The Kite Runner Symbolism Essay

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The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is a novel portraying a young boy named Amir which takes place in 1975 in Kabul, Afghanistan. As a child, he mistreats his servant, Hassan, who resembles a brother. After failing to intervene in Hassan's rape, Amir lives with guilt until his late thirties when redemption for the guilt of his past presents itself. Amir's father’s old friend, Rahim Khan, called from Pakistan to summon Amir. Upon his arrival, Amir learns that Hassan is his illegitimate half-brother and that Assef murdered him, rendering his son an orphan. Through drastic lengths, Amir attempts to find and retrieve Hassan's son, Sohrab. During his return to Afghanistan, Amir faces the guilt of his past and finds peace with himself while saving Sohrab from the war torn country of Afghanistan. Through an abundance of symbols, themes, and irony, The Kite Runner …show more content…

Kites not only symbolized Amir's guilt towards Hassan, but also symbolized Amir's connection with Hassan's son, Sohrab. Hassan's cleft lip symbolizes Hassan's place in society, and eventually symbolizes how Amir had become part of Hassan. Lastly, the lamb symbolized the slaughter of Hassan's and Sohrab’s innocence. Continually, themes also convey the deeper meaning of relationships between the characters. Baba and Amir's relationship also displayed the struggle of a father's inability to equally treat his sons. The theme of a father and son relationship also demonstrates the length a child will go to earn his father's approval. Furthermore, Amir's search for redemption reveals his deep regret for his betrayal of Hassan and shows how he is able to overcome his guilt. Lastly, through the literary device of irony, Hassan's son, Sohrab, carries out the statement he made many years before his birth. Therefore, The Kite Runner describes Amir's battle with his inner self through many symbols, themes, and

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