to face many hardships that he would have avoided if he were the old cowardice Amir that lived in Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the biggest theme in the book “Kite Runner” is man’s inhumanity towards man. This theme is stating that people will be ruthless to others. I believe this because of the things that I have seen through out this novel. One example is when Assef raped Hassan. Another is when Amir watched Hassan get raped and rationalized not helping him. There was the time the Russian soldier wanted to force a married mother to have sex with him. The time Kamal was raped, and his father commit suicide. Then the Tailband, they hurt others when ever they are bored. They also executed Hassan and his wife. The there is a guy who for months, donated to an orphanage and would take children back with him where most would never return. This book’s main theme is how people will hurt others when they have a sense of power, and it aggravates me to no end.
ReplyDeleteTrevor Thein
I choose the theme Friendship,guilt and redemption, I chose this theme because Rahim says there is “a way to be good again”, so Amir comes back to his homeland. He soon learns that Hassan was killed and so was his wife and but not their son. That his son went to the orphanage, and that Hassan named his son after character from one of Amir's book. Amir think he needs to redeem himself for not being there for Hassan when Hassan needed him the most. Rahim ask Amir to one favor for him, so he doesn’t feel as guilty.
ReplyDeleteI believe one of the most important themes so far in this book would be friendship, guilt, and redemption. I believe this because it appears numerous times throughout the book. The redemption is a big theme throughout the book because in the beginning of the book Rahim said to Amir, “to be good again” Rahim is asking Amir to come back to the middle east and visit him. This is the part in life where it gives you second chances to redeem yourself and become a better person. Another theme to go along with this is Amir’s guilt. Throughout the book Amir has delt with a lot of guilt especially when Hassan got raped and Amir did nothing about it. Amir is trying to hide his guilt and not tell anyone; you can see this because Amir doesn’t feel right when he is avoiding his guilt. So far, I believe this is the most important theme in the book so far because it has appeared the most in the book and it is trying to tell the reader there is more than one way out of things.
ReplyDeleteWill Potter
The theme i choose is Friendship and guilt redemption, why I choose this because like Amir almost lost his friendship with Hassan when Hassan got beat up, Amir goes back to his homeland to look for Hassan's son because Hassan and also his wife Amir was guilt for not helping Hassan in the moments he needed him. Amir is redemption by saving Hassan's son. Amir realize that its hitting him harder. Amir moved to California so him and Baba had some peace.
ReplyDeleterogelio nunez
I believe the most important theme in the novel is coming of age (becoming an adult/” man”). The book shows many pieces of evidence that relate to this theme that and that also connect with the main character. Those pieces of evidence include Amir learning from his mistakes throughout the book, becoming a successful novelist, and he turned his life around to “be good again.”
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the book, Amir went through many obstacles that he later overcame in the book. Some of these obstacles were caused by his mistakes he made. For example, when Hassan got raped, Amir stood back and didn’t help his friend. He was a coward and he knew it. Hassan was one of his better friends in his life and Hassan was good to Amir. After this incident it left Amir in a lot of regret later. He wished he would’ve stepped in and helped Hassan. Even if he didn’t save Hassan his father would have been very proud of him for at least attempting to save him. This is an example of a part where Amir has learned from his mistake and if he had to do it over again his actions would’ve been different in that situation. Learning from your mistakes is a part of growing up in life and (becoming an adult/” man”). It makes you more knowledge and experienced as an individual.
In chapter eleven, Baba decided to make the decision of moving to America because of the war going down in Afghanistan. Amir was unsure about moving to America, but he didn’t really care if they went. America treated Amir well and he liked his time there. Amir was able to go to college to pursue his English major. Amir got a chance to work on publishing his first novel. A month after he finished the novel, he got a call from the New York agency and they told him they want to become his agent. This was a turning point in Amir life and a prime example how America has given Amir the opportunity to (become an adult/” man”).
In chapter fourteen, Amir receives a phone call from Rahim Khan. This event brings the reader back to the opening of the book. Rahim told Amir he wanted him to come back to Pakistan and visit him because he is ill. Rahim also found out about Amir’s past rape incident with Hassan. Rahim told Amir he thinks he has a chance “to be good again.” This is a point in the book where I believe Amir can be good again. America was a great time in his life to get his life turned around and “become a man.” I think this scene really shows how much Amir has overcame those obstacles earlier in the book and is ready to return home. At that point, I think that is what is running through his mind that he is confident where he is at right now in life and can return to his past. He can now overlook his mistakes because he has finally growing up and has become a “man.”
Overall, the pieces of evidence that prove Amir has grown up consist of him learning from his mistakes, becoming a successful writer, and being able to overcome his past and “be good again” back in his home in Afghanistan. All these actions have pushed Amir in the right direction in life. He is happier with himself and all that takes some time is just some effort in life. His hard work has paid of and has made him into the “man” he is so far in his journey of life.
Theme of The Kite Runner
ReplyDeleteMike Trumm
This book has many themes, but the one that stands out to me the most is the coming of age. At this point of the novel, Amir is in his thirties, so he is a man, and must prove it when he gets a call from Rahim. Amir must go back to his hometown of Kabul to bring Hassan’s son, Sohrab, back to Pakistan to live a better life. If this would have happened when Amir was younger, I don’t believe he would of went back to get Sohrab. Rahim tells Amir, “I want you to go to Kabul. I want you to bring Sohrab here.” (pg. 220). At first, Amir resists and acts like he doesn’t want to go, but then he realizes that this is the only way to be good again. Amir is learning from his mistakes by fixing them. He knows that if he would’ve stepped in to help Hassan when he was getting rapped, Hassan would be in America with them and not dead.
Amir is man enough to face his mistakes, which is why he is going back to Kabul to get Sohrab. Amir knows that he would be risking his career, family, and life in America to go back, but he knows he needs to be “good” again, which is why he goes. Rahim tells Amir, “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.” (pg. 221). This is when Amir realizes that this is the only way to prove Baba, and more importantly, himself wrong. Amir has changed a lot since Hassan and Ali left, and I am happy that he is finally man enough to stand up for somebody. Coming of age is the main theme in this novel so far, and I hope that he stays a man and doesn’t become a coward like he was when he was a kid in Kabul.
I believe that “Friendship, Guilt, & Redemption” is the main theme. I believe this because throughout the book, it keeps coming back to Amir and Hassan’s friendship and how Amir lives with the guilt of the rape of Hassan and witnessing it. It also keeps coming back to how Amir would keep trying to redeem himself to make it go away or to impress his father. I also believe this is the main theme because friendships are what the book is based off and how if a friendship gets ruined, there is always guilt and redemption to fix the wrong that destroyed the friendship. Baba feels guilty for Ali and Hassan having to leave and Amir also feels guilty for them leaving. They both try to redeem themselves by doing good but never actually do.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme that I believe is in the novel is the “Relationship Between Father’s and Son’s”. I believe this because in the novel, Amir is always trying to prove himself to Baba and make him happy. The ways that Amir does so is by winning the kit fight and bringing home the 2nd place kit. Baba doesn’t acknowledge Amir until he wins the kit fight. He doesn’t acknowledge him until then because he never did anything to impress Baba such as fight back against bullies or stand up for himself. Once Amir win the kit fight, then Baba acknowledges Amir because Amir finally won something worth celebrating in Baba’s eyes. Amir also brought home the 2nd place kit witch also is important to Baba because then they have a way of remembering that day.
Charles Bruns
I think the main themes of the novel is friendship, guilt and redemption. I believe this is the main theme because Amir was friends with Hassan, and they did everything together. But then Amir wanted to impress his father and didn’t help Hassan when he was getting raped. Amir felt guilty for not helping him and then he told he father that Hassan stole some of his stuff to make him leave so, Amir wouldn’t think about what happen. Then he moved to America and found out Hassan was his half-brother, and this made him feel more guilty for not helping him when he was getting raped. Also, he found out that Hassan was shot in the back of the head and so was his wife. Then he found out that Hassan’s kid when to a foster home. Amir then when back to his hometown and went on to find Hassan’s kid. Amir wanted to find his kid because he wand redemption to help Hassan for the mistakes Amir did in the past
ReplyDeleteBen Miller
I believe “Friendship, guilt, & redemption” is the main theme in the book so far. There are so many parts in the book where it all comes down to Amir’s friendship with Hassan and the guilt that he must deal with for the rest of his life.
ReplyDeleteAt first, Amir’s friendship with Hassan is long gone. We know now that Hassan has been shot behind the head which Amir did not know about it until Rahim Khan told him about what happened to Hassan. Amir has a wife named Soraya. He didn’t tell her about the friendship he had Hassan because of the guilt he’s been dealing with. The guilt that Amir is now dealing with is when Hassan got raped by Assef and his friends. Amir didn’t attempt to help Hassan escape from Assef and his friends, instead he let them beat up Hassan. So now Amir must deal with that guilt for the rest of his life. One part that made Amir come back and an example of redemption is when Rahim Khan called him and said, “a way to be good again.” At that point, Amir is now dealing with the guilt of not helping Hassan. Jose Nava
At this point in the novel the them so far is that coming of age and becoming, and adult/"man" has to do with several issues and them of the book at this point. I believe this is the theme so far because Amir is starting to realize it and hits hitting him harder that as the older, he is getting life is only getting harder for him. For example, in chapter twenty when Amir goes back to the middle east and it only has been getting worse and worse as time moves on. Another good example in the book is when Amir and Farid are going through Kabul and they see all the trees cut down, dusty piles of rubbles, and the streets full of beggars everywhere. So, therefore I think as coming to age life is getting rough for Amir in the book. Another them that goes along with this book is man inhumanity against man because a lot of this happens throughout the entire book. An example throughout the book, Amir lets allows terrible things to happen to Hassan. Also, at the end of chapter twenty when Amir start beating up Zaman because he wouldn’t tell him where Sohrab was at. Amir is just letting horrible things happen to humans.
ReplyDeleteJesus Barrios
Jarett Connolly
ReplyDeleteEnglish IV
Mr. Brindle
5 February 2020
The Theme of The Kite Runner
I think the main theme of the book The Kite Runner is friendship, guilt, and redemption. The main character Amir shows this evidence all throughout the book. I think this is the main theme because the book goes with Amir and Hassan being friends and flying kites together. Then to Amir not standing up for Hassan when he gets raped and Amir making things up that Hassan stole things from him. Then it leads to them separating and Amir feels guilty for this because he could have prevented all of this if he would have helped Hassan and not of lied.
The actions Amir made in his earlier life changed his life forever in a bad way. Amir thought to himself, “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me” (PG 77). Amir felt guilty for not stepping in and helping Hassan when he was getting raped. On page 104 and 105 Amir tells Baba that Hassan stole his watch and some money and Hassan got blamed for it and stealing is a sin in Baba’s eyes. Amir’s planned event ended up with Ali and Hassan having to leave their family and if split them up for good. If Amir never would of made up that Hassan stole his watch and money, Hassan and Ali would still be living with them and would have been able to move to America with them. Since Amir made the decision he did, it led to Ali getting blown up by a land mine and Hassan getting shot. Amir feels a lot of guilt for what he has done decides to go back to his homeland after he gets a call from Rahim Kahn saying, “there is a way to be good again.” Rahim Kahn told Amir that he knows the truth of what happened to Hassan and wanted Amir to come back and save Hassan’s kid. Amir feels guilty of Hassan’s death and goes back to Kabul.
I think the most explored theme in the novel is man’s inhumanity towards man. I would pick this theme because it comes up in every part of the book. For example, in the beginning of the book you see how the children of Kabul abuse Ali saying things like “Who did you eat you flat-nosed Babalu?” (Hosseni, 9) There are several other examples of human cruelty in the early parts of the book as well. Such as when Assef rapes Hassan or when Amir would make fun of Hassan’s ignorance when it comes to vocabulary. Baba would also treat Amir quite poorly early on in the novel. Once when Baba took Amir to a Buzkashi tournament one of the riders got injured and this caused Amir to cry. Amir said of his father that day “Mostly, I will never forget Baba’s valiant efforts to conceal the disgusted look on his face as he drove in silence” (Hosseni,21) Baba’s behavior is yet another example of how characters behave very poorly throughout the novel. There are more examples such as near the middle of the novel when the Russian officer says that he won’t let the group of fleeing afghani’s through the checkpoint unless he gets to rape one of the women with them. Later in the novel Sorya mentions the sexism in the afghan community saying “Their sons go out to nightclubs looking for meat and get their girlfriends pregnant, they have kids out of wedlock, and no one says a goddam thing. Oh, they’re just men having fun! I make one mistake and suddenly everyone is talking nang and namoos, I have to have my face rubbed in it for the rest of my life.” (Hosseni,179) this is an example of how people can very nasty and hypocritical. In the later parts of the novel when Amir goes to Afghanistan you see the immense cruelty of the Taliban such as when they stone a woman to death. Human cruelty is the theme that just keeps coming up again and again throughout the novel and it its for that reason that I think it is the most explored theme in the novel.
ReplyDeleteThere are many themes in this novel, but the one that stands out to me is coming of age (becoming an adult/ “man”). At this point in the novel, Amir is in his thirties so that makes him an adult. This book has a lot of evidence that relates to this theme and connects to this character throughout the book. Amir learning from his mistakes when growing up and trying to get Hassan’s son back are evidence that Amir is trying to be good again and be a man.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the book, Amir made many mistakes and obstacles that he had to overcome as the book goes on. One mistake Amir made was on page 73 when he watched Hassan get beat up and raped. Amir didn’t know what to do so he just let it happen. He knew he was a coward for not standing up for Hassan because Hassan would have helped Amir get away. As time went on after the incident, Amir was regretting that he didn’t help his friend.
In chapter twenty, Amir is trying to find Hassan’s son so he can give him a good life. This shows that Amir is becoming a man because he wants to save this boy and give him a better life. It all started out when he went to see Rahim Khan. Rahim Khan got Amir back to his homeland. Amir sees what has happened to his homeland during the wars and it hits him hard. Amir didn’t know why the trees were cut down and all the piles of rubble everywhere. As Amir is seeing all these things on page 246, I think Amir wants to save Hassan’s son so he can take care of him. Amir is trying his hardest to get him because Amir wants to make it up for all the things Hassan did for him.
Michael Droeszler
I personally believe that there are 2 main themes. The first would be friendship, guilt, & redemption. The second would have to be the relationship between fathers and sons. Amir and Hassan had been friend for as long as both could remember. When Amir watched Hassan get raped, he started to feel ashamed to know him and got Hassan and his “father” Ali kicked out, so he didn’t have to feel the guilt every day. Now Amir is trying to fix what he can of his and Hassan's relationship with Hassan being dead. Amir was the only one that knew he would be able to help Sohrab.
ReplyDeleteAmir is hurt by his father's decision to keep the fact that Hassan was his half-brother away from him for so long. By Rahim Khan telling him this makes Amir want to help Sohrab more than anything because over the years Amir has spent in America, he learned that family comes first, either to protect or to help take care of. Baba was afraid that people would have talked bad about him and his family if they found out that Hassan was his son too. He seemed to be so ashamed of Hassan but at the same time so proud of him. I always learned that no matter what you love your family and never try to hide it from anyone even if they give your family a bad name. ~ Denise Brady
At this point of the novel, I believe friendship, guilt and redemption is the theme because the friendship of Hassan and Amir, as well as Baba and Rahim Kahn are filled with guilt.
ReplyDeleteAmir is filled with guilt when he lies to his father, Baba, about the scratches Hassan would have after a day of playing together. “’How did Hassan get that scrape on his face?’ And he says, ‘He fell down.’” (p 22). Baba saw some of these scenes happen and he knew his son was lying. Amir also catches himself in a lie when he watches Hassan get raped, but later pretends he didn’t know where Hassan was. “Where were you? I was looking for you,” I said. Speaking those words was like chewing on a rock (p78). Baba and Rhim Kahn were both guilty of telling lies to Amir when Amir asks Baba to get new servants and Baba became angry. “He turned to me now, his face was as red as a tulip. ‘I’ve never laid a hand on you, Amir, but you never say that again.’ He looked away, shaking his head. ‘You bring me shame. And Hassan...Hassan is not going anywhere, do you understand?’” (90). Baba was giving a hint to Amir that Hassan was his son, but Baba feels the guilt about keeping the secret that Hassan is his son. With this lie, Rahim Kahn writes a letter to Amir stating, “Come. There is a way to be good again” (p192). Rahim Kahn needs to get rid of his guilt about Hassan and Amir being half-brothers. When Amir arrives in Pakistan and visits with Rahim Kahn, the truth of Hassan is finally told to Amir. “I felt like a man slipping down a steep cliff, clutching at the shrubs and tangles of brambles and coming up emptied-handed. The room was swooping up and down, swaying sided to side. ‘Did Hassan know?’ I said through lips that didn’t feel like my own. Rahim Khan closed his eyes. Shook his head” (p222-223). Rahim Kahn needed to tell Amir the whole truth about Hassan because he did not have much more days to live and Amir would never know the secret/truth about Hassan. Baba and Rahim Kahn’s friendship and loyalty to each other made Rahim keep this secret until Baba died, Hassan died, and he was soon to pass away as well. He knew Amir needed to know the truth finally, in order for Amir to make good on Rahim’s request; “There is a way to be good again” (p192). By having Amir come back to Pakistan to rescue Hassan’s son, Sorab, Rahim Kahn received his redemption. Baba made redemption with Amir when they moved to America and Amir graduated. “He walked to me, curled his arm around my neck, and gave my brow a single kiss. ‘I am moftakhir, Amir,’ he said. Proud. His eyes gleamed when he said that and I liked being on the receiving end of that look” (p 131). This quote, Baba finally accepts Amir as his son and his accomplishment of graduating. Amir receives redemption when he finally gets Sohrab “Then he’d taken the pomegranate from my hand, crushed it against his forehead. Are you satisfied now? he’d hissed. Do you feel better? I hadn’t been happy and I hadn’t felt better, not at all. But I did now” (p289). This is when Amir finally let’s go of his guilt and anger from not standing up for Hassan at any time of their life together.
I believe that the theme that has appeared the most, or has been explored the most, would be the idea of man’s inhumanity towards man. Each of the themes above have appeared numerous times but this one sticks out the most and is more common than the rest. It isn’t just about the way Pashtuns treat Hazaras, there are more examples than just this. The way that Amir treats Hassan, the way that Assef and his friends treated Hassan, how Baba sees Russians, and how the Taliban treat the people of Afghanistan. It’s this idea of having more power and control than someone else, the way that it can corrupt a person to torture others.
ReplyDeleteAmir knew he was Pashtun, and despite his claims of seeing Hassan as his equal, there was still this thought at the back of his mind that told him he was better. That’s why Amir never played with Hassan when other people were around and why he wanted to call him his servant instead of his friend, “‘But he’s not my friend!’ I almost blurted. ‘He’s my servant!’” (41). Amir wanted to say this because it’s what he truly thought but knew better than to admit such a horrid truth. Amir may make a lot of mistakes, but he isn’t stupid, he always knows better he just makes the wrong decisions.
It’s the justification for Assef’s torturing and raping of Hassan. It can be reasoned that if it were anyone else, Assef would’ve bullied them too. However, he knew Hassan was a Hazara and that’s why he sodomized the poor boy, “It’s just a Hazara.” (75). If it were anyone else, Assef wouldn’t have given that person such an unfair treatment. He might’ve beat them with his brass knuckles and hurt them beyond belief, but because Hassan was a Hazara, he received the worst of the worst. Thus, providing another example of the book’s main theme which is man’s inhumanity towards man.
Even Baba, a respecting and honorable man, wanted to be cruel to the Russians because of his vendetta. He knew the doctor was just trying to help, but still wanted to kill him, still wanted to hurt him because he was Russian. It is a short scene but the message shines through, proving that even the best of men can be swayed and show indecency toward an equal. This doctor was a good man trying to provide care towards Baba, but Baba hated Russians and showed him a lack of respect. Baba wanted to hurt and maybe even kill the man, and it would’ve happened if Amir had let him. Another sight of man’s inhumanity towards man.
The Taliban are the most distinct appearance for this theme. They hold the most power and treat others with a cruelty that shouldn’t exist. They maim and mistreat innocent people because they have this idea that they’re better than them. Throughout the story there are so many that mistreat and hurt others because they have this idea that they are superior and better than them. That’s why Farid gives Amir the advice, “Keep your eyes on your feet when the Talib are near,” (248), because then they have a reason to hurt a person. Even so much as an awkward glance, a misinterpreted look, will cause the Taliban to unleash their wrath on a person.
Colson Cruciani
I believe that the main theme to the “Kite Runner” right now is I think would be friendships, guilt, and redemption. I think this because for the majority of the being of the book was all about Hassan and Amir and how their life was. For example, on page 54-555 when Amir is trying to tell Hassan to eat dirt and he says I would for you, but Amir really doesn’t want him to. This is just an example of many times that Hassan and Amir were talking about doing different things together. I think that the guilt is a huge part of this book for when Hassan was getting raped on page 77 when Assef had raped Hassan and Amir watched the whole thing. After that Amir felt terrible for not doing anything as while as not telling anyone. I think redemption has a big part as well. I think that when Hassan had died on page 219, I think that Amir learning about this was kind of a stab in the back as well as after Baba had passed later to learn that Hassan was his half-brother. I think that this shock was just a lot for Amir and I think that he deserved it because of how he would treat Hassan in some situations to make Amir look good.
ReplyDeleteJessica Kremer
2. Friendships, guilt, redemption
ReplyDeleteThroughout this novel so far, many themes have been presented and explored. Of these themes, I believe friendships, guilt and redemption is the theme that is the most important and most explored. Friendship, guilt and redemption is a them centered around Amir and how he has experienced each of these things. Amir has experienced friendship when he was a kid and would spend most of the days playing or reading with Hassan. On page 28, Amir is reading to Hassan, and once Amir is done Hassan asks him to read it again. Friendships are created in times like this when people enjoy doing things together like Amir and Hassan when they are reading. In addition to friendship, guilt is an emotion felt by Amir in this novel. Amir feels guilt as he grows up after Ali and Hassan leave Baba and Amir. Amir feels guilty because he was reason Ali decided to take Hassan and leave. On page 107 Ali and Hassan are leaving Baba and Amir. When Baba starts to cry, Amir feels guilty for framing Hassan for stealing his birthday gifts. Furthermore, redemption can also be found in this novel when Amir returns to Afghanistan to meet with Rahim Kahn. In the novel, Amir learns Rahim has become sick and would like Amir to grant a dying wish for him. On page 227, Amir returns to Rahim’s house and agrees to go retrieve Sohrab for a sense of redemption. Since Hassan has been murdered, Amir believes this is the only way to redeem himself for framing Hassan when they were kids.
Wyatt Lynch
While there are many themes that can be taken from this novel this far, I believe the most important theme is the idea of friendship, guilt, and redemption. Growing up Amir and Hassan were best friends but there isn’t one specific part to pick out for that, it was just throughout the first part of the novel. Amir feels an overwhelming sense of guilt throughout the rest of the novel after he sends Hassan away in and makes him look like a bad person by planting something in his room to make it look like he stole it in chapter 9. He carries this guilt with him the whole time he is in America until he receives a call from Rahim Khan in Chapter 14 telling him that he can be good again if he comes back to the middle east and talks to him. Amir looks at this as a chance to redeem himself and get rid of the guilt he has been carrying around all this time. He arrives and chats with Rahim Khan for a while and then in chapter 17 he finds out that Hassan was killed. At that point he doesn’t know what to do and that feeling of guilt comes right back. He eventually decides to go get Hassan’s son in chapter 20. This is his last attempt at redemption to try and help get rid of the guilt that he carries around but he won’t be able to get rid of all of it. These are the reasons why I believe the most important theme in the book is friendship, guilt, and redemption. It reoccurs throughout the novel and never really goes away.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThrough chapter 20, and especially in chapters 17-20, the main theme of the novel is coming of age and becoming an adult/man. Amir is beginning to become a man. The first half of the novel is Amir as a kid making mistakes, but in these chapters Amir is starting to become a man and accept what he has done.
We know Amir is very happy with his life right now as he has almost everything he dreamed of as a kid. But, there is always the memory of Hassan and Kabul holding him back. Amir goes back to Kabul because Rahim Khan is sick. Also because in chapter 16 Rahim tells Amir over the phone, “there is a way to be good again.” By Amir choosing to go shows his maturity and manhood. When Amir discovers that Hassan and his wife are dead he chooses to go rescue Hassan’s son Sohrab. He is putting his own life in danger, and becoming a man like his father was in order to make things right. In Chapter 18, Rahim reminds Amir what his father said about him as a child “A man that doesn’t stand up for himself, won’t stand up for anything.” Amir remembers this and accepts the challenge to stand up for what is right and become a great man like his father, Baba.
In my opinion the main theme of the novel is coming of age and becoming an adult/man. Although, it can easily be argued to have multiple themes, like more books do. Another theme that this book portrays is Friendship, Guilt, and Redemption. The reason I believe this is because even through chapter 20, Amir still doesn’t go a day without feeling guilty and wondering about Hassan. Hassan was Amir’s only friend as a child and pretty much ruined both of their childhoods. In chapter 9 Amir frames Hassan with taking money and his watch, he did this because he felt so guilty of what he witnessed. After Baba asks Hassan if he stole it and Hassan says yes Amir thinks in his head, “I flinched, like I’d been slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurted out the truth. Then I understood: this was Hassan’s final sacrifice for me.” In this paragraph Baba is asking Hassan if he stole and Hassan says yes, even though it was Amir. This shows how good of a friend Hassan is and how loyal he always will be to Amir. If Amir was half as good as a person as Hassan was none of this would’ve happened.
The Redemption theme comes at the end of chapter 16, when Rahim calls Amir in California. Rahim knows that this is Amir’s last chance to make peace with himself and what all went down back in Kabul. On page 221 Rahim Khan says to Amir what Baba said to him back in Kabul, “Rahim, a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.’ I wonder, is that what you’ve become?” After this Rahim tells Amir this is his dying wish. Amir knows that this is a very dangerous task, but he must do it for his childhood brother, Hassan. If Amir is successful is rescuing Sohrab I do believe Amir will find peace in life and forgive himself, because from the letter we know Hassan forgave him a long time ago.
Chloe Geerts
ReplyDeleteIn The Kite Runner, I have read through chapter 20 and I see several issues that can be portrayed through many themes as the reader grows up. In the teenager stage I see the theme, coming of age (becoming a “man”). The themes help readers see that the main character, Amir is becoming a man and bond with his father, or father figure.
In the beginning of the book we see that Amir is very upset at himself for not standing up for Hassan when he gets raped. He feels terrible about losing is best friend because of a stupid mistake he made in the past. Then, when he realizes that was a mistake he makes another by putting things under Hassan’s bed that Baba will believe he stole. The fact that he thought it all as a joke shows how he really wasn’t grown up even when Baba tried to treat him like it. Amir believed he was greater than Hassan so it made him think that everything didn’t matter until he really thought about it when he grew up. He grew up and realized how much of a mistake it was and tried to find Sohrab so he doesn’t get treated the same way Hassan did.
In chapters 20-21 he realizes his mistake after Baba dies and he tries to find himself. He is trying to become a man because he realizes that what he has done in the past doesn’t need to happen to anyone else. If that did happen Sohrab would be scarred for life and never rise above it. When someone gets raped to that extent of Hassan then it takes a long time to find themselves and become a “man”. As they go to the orphanage they think they are going to find Sohrab but never put in reality that selling children is normal in that country. This shows how Amir is trying to become a man to protect everyone and everything around him. He finally doesn’t care about himself and is making Baba proud and care for his family.
I believe the theme in The Kite Runner is the Relationship between Fathers & Sons is the strongest and my reasons for thinking this are in the book when Amir graduates from high school his father, Baba is so happy for him that he buys him a car for collage. The close relationship that they have stay an ongoing thing even when Baba dies Amir still talks about him loads. In this case were the main character keeps bring up a dead character is how you know the context shows there is a strong relationship. This is why I believe that the theme of this story is a Relationship between Fathers & Sons.
ReplyDeleteRylan Crowley
The main theme in The Kite Runner is friendship, guilt, and redemption. This is shown many times throughout the novel, like when Amir stood back and watched Hassan get raped. This made Amir feel extremely guilty for what he did. This guilt that burdened Amir made him desperate, so he attempted to get rid of Hassan and Ali just because he couldn’t accept what he’d done. Amir does this by putting his stuff in Hassan’s living quarters, "I lifted Hassan's mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it." Amir continues his life for 25 years and picks up when he is on the phone with Rahim Kahn. Rahim Kahn asks Amir to come to Pakistan which began his redemption story. Amir was told to go and save Hassan's son from the orphanage he was sent to. If Amir did this, he could somewhat redeem himself from his past mistakes he made as a child.
ReplyDeleteThe main theme of this novel to me would have to be friendship, guilt, and redemption because throughout the whole novel these three themes keep showing up. This all started when Amir witnessed Hassan get raped. After that was all over, Amir felt a lot of guilt because he decided to be a coward and not step in and help Hassan. This arguable ends Amir and Hassan's friendship ship because nothing was the same after that, they would go days without seeing each other and not speaking with each other. Which leads Amir to set a plan to get rid of Hassan by making it seem like Hassan stole a watch from Amir. Hassan leaves and nothing is the same for Amir. Even 15 years later in America he still feels guilty about not helping that day. Amir's redemption happens when he is asked to come back home and full-fill one final ask which is to find Hassan's son. If he able to make all this happen then he will get rid of all the guilt he carries with him from that day.
ReplyDeleteLuke M
The theme I choose is Friendship and guilt redemption, why I choose this because like Amir almost lost his friendship with Hassan when Hassan got beat up, Amir goes back to his homeland to look for Hassan's son because Hassan and also his wife Amir was guilt for not helping Hassan in the moments he needed him. Amir is redemption by saving Hassan's son. Amir realize that it is hitting him harder. Amir moved to California so him and Baba had some peace. At first Amir’s friendship with Hassan was perfectly good but all the things went done when Hassan had been beat up. Amir has grown up and he is learning from his own mistakes he did in the past when he was in Kabul. But Amir thinks he is still guilt, so he has to deal with that guilt for the rest of his life, also Amir went back to Afghanistan and the reason he did is because Rahim Kan called him and said “ A good way to be good again” and also he wanted to find Sohrab. Overall all these things that Amir did in the past he has used them to take the right paw in life he has used them for examples.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important themes in the novel The Kite Runner are betrayal, guilt, and redemption. I think betrayal is a big theme in this novel because of the betrayal of Amir and Hassan. Amir betrayed Hassan when he didn’t save Hassan from the bullies when Amir was always a loyal friend and protected him always. Guilt is another theme because Amir felt guilty for the rest of his life because of how he betrayed Hassan. Redemption is another theme because Amir redeems himself by saving and adopting Hassan's son and getting him out of the dangers of Kabul but Amir feels he is redeemed when he gets beat up by Assef. “...before you sacrifice yourself for him, think about this: Would he do the same for you?” (Hosseini, 72). I think this sentence pretty much points towards all three themes.
ReplyDeleteI think the main message is friendship, guilt, and redemption. We see in the beginning of the novel the friendship of Amir and Hassan. We see how loyal Hassan is to Amir. We then see how the guilt of Hassan’s rape affects Amir. How he tries to get rid of Hassan because his guilt is eating him up inside. We then see at the end how he gets the opportunity of redemption. How he can “be good again”. And this is through helping Hassan’s son.
ReplyDelete-Izzy S.