ipl-logo

Theme Of Betrayal In The Kite Runner

1008 Words5 Pages

Rachel Hall
Mr. Venneri
ENG 3Ub
21 December 2022
Betrayal and Guilt Eat Away At People For Their Whole Life

Symbols are used throughout several incredible novels. Symbols are objects or signs that represent other things, oftentimes it represents something bigger than the symbol itself. Authors use symbols to get different points, ideas or themes across to their audience, they are often significant and repeated throughout novels. In Khalid Hosseini’s The Kite Runner major symbols are used to help readers understand different themes. The symbols of the pomegranate tree and kites demonstrate the theme of guilt and betrayal along with how it affects a person. Amir has craved his fathers affection and love for so long that he does the unthinkable when it comes to saving Hassan from being sexually assaulted. He betrays Hassan for the love and affection his father will show him when he brings home the winning …show more content…

All kites that Amar sees in his life remind him of his horrible actions that he committed in the winter of 1975. “I looked up at those twin kites. I thought about Hassan. Thought about Baba. Ali. Kabul. I thought of the life I lived until the winter of 1975 came along and changed everything. And made me what I am today.” (Hosseini, 2). Amir’s guilt built up inside him for decades, yet he never did anything about it until he was forced to. He had convinced himself his sins were absolved, one of the many lies he told himself throughout his life. When Amir states ‘the winter of 1975 came along and changed everything. And made me what I am today.’ he is stating that the events of Hassan’s sexual assault changed him forever, as he betrays Hassan for the greater good of himself. If he chose to confront Hassan about what he did, their lives could have been different. Instead he caused more harm than good, ultimately leading to Hassan's

Show More
Related

Dichotomies In The Kite Runner

645 Words | 3 Pages

The words are blunt, unapologetic in nature, resonating with so much truth that it pierces Amir’s false happiness (Hosseini 133). For Amir, the kite brought only a false sense of freedom from his remorse. In reality, he was still entrenched in the battle for his father’s love, still trying to find a way to get all of his father’s attention. The kite-flying competition was an illusion, a dream that Amir could ever be his father’s only son. The reality that Hassan was Amir’s half-brother, and the equitable love that Baba gives them, serves as the anchor that keeps Amir from his own childhood dreams, the truth that Amir could never escape.

Read More

Theme Of Shame In The Kite Runner

182 Words | 1 Pages

The culture of Kabul also revolves around certain actions which are seen as shameful. For example, in chapter eleven, Amir says, “And that was how Baba ... alleviated one of his greatest fears: that an Afghan would see him buying food with charity money”, meaning that Afghan

Read More

Moral Ambiguity In The Kite Runner

844 Words | 4 Pages

The author provides the reader with mixed feeling about Amir. In his childhood in Kabul Amir comes off as heartless person. He is this because he has done evil stuff in his life. In the beginning of the story something bad happens to Hassan, Amir says,¨In the end, I ran.

Read More

Examples Of Betrayal In The Kite Runner

1689 Words | 7 Pages

“Hassan never wanted to, but if [Amir] asked, really asked, Hassan wouldn’t deny [Amir].” (Hosseini 4). Even when Hassan knew that it was wrong to do something bad, Hassan would still do it for Amir. Amir's decision to abandon Hassan on his own was his most terrible act. The biggest betrayal Amir has committed during this part of the story is this one.

Read More

Guilt Quotes In The Kite Runner

421 Words | 2 Pages

These sins or different guilts that he experience have come to represent something new as he uses them to cancel out the bad deeds. Amir finishes his path to redemption with the final guilt of apathy where he has finished atoning his sins through different constant good deeds and uses the last scene of kite flying to symbolize the end of the cycle of violence and guilt and a new era of positive relationships with a better

Read More

Kite Runner Sacrifice Quotes

906 Words | 4 Pages

For the reason that Hassan was raped, Amir felt guilty and began regretting his actions. Every time Amir would do something mean towards Hassan, he felt guilty after the action. “‘Let’s see. ‘Imbecile.’

Read More

Examples Of Amir's Guilt

879 Words | 4 Pages

The novel then flashes back to Amir’s childhood in Kabul. During Amir’s childhood, he stood by and watched Hassan, his friend and servant, get raped. After Amir betrays Hassan by not stopping the incident, his behavior represents typical guilt, though some of his actions seem wrong. One of the first signs of Amir’s guilt is when thoughts of the rape kept him up at night. In chapter 8 Amir

Read More

Adversity In The Kite Runner

1257 Words | 6 Pages

This quote establishes how Amir has become a changed man through his self-reflection and positive contributions outside of his own benefit. This quote also is used to solidify the theme of guilt and redemption that is consistently hinted at throughout the novel. The decisions he made in the face of the adversity he experienced in the years after led him to make the selfless choice he

Read More

Betrayal And Guilt In The Kite Runner

558 Words | 3 Pages

The 'Kite Runner' shows how being overly ambitious leads to the loss of a close relationship, which ends in guilt. The bronze image in the center of the page depicts how Amir abandoned his devoted buddy by fleeing rather than facing his fears. This represents his selfishness in caring for himself rather than the one who has cared for him his whole life, regardless of the circumstance. Above is a dream in which Amir depicts himself as a monster, dragging his devoted best friend Hassan into the depths of the grey and dark lake, killing him. This demonstrates Amir's overwhelming guilt, which weighs him and his life decisions and continues to plague

Read More

What Does The Bear Symbolize In The Kite Runner

1037 Words | 5 Pages

Firstly, one of the story’s most prominent symbols is the blue kite, which serves to illustrate the intricacy of the relationships between the characters as well as the themes of betrayal and forgiveness. When Amir observes Hassan being raped by Assef after chasing the kite at

Read More

Betrayal In The Kite Runner

1063 Words | 5 Pages

This is his kite.’ ‘A loyal Hazara. Loyal as a dog,’ Assef said” (Hosseini 72). Even while cornered by Assef and his minions, Hassan only thinks about bringing the kite back to Amir. He believes Amir deserves it and will do anything to make it happen.

Read More

The Kite Runner Cleft Lip Analysis

958 Words | 4 Pages

Although, he tries to justify this thought to make himself feel better, because the real reason he allowed the rape to happen was he wanted the blue kite. He believed the kite would prove that he was a winner like Baba was. The he had to price for the kite was Hassan to ultimately to gain Baba’s affection. Amir has never been able to fly a kite since, although after he redeems himself in Afghanistan, where he stands up for himself now kites are no longer a symbol of guilt, but rather a reminder of his childhood. This is apparent

Read More

The Theme Of Redemption In 'The Kite Runner'

726 Words | 3 Pages

Although, Amir shows many acts of kindness and selflessness, in the end, he was not able to truly redeem himself. To begin, Amir started his journey to redemption with conviction and confession although he was not very successful. The guilt bothered Amir very often even in his adulthood when he believed he had been denied “fatherhood for the thing [he] had done.” (188) Almost immediately after Amir watched Hassan get raped he believed he had done something wrong. He believed he could not have children with Soraya because he did not help Hassan, but he does not confess until more than fifteen years later.

Read More

Symbols In The Kite Runner

1413 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the symbol of the kite represents the dynamic and ironic nature of Amir and Hassan’s friendship as well as the internal and external conflict surrounding protagonist Amir. The image of two fighting kites demonstrates the opposing personalities and statuses of the boys as well as Amir’s internal struggle regarding his desertion of Hassan. The graceful movements of the kite plague Amir’s previously serene childhood memories with regret and guilt because he is unable to separate the joy from the pain. In addition to the emotional agony associated with it, the kite also causes physical pain.

Read More

The Kite Runner Betrayal Essay

688 Words | 3 Pages

In The Kite Runner, the author tells a story of the close friendship of two boys who come from different social classes, Amir being the wealthy boy and Hassan the servant. It takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1978, a time where the separation of Hazara Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims took place. A part in the book where we witness betrayal of their friendship and this division of culture is after the yearly kite tournament where Hassan goes after the kite Amir won and promises to bring it back to him. During his search for the kite, Hassan encounters Assef and his friends, who constantly bullied Amir, threatened Hassan to give up the kite or pay the price. Being that Hassan was loyal and wanted to keep his promise to Amir, he decided to pay the price which was rape.

Read More

More about Theme Of Betrayal In The Kite Runner

Related Topics

Open Document