How Does Hosseini Use Symbols In The Kite Runner

Sociologist Brenda V. Smith says that 30% of people shorten their lives by 56% when looking for redemption. She believes that this is due to the great lengths a person will go to to in order to relieve the immense stress on their bodies and hearts.. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini centers around the cowardice mistake Amir makes inevitably pushing the plot forward, but it is the means in which Amir attempts to resolve those mistakes that carry the underlying meaning of the novel, redemption. Khaled Hosseini uses symbolism to weave through the intricate idea of redemption; exploring symbols such as the pomegranate tree, Amir’s scar and the kite using these specific symbols to represent the complex idea of redemption allowing for the reader

his scar plays a large role in the novel as it serves as a reminder of the brotherhood that he has with Hassan, one that physically connects him with his lost brother. This connection is conveyed by Hosseini when he writes “The impact had cut your upper lip in two, he had said, clean down the middle. Clean down the middle. Like a harelip” (260). The specific use of the word “harelip” gives the reader an immediate reference to the harelip that Hassan was born with and was used to separate him from the rest. Moreover the scar brought an overwhelming sense of relief to Amir, cleansing his consciousness of the event that would keep him up at night. Although on the outside Amir was beaten up, bruised and broken he had always wanted a punishment for his cowardness, while also finally standing up to Assef, the source of all his self hatred and loathing. Amir had finally won the 30 year long battle saying “Assef had backed down, promised that in the end he’d get us both. He’d kept that promise with Hassan. ‘All right’, I said, not knowing what else there was to say” (Hosseini 250). As seen in his “The Kite Runner as allegory of global ethics” Professor David Jefferess believes that this is the point in the novel where all loose ends are tied up and Amir can finally move past this traumatic event. Furthermore the scar also acts as a message to the readers

Early on in the novel it is clear that Amir’s relationship with those around him, although limited, tend to be very strong and so the reader struggles with understanding why the relationship with his father, Baba is distant. Baba is seen to act quite coldly to his son and prior to the revelation of Baba’s secret, Amir sees himself to be the reason for the rigid relationship they have with each other. This leads him to question aspects of his life such as how his mother died while giving birth to him, or how he has not been interested in sports the same way he enjoys reading and writing. The only thing that Amir believes he has in common with his father is kite fighting and so Amir becomes determined to win the big competition. He believes that winning will be enough to redeem himself in the eyes of his father. Psychologist Joshua Coleman, child specialist Carolyn Pape and social worker Philip A. Cowan, say that a child will do anything to receive “validation, redemption and a sense of worthiness from their parents” (Coleman, Pape and Cowan 2011). This need for redemption acts as foundation for the remainder of the novel. Likewise The Kite Runner is used to symbolize the strength of the relationship between Amir and Hassan. After the boys emerge victorious in the competition Amir shouts for everyone to hear “We won!