The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a fiction novel about the complicated relationship between two half-brothers. One of the brothers, Hassan is portrayed as a very loyal, brave, and selfless person while enduring the unfairness of the societal hierarchy. Furthermore, Hassan never changes and represents the innocent archetype throughout the book. Reading through the archetypal criticism lens allows readers to identify patterns and predict what will happen throughout the book. In addition, by knowing how characters fit into an archetypal role, readers can gain a deeper understanding of the characters’ motivations, actions, and relationships with other characters.
It is apparent that both novels are in tune with the theme of division of social class in the society. The Kite Runner examines the whole spectrum of racism; Hassan who was treated disrespectfully by his peers who are the majority, Sunni Muslims because he is the minority, the Hazara (Shi’a Muslims). This leads to nasty discrimination based on physical features and religious beliefs. Significantly, Hosseini mentions in the novel that Amir is reading, "the Pashtuns had persecuted and oppressed the Hazaras” from his mother’s history book which can be found on page 9. Additionally, Ali, who is a Hazara, is ridiculed by the neighborhood people on page 10 coupled with Assef’s mocking, calling Hassan flat nose.
Controversial Favoritism Throughout the first half of Kite Runner, there is controversy about Baba’s preference between Hassan and Amir. Contrary to the belief that Hassan and Amir are treated equally, it is crystal clear that Baba favors Hassan. First and most important, Hassan is a Hashara and should be nothing more than a servant to Baba. In Afghanistan, a country that overwhelmingly values social standings, the class difference dictates a person's whole life.
The Kite Runner is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini, this novel shares the story of a young boy named Amir and his transition from childhood to adulthood. Amir makes many mistakes as a child, but the moral of the story is to focus not on the mistakes he has made, but how he has grown, and become a better man by redeeming himself for the mistakes he has made. The mistakes he has made mostly revolve around his friend Hassan, and his father Baba. Three of the most prominent mistakes are when Amir doesn’t help Hassan when he is being attacked by the village boys, lying to Baba about Hassan, and not appreciating and abusing Hassan’s loyalty to him.
The book The Kite Runner is a fantastic novel about a privileged boy named Amir who learns many life lessons because of his past and his father Baba. Ethnicity is covered throughout this book, Amir and his father are Pashtun who are Sunni Muslims. Ali and Hassan are Hazara’s and are Amir’s and Baba’s servants. Hazara’s are Shia Muslims. The book The Kite Runner covers ethnic complications between the Hazara and the Pashtuns.
The themes of shame and courage are extremely dominant throughout the novel, the Kite Runner. Most of the characters in this story seem to possess qualities of shame and courage. Particularly the main character Amir, who appears to identify with the theme of shame and struggles with being courageous. Because of this, Amir can not relate to his father very well, who is the total opposite of who he is. He also becomes envious of his servant Hassan, who has the same brave quality his father has.
In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, there are many different important conflicts throughout the story. These conflicts are brought upon by the recurring motifs, such as redemption and loyalty. The different dissensions support the ideas of characterization by how they react to the sudden adversity in their lives. Amir attempts to redeem himself through Hassan’s son, Sohrab, by saving him and giving him a better life. Further developing the meaning of the story, connoting the mental struggle and the way priorities change over time, keeping readers mindful of the motifs and how they impact each character.
In The Kite Runner during the twentieth century, there is a great divide between the muslim citizens of Kabul. The Hazaras are considered inferior to the respectable majority of Pashtuns. Hazaras are persecuted and oppressed, simply because they are Shi’a muslims and Pashtuns are Sunni muslims. Throughout the novel, Hazaras are called various derogatory names such as “[...] mice eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys.” (Hosseini 10) Because of his cultural background, Hassan becomes a victim of racism, as he has run-ins with bullies, is raped and is constantly told that he is not nor ever will be an equal to Amir.
For Hassan to be a kite flyer is impossible due to his Hazara ethnicity. Thus, through this game, the relationship of the kite flyer and the kite runner can amplify the social and class differences between the Pashtuns and the Hazaras. In addition, Hassan, as a well devoted and loyal servant, says: “For you a thousand times over!” (Hosseini 67). “Pashtuns—saw Hazaras as infidels, animals, other” (Zabriskie 1).
Throughout Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, there are muliptle scenes where the reader witnesses racial tension. The Hazara and the Pashtuns are constently fighting throught the novel. A friendship like Amir and Hassana was very unlikey. In the begining of the novel the reader views Amir and Hassan’s friendship as a normal childhood friendship.
The idea that Hazaras are of a lower class is a source of the persecution of the Hazara people. The belief that Hazaras are below Pashtuns also trickles into The Kite Runner and is one of the main reasons Amir treats Hassan poorly and tells himself that Hassan is a servant, not a friend. After Hassan is sexually assaulted by Assef, Amir reasons to himself about his inaction, thinking ”Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it: He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he” (77). Amir’s struggle with how to justify his actions ultimately results in him
THE KITE RUNNER, Khaled Hosseini’s debut novel, is one the bestselling novels of our time. The fact that it has sold over four million copies, only in the US, is a hint of how successful it is. The first chapter of the book takes place in San Francisco, the year 2001. A man in his fifties sits in a café, reflecting upon his childhood in Kabul.
The Kite Runner is a story that depicts the unique friendship between Amir and Hassan while they are currently living during a turbulent time in Afghanistan's history. Amir is the son of a wealthy Pashtun man while Hassan is his servant. The novel shows their odd friendship go through betrayal, lies, regret, and forgiveness. The Kite Runner also exhibits the struggles between father and son relationships. This thrilling novel shows the journey amid family and friends during a rough time in the history of Afghanistan.
Social Injustice is a situation when some unfair practices are being carried in society. Everyday someone is beat, raped, or crying for help in Afghanistan. This is what life has become in Afghanistan after the government has been overtaken. Social injustice is a major problem in Afghanistan. According to Farooq, “Social Injustice is a situation when some unfair practices are being carried in society.”
At the heart of a person‘s life lies the struggle to define his self, to make sense of who he is? Diaspora represents the settling as well as unsettling process. While redesigning the geopolitical boundaries, cultural patterns, it has also reshaped the identities of the immigrants with new challenges confronting the immigrant in negotiating his identity. Diaspora becomes a site where past is given a new meaning and is preserved out of intense nostalgia and longing. The novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid is significant in its treatment of the issues faced by immigrants in the diaspora.