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Snigdha Arora - CT First Draft
Snigdha Arora - CT First Draft
Aditi Sriram
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is an exemplary work of literature. It primarily focuses
on Amir and his friend Hassan while exploring the subtle nuances of guilt and alienation that
torment Amir’s heart throughout his life until he achieves his redemption by rescuing Shorab(
Hassan’s son). In the novel both Amir and his father migrate from their home country-
Afghanistan to America in 1981. By bringing to the fore their perpetual rootlessness and
alienation, it questions whether an individual can ever feel like an insider in a foreign land.
For Amir’s father, his native place remains his homeland and he always remains an outsider
in America. But for Amir, America becomes a third space where he seeks refuge from his
past memories. Even though we see that compared to his father, Amir easily adapts to the
American life, however, torn between his tormenting guilt and fledgling hopes, Amir remains
In the beginning of the novel itself, we see a contrast between Amir and his peers.
Unlike other boys of his age, he is not brave or masculine enough. He is delineated as
someone who is always “lost in some dream”1. His sensitivity, excessive reading habits and
inability to defend are perceived to be feminine by his father. In fact, his father’s disapproval
becomes a foundation of him feeling inadequate. Like a gifted craftsman, Hosseini captures
Amir’s craving for acceptance, admiration and recognition. Bereft of his mother’s love,
1
Pg 19
masculinity all around him, Amir continues to feel uprooted and vulnerable even within the
family. Furthermore, in a land where the notions of honour and valour prevail, Amir finds
The tragic episode of Hassan’s rape plays a huge factor in Amir’s detachment from
Afghanistan. After the kite flying tournament when Amir sees Hassan being sexually
assaulted by Assef, he is overcome by his vulnerability and does not do anything to save him.
The guilt of not standing up for Hassan stays with him throughout his life. As this incident
happens in Afghanistan, every time he thinks about his country, he is reminded of his
cowardice. In order to suppress this memory, he reaches out to America, disconnecting with
Due to the influence of English books and his upbringing in America, we see that his
thoughts remain mainly western. For instance, when Soraya’s mother shows inclination
towards Amir being her daughter’s prospective husband, he says, “I cringed a little at the
position of power I would be granted and all because I had won at the genetic lottery that had
determined my sex”. This kind of liberal thinking is in conflict with the Afghani notion of
women being naturally more inferior. It also represents his western believes in equality and
liberty. In fact, in America, he finds more acceptance as he is able to pursue his love for
literature and express his vulnerable side. However, there are certain times where it might
feel that Amir is still rooted to his native land. For instance, we frequently encounter him
using Pashto words and referring to different traditions like “Yelda”2. The fact that we rarely
see him interacting with any American people also indicates his inability to adapt to the
foreign culture.
2
Pg 125 Yelda- a festival celebrated on the "longest and darkest night of the year”.
Compared to Amir, Baba has a very traditional notion of thinking. We see that Baba’s
actions are driven by what he perceives as honour. For example, when the Russian soldier
tries to rape the wife of an Afghan fellow, Baba fights for her to save her ‘honour’. His notion
of honour is in consonance with the Afghani notion of honour as being attached to a woman’s
purity. His ideas about gender, honesty and bravery remain in sync with his culture. This
His relationship with both the countries is described by this single sentence-“Baba
was like a dead widower who remarries but cannot let go”. His nostalgia for his country and
customs prevents him from adapting to this new country. In this aspect both the son and the
father have similarities, in baba’s case, his love for his country doesn’t let him move on, in