An Important Symbol in the Kite Runner: The Pomegranate Tree
The Importance of the Cultural Setting on the Plot in The Kite Runner
The cultural setting in The Kite Runner is crucial to the plot of the story. Many of the conflicts in the story whilst Amir was in Afghanistan arose from the cultural setting. In the novel, Amir and Hassan spent most of their childhood in the 1970’s in Afghanistan, at a time when there was racial prejudice. Hassan encountered much racial discrimination because of his ethnicity as a Hazara and this injustice gave rise to conflict between Hassan and the community, Amir and Hassan, and internally within Amir.
The cultural setting created conflict between Hassan and the community of Kabul. Hassan was disrespected, harassed and he was a victim of poverty. In Chapter 2, a soldier called out to Hassan referring to him disparagingly, “leering”, saying “You! The Hazara! Look at me when I’m talking to you!” (Hosseini, 7) The soldier then openly spoke about having sex with Hassan’s unfaithful mother, Sanaubar, in front of him. This vulgar act, to say the least, affected Hassan as he cried throughout a movie they later watched in the cinema. Hassan was also commonly called various names by other people in the community in a derogatory fashion. This was solely due to his ethnicity as stated by Amir “…people called Hazaras mice-eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys. I had heard some of the kids in the neighbourhood yell those names to Hassan.” (Hosseini, 10) Hassan also faced poverty due to his ethnicity. Hassan’s house was miniscule compared to Amir’s even though they were brothers, as shown by “…the servant’s home, a modest little mud hut where Hassan lived with his father.” (Hosseini, 6) Hassan was also harassed by Assef, the neighbourhood bully. Assef first preached about ethnic cleansing and how the Hazaras should be removed as they polluted the Pashtun country. After the kite competition, Hassan ran the last kite. Assef then gave Hassan a choice to give up the kite or to be “taught a lesson”. Hassan remained loyal and was brutally raped which lead to the main conflict in the story: Amir’s search for redemption. The cultural setting can therefore be credited with creating conflict between Hassan and the community as shown by the disrespect, harassment and poverty Hassan met in Afghanistan.
The cultural setting generated conflict between Amir and Hassan. The racial discrimination in the community led to much tension and divide between Amir and Hassan. Assef forced Amir to separate himself from Hassan or to suffer the same fate Hassan did. Assef said “How can you call him your ‘friend’? ... If idiots like you and your father didn’t take these people in, we’d be rid of them by now. … You’re a disgrace to Afghanistan.” (Hosseini, 44) Assef attempted to persuade Amir that Hassan wasn’t worth it; Hassan was just a Hazara. When Amir saw Hassan in the alley, he was forced to separate himself from Hassan, as at the time, the choice was simple for a Pashtun boy: sacrifice a Hazara and save yourself. After the kite fighting competition, Amir was looking for Hassan. Amir asked a merchant for directions and he was reluctant to answer, given that Hassan was Hazara and Amir was Pashtun. The merchant said “What is a boy like you doing here at this time of the day looking for a Hazara? … What is he to you? … Lucky Hazara. His father should get on his knees, sweep the dust at your feet with his eyelashes.” (Hosseini, 74)This showed the racism the people in the community had towards the Hazaras. This had an impact on Amir’s thoughts and actions as he was influenced to leave Hassan to the brutality of Assef, thinking “He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (Hosseini, 82) After the kite fighting competition, tension grew between Amir and Hassan. They hardly ever spoke or played together as they used to. This uneasiness between them was due to the choice Amir had made which was influenced solely by the racism and ideals of the community. The cultural setting therefore caused conflict between Amir and Hassan as shown by their encounters with Assef and the street merchant.
The cultural setting also initiated much internal conflict within Amir. Amir struggled to choose between his friendship with Hassan and Baba’s love. Throughout the book leading up to the kite fighting competition, Amir was a faithful friend to Hassan: they spent much time together and Amir rarely considered Hassan’s status as being a Hazara. When Assef was going to assault Amir, he almost proclaimed “But he’s not my friend! … He’s my servant!” (Hosseini, 44) Although Amir often acknowledged the racial divide when problems arose, he valued his friendship with Hassan, admitting Hassan was like a brother to him. Amir often behaved like a cat; as soon as danger appeared he ran and fled for his own safety. This influenced his decision to intervene with Assef’s harassment and Amir ultimately chose Baba’s love instead of his loyalty and friendship with Hassan. At the time, Amir saw Hassan as an acceptable sacrifice but Amir later experienced guilt and regret as a result of his actions. This led to the main conflict in the story: Amir’s search for redemption. Amir struggled to redeem himself to Hassan and only felt he had atoned to his sins near the end of the book where he was nearly beaten to death saying “My body was broken … but I felt healed. Healed at last.” (Hosseini, 303) The cultural setting therefore caused internal conflict for Amir as shown by his thoughts, decisions and struggle to redeem himself.
The plot of The Kite Runner whilst Amir is in Afghanistan is characterized by the cultural setting of the story. Many conflicts arose due to the cultural setting. These included discrimination between Hassan and the community, tension between Amir and Hassan, and internal conflict for Amir. Therefore, the cultural setting of The Kite Runner was crucial to the plot of the story.
The cultural setting created conflict between Hassan and the community of Kabul. Hassan was disrespected, harassed and he was a victim of poverty. In Chapter 2, a soldier called out to Hassan referring to him disparagingly, “leering”, saying “You! The Hazara! Look at me when I’m talking to you!” (Hosseini, 7) The soldier then openly spoke about having sex with Hassan’s unfaithful mother, Sanaubar, in front of him. This vulgar act, to say the least, affected Hassan as he cried throughout a movie they later watched in the cinema. Hassan was also commonly called various names by other people in the community in a derogatory fashion. This was solely due to his ethnicity as stated by Amir “…people called Hazaras mice-eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys. I had heard some of the kids in the neighbourhood yell those names to Hassan.” (Hosseini, 10) Hassan also faced poverty due to his ethnicity. Hassan’s house was miniscule compared to Amir’s even though they were brothers, as shown by “…the servant’s home, a modest little mud hut where Hassan lived with his father.” (Hosseini, 6) Hassan was also harassed by Assef, the neighbourhood bully. Assef first preached about ethnic cleansing and how the Hazaras should be removed as they polluted the Pashtun country. After the kite competition, Hassan ran the last kite. Assef then gave Hassan a choice to give up the kite or to be “taught a lesson”. Hassan remained loyal and was brutally raped which lead to the main conflict in the story: Amir’s search for redemption. The cultural setting can therefore be credited with creating conflict between Hassan and the community as shown by the disrespect, harassment and poverty Hassan met in Afghanistan.
The cultural setting generated conflict between Amir and Hassan. The racial discrimination in the community led to much tension and divide between Amir and Hassan. Assef forced Amir to separate himself from Hassan or to suffer the same fate Hassan did. Assef said “How can you call him your ‘friend’? ... If idiots like you and your father didn’t take these people in, we’d be rid of them by now. … You’re a disgrace to Afghanistan.” (Hosseini, 44) Assef attempted to persuade Amir that Hassan wasn’t worth it; Hassan was just a Hazara. When Amir saw Hassan in the alley, he was forced to separate himself from Hassan, as at the time, the choice was simple for a Pashtun boy: sacrifice a Hazara and save yourself. After the kite fighting competition, Amir was looking for Hassan. Amir asked a merchant for directions and he was reluctant to answer, given that Hassan was Hazara and Amir was Pashtun. The merchant said “What is a boy like you doing here at this time of the day looking for a Hazara? … What is he to you? … Lucky Hazara. His father should get on his knees, sweep the dust at your feet with his eyelashes.” (Hosseini, 74)This showed the racism the people in the community had towards the Hazaras. This had an impact on Amir’s thoughts and actions as he was influenced to leave Hassan to the brutality of Assef, thinking “He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (Hosseini, 82) After the kite fighting competition, tension grew between Amir and Hassan. They hardly ever spoke or played together as they used to. This uneasiness between them was due to the choice Amir had made which was influenced solely by the racism and ideals of the community. The cultural setting therefore caused conflict between Amir and Hassan as shown by their encounters with Assef and the street merchant.
The cultural setting also initiated much internal conflict within Amir. Amir struggled to choose between his friendship with Hassan and Baba’s love. Throughout the book leading up to the kite fighting competition, Amir was a faithful friend to Hassan: they spent much time together and Amir rarely considered Hassan’s status as being a Hazara. When Assef was going to assault Amir, he almost proclaimed “But he’s not my friend! … He’s my servant!” (Hosseini, 44) Although Amir often acknowledged the racial divide when problems arose, he valued his friendship with Hassan, admitting Hassan was like a brother to him. Amir often behaved like a cat; as soon as danger appeared he ran and fled for his own safety. This influenced his decision to intervene with Assef’s harassment and Amir ultimately chose Baba’s love instead of his loyalty and friendship with Hassan. At the time, Amir saw Hassan as an acceptable sacrifice but Amir later experienced guilt and regret as a result of his actions. This led to the main conflict in the story: Amir’s search for redemption. Amir struggled to redeem himself to Hassan and only felt he had atoned to his sins near the end of the book where he was nearly beaten to death saying “My body was broken … but I felt healed. Healed at last.” (Hosseini, 303) The cultural setting therefore caused internal conflict for Amir as shown by his thoughts, decisions and struggle to redeem himself.
The plot of The Kite Runner whilst Amir is in Afghanistan is characterized by the cultural setting of the story. Many conflicts arose due to the cultural setting. These included discrimination between Hassan and the community, tension between Amir and Hassan, and internal conflict for Amir. Therefore, the cultural setting of The Kite Runner was crucial to the plot of the story.
The Three Most Important Quotations in The Kite Runner
“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. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” (Hosseini, 1)
This quote is written in Chapter 1, just as the book begins. I believe this is the most important quote in the book as it states the main idea; Amir was trying to forget the day of the kite fighting competition where Hassan was raped and he just stood by. His failure to forget this painful memory is evidently shown by “…it’s wrong what they say about the past … how you can bury it.” This day was clearly very important and Amir regretted his actions, or lack of action, as he revisited this unforgettable day many times as shown by “I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” This foreshadowed what came in the next few chapters, since the quote refers to the day Assef harassed and raped Hassan. This quote also personified the past, stated by “Because the past claws it way out.” Besides giving an image of Amir’s past, this also showed me how Amir viewed his past as something vicious and potentially dangerous or upsetting. Despite its relevance to the plot and its literary components, this quote also piqued my interest as a reader. After reading this, I was very intrigued to learn what Amir saw in the alley twenty-six years before. I then read vigorously through the preceding chapters until my questions were answered. This showed Hosseini’s ingenious and effective talent as a writer to instantly captivate the reader’s in The Kite Runner.
“For you a thousand times over.” (Hosseini, 2, 71, 204, 252, 319, 391)
This quote is a motif as it is repeated throughout the novel. Near the beginning of the book, Amir and Hassan participated in the kite fighting competition. They cut down the last kite and Hassan ventured off to retrieve it. Amir then called out to Hassan telling him to retrieve the kite and Hassan faithfully replied “For you a thousand times over”. This represented Hassan’s unrequited love and faithfulness to Amir. Amir failed to return this loyalty when he left Hassan to fend for himself against Assef and the other neighbourhood bullies. Later on in the novel, Amir journeyed back to the damaged Afghanistan to save Sohrab, Hassan’s son. Sohrab was Amir’s reparation to make amends with his guilt. The quote finally came full circle when Amir later uttered these exact words to Sohrab, returning the undying love Hassan had given to him 20 years earlier. I particularly enjoyed this quote as it showed that even in a time of oppression, Hassan’s loyalty was sincere, not forced. These words definitely evoked a feeling of cheerfulness for me when Amir finally returned the love to Hassan through Sohrab. The quote’s importance was therefore shown by its repetition throughout the book and its significance in symbolising Hassan’s loyalty and Amir’s search for redemption.
“There is a way to be good again.” (Hosseini, 2, 203, 238)
This quote is also a motif. In Chapter 1, Rahim Khan says this to Amir on the phone, almost in passing like an afterthought. This was definitely a ‘teaser’ as I was intrigued by what Amir had done that required salvation to make amends. As a reader, this sparked my interest in the novel from the very beginning on page 2. In Chapter 14, Amir comes to the decision that he will venture to Afghanistan for one or two weeks. Amir thinks about Rahim Khan’s words and he repeats them to himself “A way to be good again.” (Hosseini, 203) These words motivated Amir to go to Afghanistan and compensate for his actions in his early life. In Chapter 18, Amir discussed his thoughts about what Rahim Khan said. He examined his tarnished image of Baba and this led to Amir having second thoughts about being in Afghanistan. Thanks to these words, Amir was able to refocus his efforts to staying alive and rescuing Sohrab by repeating them to himself. Without these wise words from Rahim Khan, Amir may have lived the rest of his days with guilt and emptiness. Therefore, this quote is important as it led to the resolution of the main plot; Amir’s search for redemption. I particularly liked this quote because of its inspiration. It states that there is always something that can be done to redeem ourselves, even if our mistake is something as harsh as leaving our brother to fend for himself in some of the most helpless and darkest moments of his life.
This quote is written in Chapter 1, just as the book begins. I believe this is the most important quote in the book as it states the main idea; Amir was trying to forget the day of the kite fighting competition where Hassan was raped and he just stood by. His failure to forget this painful memory is evidently shown by “…it’s wrong what they say about the past … how you can bury it.” This day was clearly very important and Amir regretted his actions, or lack of action, as he revisited this unforgettable day many times as shown by “I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” This foreshadowed what came in the next few chapters, since the quote refers to the day Assef harassed and raped Hassan. This quote also personified the past, stated by “Because the past claws it way out.” Besides giving an image of Amir’s past, this also showed me how Amir viewed his past as something vicious and potentially dangerous or upsetting. Despite its relevance to the plot and its literary components, this quote also piqued my interest as a reader. After reading this, I was very intrigued to learn what Amir saw in the alley twenty-six years before. I then read vigorously through the preceding chapters until my questions were answered. This showed Hosseini’s ingenious and effective talent as a writer to instantly captivate the reader’s in The Kite Runner.
“For you a thousand times over.” (Hosseini, 2, 71, 204, 252, 319, 391)
This quote is a motif as it is repeated throughout the novel. Near the beginning of the book, Amir and Hassan participated in the kite fighting competition. They cut down the last kite and Hassan ventured off to retrieve it. Amir then called out to Hassan telling him to retrieve the kite and Hassan faithfully replied “For you a thousand times over”. This represented Hassan’s unrequited love and faithfulness to Amir. Amir failed to return this loyalty when he left Hassan to fend for himself against Assef and the other neighbourhood bullies. Later on in the novel, Amir journeyed back to the damaged Afghanistan to save Sohrab, Hassan’s son. Sohrab was Amir’s reparation to make amends with his guilt. The quote finally came full circle when Amir later uttered these exact words to Sohrab, returning the undying love Hassan had given to him 20 years earlier. I particularly enjoyed this quote as it showed that even in a time of oppression, Hassan’s loyalty was sincere, not forced. These words definitely evoked a feeling of cheerfulness for me when Amir finally returned the love to Hassan through Sohrab. The quote’s importance was therefore shown by its repetition throughout the book and its significance in symbolising Hassan’s loyalty and Amir’s search for redemption.
“There is a way to be good again.” (Hosseini, 2, 203, 238)
This quote is also a motif. In Chapter 1, Rahim Khan says this to Amir on the phone, almost in passing like an afterthought. This was definitely a ‘teaser’ as I was intrigued by what Amir had done that required salvation to make amends. As a reader, this sparked my interest in the novel from the very beginning on page 2. In Chapter 14, Amir comes to the decision that he will venture to Afghanistan for one or two weeks. Amir thinks about Rahim Khan’s words and he repeats them to himself “A way to be good again.” (Hosseini, 203) These words motivated Amir to go to Afghanistan and compensate for his actions in his early life. In Chapter 18, Amir discussed his thoughts about what Rahim Khan said. He examined his tarnished image of Baba and this led to Amir having second thoughts about being in Afghanistan. Thanks to these words, Amir was able to refocus his efforts to staying alive and rescuing Sohrab by repeating them to himself. Without these wise words from Rahim Khan, Amir may have lived the rest of his days with guilt and emptiness. Therefore, this quote is important as it led to the resolution of the main plot; Amir’s search for redemption. I particularly liked this quote because of its inspiration. It states that there is always something that can be done to redeem ourselves, even if our mistake is something as harsh as leaving our brother to fend for himself in some of the most helpless and darkest moments of his life.
Psychoanalysis Lens for Amir
Connecting Suli Break’s video “Why I Hate School But Love Education” with a quote by G.K. Chesterton
“Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.”
― G.K. Chesterton
Both the video and the quotation show education is not necessary to be successful. At the beginning of his video, Suli Breaks identified several people (Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey) that are monetarily successful and did not complete their secondary education. They were his proof to substantiate his statement that education is in many ways unnecessary. The quote by Chesterton states the same such idea; “Literature is a luxury”. Literature, taught in schools, is not required to be successful or “educated”, as said by Suli Breaks. For example, stories along with the knowledge and wisdom they possess can be presented through word of mouth instead of literature. Therefore both the quote and the video indicate that schooling facilities are not necessary to be successful.
Suli Breaks said “I’m not saying that school is evil and that there is nothing to gain, all I am saying is understand your motives and reassess your aims.” Here he emphasizes the fact that one must put great focus and thought into their aspirations. Fiction is anything fictitious or “made up”. Extending this definition, it can be said that a goal or dream is fiction as well. In order to achieve an objective, one must first have a reason and a goal. This goal is a necessity to be successful and therefore fiction is a necessity as well. Thus Chesterton’s words supports Suli Breaks’s message of the importance in realizing what one’s goal is and why they want to achieve it.