The Kite Runner Analysis

The quotation, found on page 1, is narrated by Amir, the narrator and main character of The Kite Runner. Amir says that he has learned that it’s wrong that people say that you can forget the past since its memories constantly come back. He looks at his situation and realizes that he has been remembering the deserted alley (where he watched Hassan get rapped) for the last twenty six years of his life. The quotation occurs at the beginning of the book where Amir gives us hints at the major drama of the story and the reason behind telling it by talking about his past and how did his life change. This quote provides an example of theme and underlying truth in the novel. It functions as a mystery to the reader. It moves the reader’s interest without showing exactly what Amir is talking about, and from Amir’s mention: twenty-six years; the reader gets an idea of how important this moment was. Through the story, we realize that the deserted alley Amir refers to is where Hassan was raped, and that this event has largely effected and changed Amir’s life. This is what Amir means when he says that the past continues to claw its way out. He tries to bury it but is unable because his feelings of guilt keep arising. As a result; he nonliterally continues peeking into the alley where Assef raped Hassan, meaning that he keeps going over the event in his mind. This explains one of the novel’s themes: regret and redemption.

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The quotation, found on page 24, is narrated by Baba. It is similar to what Malcolm X said: Baba was talking to Rahim Khan about his confusion with Amir after seeing Hassan taking Amir’s revenge from Assef, not him talking his revenge himself, and other actions that lead to him saying this about his son. Baba describes Ami...

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...dice. For instance, if the fear of being hurt by Assef was the main reason he ran, Amir thinks that it would have been more acceptable and reasonable for him to run from fear of getting hurt. Instead, he actually allowed the rape to happen because he really wanted the blue kite, which he believed would evidence to Baba that he was a winner like him, receiving him Baba’s love and approval. The price of the kite, as Amir says, was Hassan, and this is why Amir calls Hassan the lamb he had to slay to get the kite. In this situation, Hassan was the sacrifice Amir had to make to get the kite and ultimately to gain Baba’s affection. This shows how Amir is a selfish person who only cares about his benefits. This quote also shows how Amir wants to strengthen his relationship with Baba and gain his attention highlighting the theme of son and father relationships in the novel.