The Kite Runner

To me, no book can compare to The Kite Runner. Khaled Hosseini has a way with words that can draw you in immediately until the very last page. For once, I read a book that I could relate to because I know what it feels like to be betrayed by a friend. Despite the fact that Hosseini’s work is difficult and overwhelming at some points, I never once felt any reason to stop reading. I was transfixed by every word, theme, and chapter. Everything seemed to be so true and lifelike, not a work of fiction. Hosseini was able to effectively portray the importance of family, friendship, and redemption. Hosseini deftly intertwined betrayal, sin, redemption, discrimination, and most importantly kites into his main ideas. Each of these themes coincided with one another and described the main protagonist, Amir, at one point or another. The kites signified the bondage of brotherhood between Amir and Hassan that they were not able to experience anywhere else. Amir never felt as close to anyone as he felt to Hassan at the very moment they were flying kites. They were able to work as a team as opposed to other instances where Amir patronized Hassan.

Ever since the kite tournament, Amir and Hassan became two very different people. Amir not only betrayed Hassan, but he also managed to kick him out of his house forever. The relationship between Amir and Hassan changed from a friendly one to a rocky one. Amir never fully treated Hassan as his friend and only became more distant. Every time he saw Hassan he was reminded of Hassan’s rape and his inability to stop it. Perhaps things could have been different if Amir knew that Hassan was his brother and if he had the courage to stand up for him before he was raped. After that point onward, Amir was at his lowest point and wanted nothing to do with Hassan. This was the turning point in the novel because the friendship really did take a drastic turn for the worst.

“For you, a thousand times over.” After seeing Amir finally say that at the end of the book, I felt a sense of closure because Amir was able to move on from the guilt of betraying Hassan. That was the cherry on the top moment for me. Amir was repaying his sins and for once he was the kite runner like Hassan. In order to keep his memory alive, Amir ran after the kite, but more importantly he ran after a dream and a memory that would remain in his heart forever. By running after that kite, Amir finally felt free and was able to redeem himself in the process. His friendship with Hassan was the most important thing in his life, and he failed to realize it until Hassan was gone.