"The Kite Runner"

What is the context and how did that influence the work?

The Kite Runner is the first novel to be written by Khaled Hosseini. The novel was published in 2003. The novel is set in the mid-1900’s in Kabul, Afghanistan. Like his following works, Hosseini focuses on telling the stories of Afghan - Americans over a large course of time, typically at pivotal points in Afghan history.

This particular novel follows Amir, a young Pashtun boy from a wealthy district in Kabul. He is friends with Hassan, a Hazara that is the son of Ali, Amir’s father’s servant. The novel begins with the two boys flying kites in Kabul. Amir flies the kite while Hassan runs the kite’s thread for him. When Hassan isn’t doing that, he is expertly chasing down kites that have fallen down from the sky after kite flying tournaments.

On one particular occasion, Amir and Hassan were in a local kite-flying tournament. The tournament was coming to a close with just Amir’s kite and another kite only in the air. With a sudden twitch of his hand, Amir’s kite sends his opponent’s kite down in a spiral. As was the tradition with kite flying tournaments, the runner of the kite would try to find the kite and bring it back to the kite flier. In all other times, Hassan has done this expertly and comes back to Amir with his opponent’s kite. This time was different. Amir noticed that Hassan was taking to long so he went out to find him. Amir ended up finding him in an alley being raped by Assef, a local bully who made fun of the Hazara children. Amir could have stayed and tried to help his friend, but, instead he ran back home. The rest of this part of the novel tells of how the friendship between Amir and Hassan dissolves and eventually comes to the point that Hassan and Ali both leave the residence.

Part two and three of the novel tells of how Amir learns that Hassan was his brother but has now passed away. This and that fact that Hassan saw Amir the day that he was raped is revealed to him through a letter after he returns to Kabul after living in America for a very long time. Upon returning, he learns that Hassan has a son that needs to be taken care of. The remained of the novel tells of what Amir does to get custody of his nephew and to bring him back home with him to the United States.

What is the artist communicating and how?

The novel was written to show the relationships that exist between parents and their children. Amir never knew that Hassan was his brother until it was very late. This was also due to the fact that Amir’s father did not tell him that Hassan was his brother. Amir’s father treated both boys equally, loving them both unconditionally. This was shown when before a kite flying tournament Amir’s father took him and Hassan to buy new kites. Hassan was quiet and easily please and settled on a modest kite. Amir, on the other hand, chose an extravagant kite to buy. Amir’s father saw this and instead bought both boys the kite that Amir had picked out, proving that though Hassan does not know that he and Amir share the same father, they will both be loved in the same way.

Why do you find it beautiful?

This book is definitely one of my favorite books. As of now, I have read both his first and second novel and am in the middle of reading his third. However, from what I have read so far, I am not enjoying it that much. Both his first and second novel were far more interesting and held my attention more. This may be because both the first and second novel were told in third person. The third novel is also told in third person, however, it switches between characters. Normally, I like these types of books because I like to know what the other characters are also thinking, but his third novel does a poor job of stating whose point of view the chapter will be from.

I love the story that is being told in The Kite Runner. The story is unique and interesting and captures and holds the reader’s attention. When I first read the book, I read it in the course of one sitting because I was so intrigued by the events that were unfolding in the novel and I couldn’t bear to put the book down. I loved each and every second of it. I just recently reread the novel for this project and I still had the same reaction to it. Moved and in awe. Hosseini does an incredible job to make the readers feel as if they personally know the characters with the way he tells their stories. Each bit of information draws the reader more and more into the novel and they can’t help but be interested in the deliberate and unique writing style of Hosseini.