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Student’siName

Professor’siName

Course

Date

Outline

TheiKiteiRunner,ibyiKhalediHoseini,icloselyifollowsitheistoryiofiaimaturingiAmir,iaiyo

ungimanifromiAfghanistaniwhoiisidesprateyitryingitoifindihisiwayiinitheiworldionlyitoifindithat

itheibeliefsiheiholdsiareinotiofithoseithatihisidorminanticultureholds.iTheinoveliisisetiiniAfghan

istaniandiTheiUnitediStates,andiitiisiaibildungsromaniwhichiillustratesitheivastidifferenceibetwe

enitwoicountriesiwhichihaveiveryidifferenticulturalibackgrounds.iItigivesiaihistoriacalioutlayiofi

aipre-Russianiandiaipre-

TalibaniruleioniAfghanistan.iItigivesiaicontemporaryicontrastitoitheinewsiinitheiheadlinesiofiaic

ountryithatiholdsiterroristsibyishowingiaidifferentisocialiculturalisystemiguidedibyimoraliprinci

ples.iItiisiainovelithatihasicomeiofiageishowingitheiturmoiliofiaipersoniinifindingihisiwayiiniai

worldifulliofiproblems.ii

Hosseini’siNarrativeiincorporatesiflashbackiandiflashiforwardinarrativeitechniquesiiniail

inearitimeline,itheiuseiofiaiuniqueistylisticideviceithatiivolvesitheiuseiofiAfghaniiwords,itheiinc

orporationiofiRhetorics,iuseiofisymbollismiinianiextensiveiwayibridginiinitheisuccessiofiTheiKi

teiRunner.iTheibookiconcentratesionitheithemesiofialientaion,iCuturaliandisocioiecononomiciiss

ues,itheiemotionaliattachmentiofifriendshipieveniduringichildhoodimakingiaibasisiforimotivatio

n,itheithemeiofifriendshipiandiforgiveness,iLoveiandimanipulation,irevenge,itheiroleiofireligioni
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amongiothers.iTheimajorisymbolsithatiareirepresentediinitheifilmiareiKites,ikitefightingiandikit

erunning,imythisymbols,itheislingshot,itheipomegranateitree,iamongiothers.iItiisiaistoryiofifathe

rsiandisons,idepicitingitheirightsiandiwrongsiofitheisocietyianditheinatureiofievils.iItiwasipublis

hediinitheiyeari2003itoiaigreatipopulariandicriticaliacclaim.iTheinovel,iTheiKiteiRunner,iisiwid

elyiconsidereditoibeiaicontemporaryiclassic.

TheiKiteiRunner:iAiHero’siJourney

Withoutidoubt,iKhalediHosseiniiinihisibooki‘TheiKiteiRunner’iportraysiAmiriasiaihero,i

sinceiheiisitheiprotagonist.iHowever,imyiopinionionitheientireibookidiffersifromithatiofitheiauth

orisinceiIidoinotiviewiAmiriasiaihero.iHeiisiaiself-

centerediindividualiwhoithinksithatitheiworldirevolvesiaroundihim.iHeiwantsihisifather’siaffecti

onialliforihimselfiandigoesitoiunimaginableilengthsijustitoiachieve,inoticaringiwhoigetsihurtiinit

heiway.iHeiwantsitheiloyaltiesiofitheiriHazzaraiservantiboy,iHassan,ibutiheigivesihiminothingii

nireturn.iHeigoesiasifariasiframingitheipooriboyijustitoigetihimisentiawayibecauseiheicouldinoti

dealiwithitheishameiandiguiltiofigettingiHassaniassaulted.iTheimostishamefulifactiwasithatidesp

iteibeingianiyeariolderithaniHassan,iitiwasialwaysiHassaniwhoifoughtihisibattlesiforihiminoticar

ingithatiHassaniwouldireceiveiworseitreatmentisinceiheiwasiaiHazzara.iAndithatiisiwhyiIibeliev

eiwithoutiaidoubtithatitheiheroiiniKhaled’sibookiisiactuallyiHassan,itheiHazzaraiservantiboy.iH

eiknewiwithoutiaidoubtithatiAmirihadiwatchedihimigetisodomizedibyiAssefiandiyet,iheiremaine

diloyalitoihimitillihisideath.

ThereiisinoibetteriwayitoidescribeiHassanithanianienigma.iAnienigmaishowsiresilienceisuchiasi

howidespiteiallitheihardshipsiheihasiencounterediinihisilife,iheistillihadiaipositiveioutlookionilif
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ei(Kohen,iAri,iLangdon,iandiRichesi620).iHeineverifaileditoismileidespiteihailingifromitheiHaz

zaraicommunityiwhoiwereishunnediandilabellediasiunworthyiofilivingitheisameilifestyleiasithei

Pashtuns.iItididinotimatterithatiheilivediwithihisifatheriAliiwhoiwasiconstantlyicriticizediandim

ockediforihisidisabilityiwhichiwasiairesultiofipolioiheisufferediwheniheiwasiyounger.iHeididino

ticareithatipeopleimockedihimibecauseihisimother,iSanaubarihadielopediwithiaibandiofimusicia

ns,iaifateiAfghansiconsiderediworseithanideath.iHeialsoididinotimindiheihaditoihelpihisifatheri

AliiiniservingiAmir’sifatheriinsteadiofigoingitoischool.iHeiwasijustithankfulithatiheihadiaifrien

dilikeiAmiriinihisilifeiandiatithat,iheipledgediallihisiloyaltiesitoihim.iItiisinormaliforieveryichild

’sifirstiworditoieitheribei‘baba’iori‘mama’.iCaniyouiimagineiwhatiitiwouldifeelilikeitoihaveiso

meoneisoiloyalitoiyouisinceibirthithatitheiriveryiwordiisiyouriname?

iThatiisiwhatihappenediwithiHassan.iHeidefiediallioddsiandiratherithaniutteringitheiwordsi‘baba

’iori‘mama’iasihisifirstiwords,iheiutterediAmir’sinameiinstead.

AlthoughiAmirilovedihisihalf-

brotheriHassan,iheiwasinotiasiloyalitoihimiasiHassaniwasitoihim.iHassaniwasiloyalitoiaifaultian

diheiprovedithatiduringitheikiteichampionship.iSinceiAmirididinotihaveiailoveiforiphysicaliacti

vitiesisuchiasisocceriasihisifatheriexpected,iheialwaysifeltithatiitimadeihimifallishortiofihisifathe

r’siaffection.iKiteirunningiwasitheionlyithingiheiandihisifatherisharediaicommonipassioniandiev

eniatithat,iheiwasinotitheibestiatiit.iThatiisiwhyiheiwasimoreithanidetermineditoiwinitheikiteich

ampionshipsithatiyearisinceiheiknewithatiheiwouldiautomaticallyigainihisifather’sifavor.iAmiri

manageditoihaveitheiveryilastikiteiflyingimakingihimitheiwinneriofitheiflyingicompetition.iHow

ever,iforihimitoibecomeitheichampion,iheihaditoicatchitheilastikiteiwhichiwouldibeitheiultimate

iprize.iThatiwasiwhereiHassanifitiintoitheichampionships.iHeiwasiaiveryiaptirunneriandisoiheiw

asitheionlyihopeiAmirihadiatiwinningitheichampionships.
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HassanididinotidisappointiandiAmiriwasiveryiproudithatiheihadifinallyiachievedisomethi

ngithatimadeihisifatheriproudiofihim.iLittleididiheiknowitheiprizeiheihaditoipayiforiwinningithe

ichampionship.iWheniheiwalkediintoithatialleyiandiwatchediAssefiandihisitwoifriendsibullyiHa

ssan,iheididinotibotheritoihelpihim.iHeiwatchediasiHassaniwasiassaultedidespiteibeingigivenith

eioptioniofigivingiupitheilastikite.iHeiprefereditoigetihimselfirapedithanigiveiupitheionlyithingit

hatiAmiritreasurediandineededitoiwinihisifather’siapproval.iAmirididinotihelpihimiandiHassani

knewithatiheiwasithere.iHeimustihaveifeltireallyibetrayedibutiheistillimadeiitihisimissionitoistay

iloyalitoiAmir.iLoyaltyiandibrokenitrustioftenileadsitpimsitrustibetweenialliesi(Masters,iTamara

,i&iMishrai434).iAmiriloyaltyipushedihimitoigetioveritheiincidentijustibecauseiheiwasiworriedi

sickiaboutiAmir’siwell-

being.iIibelieveithatiheilivedibyitheislogani“Foriyou,iaithousanditimesioveriAmiriaga”.iHeididi

notimindigettingihurtiasilongiasiAmiriremainediunharmediandithatiitselfiisiwithoutiaidoubtithei

utmostileveliofiloyaltyiandiselflessnessianyihumanibeingicanishowitoianother.iItiwasilikeiheiwa

siaisaintialthoughiheiwouldinotihaveimindediinjuringianyoneiwhoicausedianyiharmitoihisiAmiri

aga.i

EveniafterileavingiKabuliandimovingitoiPakistan,iHassanistillihadithoughtsiofiAmiriclos

eitoihisiheart.iNever,iatianyipointididiheieveridivulgeiAmir’sisecretitoianyoneioficonsequenceid

ueitoifearithatiheiwouldibetrayiAmir.iAlthoughiheihaditoitellihisifatheriAliieverythingiforihimit

oiagreeitoimovingiaway,iheididithatiasianiactiofiloyaltyitoiAmir.iHeiknewiwithoutiaidoubtithati

Amiriwasihavingiaiharditimeicopingiwithihisiassault,iififramingihimiforitheftiwasianythingitoig

oiby.iSomehow,iheiknewithatihisifatheriwouldibeireluctantitoibelieveithatiheistoleianythingifro

mitheiyoungimasteriiandiheiwasiforceditoiexplainitheisituation.iHeireminiscedihisichildhoodime

moriesiwithihisiwife,iFarzana,iandison,iSohrab.iNeverididiheimentioniAmir’sishortcomingsiasii
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fiheiconsiderediAmiritoibeihisiguru.iItiwasihisistoriesithatimadeiitipossibleiforiSohrabitoitrusti

Amiriyearsilateriwheniheihadibeeniabductediandilivingiasianiorphan.iByithen,iAmiriwasireadyit

oimakeithingsirightibyitakingicareiofiHassan’sionlyilivingidescendant,iSohrab.

FuelledibyitheidesireitoicommunicateiwithiAmir,iHassanilearntihowitoireadiandiwriteiso

iheicouldibeiableitoiwriteilettersiandisendithemitoiAmir.iHeididinoticareithatiheihardlyiknewiifi

AmiriwasialiveiorideadifollowingitheistateiofiwariiniAfghanistan.iDespiteinotiknowingiwhether

iAmiriandihisifatherihadimanageditoiescapeitheichaosiinitime,iHassaniwasihopefulithatitheyiha

diandibelievedithatiwithiallihisiheartiandithatiwasiwhyiheimadeiaipointitoiwriteiailetteriaddresse

ditoiAmir.iHeialsoimadeisureitoitellihimithatihisisoniwasieducatediandididinotigrowiupistupidili

keihisifather.iHassanicalledihimselfistupidibecauseiheididinotiknowihowitoireadioriwriteigrowin

giupiiniPakistaniandiasiairesult,iAmirialwaysimadeifuniofihimibyimakingifuniofihisiilliteracy.i

Oneitime,iheimentionedianiinsultithatiHassanididinotirecognizeiandiheigaveihimitheiwrongiinte

rpretationiforiit.iHowever,iHassanineveritookitheiriplayfulibanteriinibadifaith.iInstead,iheifound

iitiendearingithatiAmiricoulditakeihisitimeiandireadihimiaistory.

Hassan’siloyaltyitoiAmiriextendeditoianyiofiAmir’sifamilyimembersiandipeopleiheicons

ideredicloseitoihimilikeiRahimiKhan.iWheniheilocatediHassan,iheitravellediallitheiwayitoiPakis

taniiniaibiditoirequestithatiheijoinedihimiiniKabulisoiheicouldihelpihimitakeicareiofitheihouseit

hatibelongeditoiAmir’sifather.iAlthoughiheiwasiquiteihesistant,iHassanipackediupihisibelonging

siandimovedihisifamilyitoiKabuliwhereiheihadispentimostiofihisichildhood.iIniKabul,ihisiwife,i

FarzanaiandihimselfispentimostiofitheiridaysilookingiafteritheihouseiandiRahimiKhanisinceihei

wasisick.iHeiturnedidowniRahim’siofferiforihimitoimoveihisifamilyiintoitheimansionisinceither

eiwasiabundantispaceiinitheihouseibutiheiwasiadamantionistayingiinitheilittleihutiheigrewiupiin.

iHisireasoniwasithatiifiheididimovediinitheihouse,iitiwouldibeitheiutmostiformiofidisrespectitoi
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Amiriandihisifatherisinceiitiwouldiappearithatitheimiceiwereiinichargeisinceitheicatiwasiaway.i

HeiknewiandiunderstoodihisipositioniasiaiHazzaraiiniAfghanistaniwhichiwasidominatedibyiPas

htuns.iHeihadilearntitoiacceptihimselfiandiheididinotiwantiititoiappearilikeiheididinotirespectihi

siPashtunimastersijustibecauseitheyiwereilivingiinianothericontinent.i

ItiisiwithiutmosticertainityithatiIilabeliHassanitheiheroiini‘TheiKiteiRunner’.iHisiloyalty

itoiAmirimakesihimifaceianyiformiofiobstacleithrownihisiway,iespeciallyiifitheiobstacleiwasime

antitoiobscureiAmir’sijourney.iHeigoesitoihelliandibackiforiAmiriandidoesinotireceiveieveniaiq

uarteriofiwhatiheigivesitoihisimasteributihisiloyaltyiandidevotionineverifalters.iIidoiknowiifither

eiexistsisuchiaitermiasiunrequitediloyaltyibutiifithereiis,iIibelieveiAmiriandiHassan’sijourneyiisi

theibestiexampleiofithatiunrequitediloyalty.iItimakesimeiwonder,iifiHassanihadibeenialiveitoilea

rniofihisifamilyirelationitoiAmiriasihisihalf-brother,iwouldihisiloyaltyihaveiincreasediaiten-

foldiandithisitime,iwouldiitibeiequallyireciprocated?

iAllihisiactionsiareiinterpretediasiaiHazzara’siloyaltyitoihisiPashtunimasteributitoihim,ihisiactio

nsiareitoiprotectihisifriend,iAmiriaga.iIndeed,iaifriendiinineediisiaifriendiindeed.ii
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WorksiCited

Hosseini,iKhaled.iTheikiteirunner.iPenguin,i2003.

Kohen,iAri,iMattiLangdon,iandiBrianiR.iRiches.i"Theimakingiofiaihero:icultivatingiempathy,i

altruism,iandiheroiciimagination."iJournaliofiHumanisticiPsychologyi59.4i(2019):i617-

633.

Masters,iTamaraiM.,iandiAruliMishra.i"Theiinfluenceiofiheroiandivillainilabelsionithei

perceptioniofiviceiandivirtueiproducts."iJournaliofiConsumeriPsychologyi29.3i(2019):i

428-444.