...Between Fear and Selfishness According to psychology today, fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger. Selfishness on the other hand is the act of putting your own needs and desires at the expense of others. Selfish behaviour is a direct result when facing fearful events in an individual’s life. As fear takes over and an individual is out of his or her comfort zone, one may resort to selfish behaviours in an attempt to regain control and suppress their fears. Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner exemplifies the relationship between fear and selfishness through the actions of the characters. Both Amir and Assef display the relationship between fear and selfishness through Hassan’s rape, Amir’s attempt to strengthen his relationship with Baba, and Amir’s plot to get rid of Hassan. The relationship between fear and selfishness is shown through Assef and his actions through the raping of Hassan. “His well-earned reputation for savagery preceded him on the streets. Flanked by his obeying friends, he walked the neighbourhood like a Khan strolling through his land with his eager-to-please entourage. His word was law…” (Hosseini, 41). Assef, being the typical neighbourhood bully, is used to being the subject of fear for others and is always in a position of...
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...This man flew into burning builds and crossed dangerous roads. Is this man truly brave? In Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, several characters demonstrate profound bravery. In their course to redemption, the characters find that to obtain their redemption, they will need to overcome challenges. In these situations, the characters profess instantly actions of bravery. Amir, the protagonist,travels on a long, painful journey to find atonement for his childhood sins which lead to his acts of bravery. Baba, Amir’s father, works on redeeming his preceding sins by giving a helping hand to people in his life. These actions develop his character of bravery. In The Kite...
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...The Kite Runner Final Essay AG Novel A literary work conveys a compelling story specific to its time and place. Additionally, a memorable one explores issues and themes (universal truths) that are important, and timeless, for all readers. Keep this in mind as you think about each essay prompt. A convincing essay will include direct citations from the novel, commentary and use of scholarly analysis. Visit the Gale Digital Library, accessible from the Venture website (password: venture) to search for support. Additionally, use MLA format for your essay and utilize correct citations. Questions taken, in part, from the Khaled Hosseini Foundation curriculum. 1. Writer and human rights activist Isabel Allende writes of The Kite Runner: “This is one of those unforgettable stories that stays with you for years. All the great themes of literature and of life are the fabric of this extraordinary novel: love, honor, guilt, fear, redemption.” Which of these major themes resonates the most with you? Choose one to focus on and show how author Khaled Hosseini communicates this universal truth through characters, plot development and use of symbols. 2. In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. In a wellorganized essay, explain how a violent scene in The Kite Runner contributes to the meaning of the complete work. Apply the concept of an extended metaphor to discuss the political and social portrait of Afghanistan. 3. Leo Tolstoy once wrote...
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...In my view The Kite Runner is an epic story with a personal history of what the people of Afghanistan had and have to endure in an ordinary every day life; a country that is divided between political powers and religiously idealistic views and beliefs which creates poverty, and violence within the people and their terrorist run country. The story line is more personal with the description of Afghanistan's culture and traditions, along with the lives of the people who live in Kabul. The story provides an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political chaos. Of course there are many things that are unsaid and under explained in this tragic novel which, in my observation, is an oversimplification. There is also a heavy use of emotional appeal, and an underlying message. This is a flag for propaganda. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini begins in the 1970s in Kabul, Afghanistan, when the country is in a time of an ending monarchy. The main character, Amir, is the son of wealthy Afghanistan business man, and his playmate, Hassan, the son of his father's houseman, Ali. Hassan is a Hazara and Amir is a Pashtun, which makes them from different social classes. The author has undoubtedly stirred my emotions and I admit that I did cry several times. I think that this was the author's objective; this is an appeal to emotion, one of the fallacies of propaganda. Propaganda is a message or an idea that persuades the audience to change their perspectives in one way or another...
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...The Kite Runner Psychoanalytic criticism was first founded and developed by Sigmund Freud. Freud’s theories were mainly sexual deriving from the libido which is a colloquial term for the sex drive. Freud has many theories which are based on sexuality. One of his many theories includes the theory subconscious mind. This theory states that the ego is divided into three sections, the id, the ego and the superego. The id is the mind’s more primitive and impulsive part of the ego, where are the super ego is where all of our morals and values are placed. The ego is the part of the subconscious mind which mediates between the two. When making decisions we make them based on these two parts of our subconscious mind. Freud believed that the subconscious sexual drives were the bases for all human behavior, and that dreams were an important indicator for understanding human behavior. The kite runner is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini, which first takes place in the city of Kabul located in Afghanistan. It’s a story about a man who is named Amir who reflects on his past as a child in Afghanistan. Amir lived with his father, and his servants, ali and Hassan During that time period was a caste system in Afghanistan which was in place. Amir and his father were Pashtu, which is considered “pure” afghan. They were placed much higher than their servants Ali and Hassan who were Hazara. After a kite flying competition that Amir and Hassan attended together, Amir saw Hassan getting...
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...In my view The Kite Runner is an epic story with a personal history of what the people of Afghanistan had and have to endure in an ordinary every day life; a country that is divided between political powers and religiously idealistic views and beliefs which creates poverty, and violence within the people and their terrorist run country. The story line is more personal with the description of Afghanistan's culture and traditions, along with the lives of the people who live in Kabul. The story provides an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political chaos. Of course there are many things that are unsaid and under explained in this tragic novel which, in my observation, is an oversimplification. There is also a heavy use of emotional appeal, and an underlying message. This is a flag for propaganda. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini begins in the 1970s in Kabul, Afghanistan, when the country is in a time of an ending monarchy. The main character, Amir, is the son of wealthy Afghanistan business man, and his playmate, Hassan, the son of his father's houseman, Ali. Hassan is a Hazara and Amir is a Pashtun, which makes them from different social classes. The author has undoubtedly stirred my emotions and I admit that I did cry several times. I think that this was the author's objective; this is an appeal to emotion, one of the fallacies of propaganda. Propaganda is a message or an idea that persuades the audience to change their perspectives in one way or another...
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...Simrat Sangha Ms. Hommen ENG3U0 December 7, 2014 In the novel, “Kite runner” by Khaled Hosseini the childhood of a small town boy by the name of Amir unfolds, when we realize that he lives under a shadow of guilt. He grows up, changes and is affected by his environment –whether that is Afghanistan or California. Transforming into a portrait of an immensely likeable and dominant character. After proving himself honorable when he makes up for his mistakes, overcomes his fears and acknowledges his misdeeds. Amir is a credible protagonist as he took the recognition to become a better person and seek redemption for all his mistakes. Although at first he tried to bury his sins by forgetting the past and living in the present day America, he was called home with an unexpected opportunity to work towards forgiveness. “There is a way to be good again…Rahim Khan had said on the phone just before hanging up, said it almost as an after thought.” (Hosseini, 202) Amir’s opportunity to be “good again” appears unforeseen, when suddenly returning to Afghan seems like the only way to atone for his sins now. He seeks out for Hassan’s orphaned son, Sohrab as he risks his life in order to rescue him. Through saving Sohrab’s life in a way, Amir has saved his own. “Been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.”(Hosseini, 1) This is a little teaser in the beginning of the book that hints an event that has largely defined the course of Amir’s life ever since. This foreshadows...
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...Throughout the course of Amir's life, he made choices based on jealousy, fear, and guilt, and allowed his life to be regret and shame until he finally seeks forgiveness. Forgiveness plays an important part in The Kite Runner. Hassan had forgiven Sanaubar after she abandoned him when he was only a few days old. Hassan had forgiven Amir many times for acting like a coward. Amir goes on a journey seeking forgiveness by raising Sorab as his own child. Hassan had forever given Sanaubar after abandoning him when he was only a few days old. Hassan took her in, and treated her as if nothing had happened since she left when he was just a baby. Hassan himself has...
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...The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a beautifully written story about the life of one Afghani boy's struggle from riches to rags and finding the truth about people in general. The story is about two boys growing up in pre- Soviet and Taliban Afghanistan. Amir is a Sunni or the privileged class; Hassan is Shi'a, which is the lowest minority. Even still the two boys, grow up together as brothers. Until one horrible incident changes everything. The Kite Runner is a story about love, guilt, truth, and redemption. Amir grows up as the only son of a WEALTHY MAN in Kabul where life is rich and full of possibilities prior to the Soviet invasion. His father Baba is disappointed in the bookish, non-athletic child he must raise. Amirs' playmate Hassan, a Hazara servant seems to have more of Baba's respect than Amir. Baba's love for Hassan and his disappointment in his own son drive Amir to taunt and abandon Hassan, even though he loves him more deeply than even he himself knows. Amir, burdened by jealousy, can't come to his friend's aid when he brutally raped, not even on the most glorious day of their childhood when together they claim the kite-fighting title. When the Russian army invades, Amir and his father flee to the United States. Amir grows up poor and in a different land, but with the same Afghanistan culture. He marries, goes to college, while wondering what happened to his childhood friend, the one he betrayed. As time marches on, Amir loses his father and is summoned to Pakistan...
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...himself. For example cruelty is used as a fear inducer or to put the protagonist/main characters in his place along with other characters. an example is well off into the book after revisiting Afghanistan. Amir sees a dead body while driving by an area not too far from Kabul. This is a demonstration of cruelty and the Taliban's gain of power during the novel's timeline in the story. Not only will cruelty strike fear in any onlookers it makes people selfish and backstabbing, not wanting to be at the end of the stake. The way Amir the narrator commits cruelty is through inaction. Not only did he ignore his best friend/servant in need of help, he ran off and never mentioned it. Feeling too guilty to deal with such regret he forced his friend,...
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...e Runner begins with our thus-far nameless protagonist explaining that the past cannot be forgotten. A single moment in time defined him and has been affecting him for the last twenty-six years. This moment was in 1975 when he was twelve years old and hid near a crumbling alleyway in his hometown of Kabul, Afghanistan. When the protagonist's friend, Rahim Khan, calls him out of the blue, he knows that his past sins are coming back to haunt him even in the new life he has built in San Francisco. He remembers Hassan, whom he calls "the harelipped kite runner," saying "For you, a thousand times over." Rahim's words also echo in his head, "There is a way to be good again." These two phrases will become focal points for the rest of the novel and our protagonist's story. Chapter Two The protagonist remembers sitting in trees with Hassan when they were boys and annoying the neighbors. Any mischief they perpetrated was the protagonist's idea, but even when Hassan's father, Ali, scolded Hassan, he never told on the protagonist. Hassan's father was a servant to the protagonist's father, Baba and lived in a small servant's house on his property. Baba's house was widely considered the most beautiful one in Kabul. There Baba held large dinner parties and entertained friends, including Rahim Khan, in his smoking room. Though the protagonist was often surrounded by adults, he never knew his mother because she died in childbirth. Hassan never knew his mother, either, because she eloped with...
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...The Kite Runner The Kite Runner is a great tale about betrayal and redemption, in the novel, the author uses diction to portray the theme through symbolism and through suspense, these elements help tell the tale of betrayal and redemption. In the first few chapters, Amir’s cowardice leads directly to the betrayal of Hassan. When is forced to stick up for the both of them, the cost is much higher then if Amir would of stuck up for both of them, leading to the rape of Hassan. Amir could of said something to Assef, telling him to leave them be, as Amir is pashtan and pashtans are a higher majority in Afghanistan, instead, Hassan being Hazara, the leading minority in their country, which are treated as servents and slaves, is forced to take action. Assef’s racism towards Hazaras is compared to Hitler and the jewish, showing immediately how his hate towards hassan is much greater then his hate towards Amir. When Hassan sticks up for them, the cost is much higher because of his racial minority. “Assef gritted his teeth “Put it down you motherless Hazara” (Hosseini 45) Amir’s cowardice is shown through fear as he thinks about his relationship with Hassan, thoughts of betrayal ponder his mind even before the rape. “But he’s not my friend! I almost blurted, He’s my servent!” (Hosseini 44) As Amir thinks of future encounters, He also fears for his safty, and Hassans, because he knows that Hassan will not always be able to save them with his slingshot. “Certin that Assef...
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...We make choices every day, such as what to wear to school or what to have for breakfast. Some of the choices that we make are bad, while others are good. As we know, usually, good choices lead to good consequences and bad choices lead to bad consequences. Throughout the novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini has demonstrated the consequences of choices that are made through his characters. The first choice that indicates that choices have consequences was when Baba slept with Sanaubar, Ali’s wife. The next choice was when Amir hid his money and watch under Hassan’s bed. And the last, was Amir’s choice of not helping Hassan as he was getting raped. The first choice that leads to a consequence was Baba’s choice of sleeping with Sanaubar, Ali’s wife. After Baba slept with Sanaubar, the result was Hassan. Baba did this because, ``Ali was sterile`` (pg 243). The first reason that this was a bad choice was because; Baba was never able to treat Hassan as his son. Every time Baba tried to show some compassion towards Hassan, Amir would get jealous. For example, when Baba got a plastic surgeon to come over from India to fix Hassan’s harelip for his birthday, Amir got jealous because he thought that Hassan’s scar was the reason of Baba`s attention, “It wasn’t fair. Hassan hadn`t done anything to earn Baba`s affections; he`d just been born with that stupid harelip. `` (pg 50). Another consequence from Baba sleeping with Sanaubar was; Baba, Ali and Rahim Khan had to keep this a secret...
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...Forgiveness is a necessary part of human existence, although it is rarely easy to give, and sometimes hardest to give to ourselves. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini illustrates how humans have the tendency to dwell on past mistakes. As the novel progresses, the reader comes to a conclusion that is not one action, but a serious of actions that creates the characters personality and characteristics. As a child Amir longed for his father's affection and forgiveness for taking his mother's life after giving birth to him. ”Then I'd bring it home and show Baba. Show him once and for all that his son was worthy. Then maybe my life as a ghost in this house would finally be over"(Pg.56).Amir knew he had to do something courageous and honorable to earn his father's forgiveness, he had to win the upcoming kite tournament. Amir felt by winning the kite tournament Baba would finally see him in a better light. He wanted to make Baba so proud that'll he'd forget about the disappointments he brought. "All I saw was the blue kite. All I smelled was victory” (Pg. 65). Amir was right, Baba was finally proud. Together they began to do more activities, Baba even began calling him Amir Jan. But the closer they became the farther him and his closest friend, Hassan, grew apart. Amir and Hassan were inseparable growing up. Minus the fact Hassan was Amir's servant, both loved and trusted one other. "For you a thousand times over," he said. Then, he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around...
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...Research Paper on “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini Introduction: The international best-selling novel, The Kite Runner was first published in 2003 by Riverhead Books, written by the Afghan-born American novelist and physician, Khaled Hosseini. He was born into a Shia family in Kabul, and later on in his life when the family moved to Paris because of his father’s occupation, Hosseini’s family was unable to return to Kabul due to the bloody Saur Revolution; hence they had to seek political asylum in the United States. Being as young as he was, roughly 11 years of age, the actions of his home country must have left an impression on him. It is such a great read because among many other themes such as betrayal, redemption, bullying, inhumanities of revolution, discrimination, loyalty, hypocrisy, horrors of rapes etc. the main focus of this story is of a man who is haunted by his past demons. We see in some of the opening lines of the novel, “I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975… That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out.” These opening lines gets the ball rolling on what is to come and to be expected from the story, of possibly an aged man who is looking back at the past and justifying how it has made him the way that he is to date. The setting vividly takes place in the disorderly country of Kabul, Afghanistan...
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