Half-Way Post

Half-Way Post

So far the Kite Runner has been a very intriguing read, full of conflict and genuinely interesting characters with complex emotions. Perhaps most notable is the complexity of the relationships between all the characters, how our main character, a privileged, reserved, Pashtun boy hailing from a powerful and wealthy family, is best friends with an unfortunate, poor Hazara boy hailing from a family which works for our main character. This stark contrast being so close together offers a very interesting dynamic between the two. Not only that, but both of them have lost their mothers, and depend on one another, posing as sort of replacement parents for each other. These similarities again make for an interesting dynamic between the two, and really drives the point home that they are best friends.

 The story's setting is in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, at the very beginning of the coup of the monarchy. This setting is extremely important to the story and is the reason for many of the events which occur. One of the main reasons for that is the racial divide that existed in Kabul at the time, the divide between the Pashtun and the Hazara. More interestingly, Amir is a Pashtun, and Hassan is a Hazara, the Pashtuns normally would discriminate against the Hazara, so having the main character and his best friend be of these two opposite parties, only has effect thanks to the setting of a racially divided place like Kabul during that period. The fact that the setting has the characters in a period where Kabul was about to endure a coup, becomes relevant around the fifth chapter: “Huddled together in the dining room and waiting for the sun to rise, none of us had any notion that a way of life had ended.” (p. 36)  In this quote, Amir, Hassan and Ali are hiding from the gunfire they can hear outside, the quote signifies the beginning of the coup of the monarchy, and the end of life as Amir knew it in Kabul, everything would change from that point on and he knew it. This event is what causes Amir and Baba to flee to America.

While reading through this portion of the book, one central theme became rather apparent, and that theme is the desire for redemption, mainly from the main character. He feels guilt for many things that he wishes to fix. His mother died giving birth to him, and he feels at fault for killing her, He left Hassan and didn't help him in the alleyway “That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” He even feels as though he needs to redeem himself in his fathers eyes, that was the reason he started Kite Flying. Perhaps a rather radical connection, is one to my favorite film; "Rocky". The central theme of the film is Rocky proving to everyone and most importantly to himself that he can redeem himself and "go the distance" with the champion Apollo Creed. This desire for validation is what drives Rocky to fight the World Heavyweight Champion, despite being barely a pro boxer himself. There is a powerful scene where Rocky comes home to Adrian (his girlfriend) seemingly having given up saying "I cant beat him". But it is shortly revealed that his conviction is strong as ever, that his dream of self respect, of self redemption, is still very much alive and prominent"If I can go that distance as soon as that bell rings and I'm still standing, I'm gonna know for the first time in my life you see, that I wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood".