Dialectical Journal For The Kite Runner

1. Setting: Kabul, Afghanistan (1963-1981) Fremont, California (2001) During Soviet War and Civil War in Afghanistan

Characters: Protagonist: Amir Antagonist: Redemption (fighting to redeem himself from the guilt)

Initial Incident: During the kite tournament, Hassan goes to run the kite for Amir and gets confronted in an alley by Assef and his friends. Amir watches Hassan get raped and does not speak up.

Rising Action: Amir feels guilty and ashamed for not speaking up and possibly preventing Hassan’s rape. He feels that the only way to get rid of his guilt is by getting rid of Hassan so he accuses him of theft, to Baba, by hiding his watch

The Kite Runner is an infamous novel, which has managed to grasp the attention of a wide range of individuals, including mine. This particular novel has always been a story waiting to be indulged in, however, I never seemed to find the time. Despite that, when I realized that The Kite Runner was an option available to read, I decided to select it and finally unveil the reason as to why this novel has been so highly praised over the past years.

3. The novel takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan during 1963-1981 and shortly shifts settings to Fremont, California; however the focus remains on the hardships regarding Afghanistan. Moreover, the setting is significant for the plot because Khaled Hosseini showcases the major differences that take over Afghanistan before and after the Soviet Invasion and Taliban rule. Likewise, the setting sets the tone for how the characters interact and the conflicts they face. In the beginning, Afghanistan is shown as a beautiful country where Amir has spent his entire childhood devoid of bloodshed and misery. Amir and Hassan’s interactions are based off the activities they do such as going to Cinema Zainab for new Iranian movies and hiking up the hill North of Baba’s home. At the top of the hill, they would watch the airplanes take off and land near the pomegranate tree that bears a lot of memories, such as the time Amir had pelted Hassan with pomegranates in shear frustration after the incident in the alley. However, after the winter of 1975,

The protagonist, Amir, is a Sunni, Pashtun and the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant. Throughout his life, Amir has received every materialistic want but has always felt the need to please his father, his Baba, and share a deeper connection with him. This is shown when Amir says, “We’d had a fleeting good moment-it wasn’t often Baba talked to me, let alone on his lap-and I’d been a fool to waste it.” And “I didn’t want to disappoint him again.” Likewise, Amir feels a sense of jealousy every time Baba praises Hassan and he receives the attention that Amir constantly longs for. As a result, Amir is seen mocking Hassan at various times and making low comments that show how Amir bellows Hassan because of his caste. This is shown in the scene where Amir asks Hassan if he would eat dirt if Amir told him too. This mindset ultimately divulges Amir into a world of regret and guilt. Moreover, every winter, districts in Kabul held a kite-fighting tournament. Likewise, Amir realized that if he became victorious and was the last kite flying, he would finally see the love and pride in his Baba’s eyes; he was right. When Amir ended up cutting the last blue kite and winning, Hassan decided to run that kite for him and Amir agreed with the image in his head that he would go up to his Baba, as a hero, holding the prized trophy, the blue kite, in his hands. However, when Hassan took a long time returning, Amir went to go search for the kite runner. After coming across an alley and peaking