The Kite Runner: Reoccurring Theme Of Sacrifice

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“No idea can succeed except at the expense of sacrifice; no one ever escapes without enduring strain from the struggle of life.” These words by Ernest Renan perfectly describe the reoccurring theme of sacrifice spread across the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Throughout the novel, the varied use of sacrifice shows that not only is sacrifice important, but it is also vital. One of the first and most prevalent uses of sacrifice is sacrifice to assist other people through difficult situations or decisions. When Amir tells Baba he wants to major in writing instead of becoming a lawyer or a doctor, Baba proudly announces “Baba is going to be a great writer… He finished his first year and earned A’s in all of his courses” (Hosseini …show more content…

Baba was happier in Pakistan, but he moves to America knowing it is the right move to keep Amir and himself safe. When Amir questions Baba’s motives by saying “You were happier there, Baba,” Baba retorts with “Peshawar was good for me. Not good for you” further displaying Baba’s sacrifice to keep Amir happy (Hosseini 129). Even though Baba would be much happier back in Pakistan, he sacrifices his own desires for the most important person in his life, his son. If Amir and Baba had stayed in Pakistan, they would eventually have to face the Taliban and be required to move out anyways, or worse, be injured or killed. After Amir is in America for a while, he feels great remorse for the wrong he had done to Hassan and is determined to make things right. In the process, Amir sacrifices his higher class in an attempt to please Sohrab, a low class Hazara. When Amir cut the opposing kite with Sohrab, he asks Sohrab if he can run the kite and says “For you, a thousand times over” (Hosseini 391). Instead of acting like he is above Sohrab because he is a Hazara, he embraces the class difference and uses the famous quote from Sohrab’s Dad who Amir had done wrong several years

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