The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a story about a boy named Amir who feels like he has to compete for his father's love with Hassan, the servant boy. Hassan was oblivious to the competition as he considered Amir a friend and never a rival. Ironically, Hassan loved Amir more than he did himself. This is all seen in the event that takes place in the winter of 1975.

In the winter of 1975, a Kite Tournament was held in the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, the district in which Amir lives. Amir knows that the only thing he and his father have in common is the love they have for kites. Amir participates in the tournament with Hassan as his kite runner. He wins the tournaments and Hassan goes after the last fallen kite. When it starts getting dark, Amir panics and goes looking for Hassan. When he finally finds him, Hassan is surrounded by a group of boys about to attack him in the alley. Amir thinks of doing something but he just watches. Amir allows Hassan's suffering in exchange for the kite.The kite which Amir professes is the key to his father's heart.

After witnessing what had happened, Amir feels guilty and begins pushing Hassan away. However, Amir could not avoid Hassan. (As he mentions, Hassan was everywhere, in the food he made ready, the clothes he ironed….) Even though it is implied that Hassan knows about Amir's betrayal, he is never harsh towards Amir. This is also a chance for Amir to redeem himself but Amir does not take it, at least not now. This time Amir's guilt leads to something even worse. Amir falsely accuses Hassan of stealing his properties. Hassan again pays the price. Hassan falsely admits to stealing Amir's possessions. This is the last sacrifice Hassan makes and also the last time Amir was ever going to see Hassan.

Many years later, after Amir and his father moved to the US due to political instability in Kabul, he gets a phone call from Pakistan. This is when he decides on who he wants to become. This is when Amir gets a chance to redeem himself from his past actions.

He goes back to Afghanistan to save a boy, Hassan's child from the horrible life he has in Kabul. He now doesn't care about what would happen to him. He receives several beatings to save the boy. He, nonetheless, was happy and started laughing as the beatings went stronger, he thought he deserved it. He says that he was always looking forward to this, (receiving his punishment )since the winter of 1975: his redemption.

"I hadn’t been happy and I hadn’t felt better, not at all, but I did now. My body was broken—just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later—but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed."

A lot can be learnt from this book. It is important to understand how the choices we make could impact people. Amir's choice to betray Hassan, almost cost Hassan his life, his job and his family. Hassan would have been able to escape the cruelty of the Taliban because by then Hassan would have already moved to the US with Amir and his father and years later Hassan's child would have grown up like any other child. This small decision Amir made negatively affected Hasan and his family.

Amir's choice to make way to redemption saved a life. Amir saves the boy and in doing so transforms from an inconsiderate child into a selfless man. It can also be understood that something good can come out of something bad. His past actions made way for a self-sacrificing Amir. It was because of his mistakes that he went back to Kabul to save that boy and in doing so healing from all the things he used to be.

"Inside each of us there is the seed of both good and evil; the power of choosing between those is within the reach of all."