The Kite Runner

In his novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini develops the themes of guilt, redemption, and healing in the aftermath of betrayal. A young Afghan boy yearning for his father Baba’s undivided attention and love, Amir watches as his friend and servant Hassan gets raped by neighborhood bully Assef. Despite moving to the United States after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Amir is unable to escape his guilt about his betrayal of Hassan. He later returns to Kabul to rescue Hassan’s son Sohrab, his nephew, from Assef, a sadistic and pedophilic leader of the ruling Taliban. After legal difficulties and Sohrab's attempted suicide, Amir manages to bring Sohrab safely home to San Francisco where he and his wife Soraya would raise him as their own.

The universality of The Kite Runner is present in Rahim Khan’s statement that “There is a way to be good again (Hosseini).” The timelessness and universality of personal failings or sin makes this theme of redemption and healing an important topic for discussion. Hosseini does justice to the complexity of guilt, as he shows Amir living on past the event, though still living under the shadow of the alley. Once innocent, Amir was thrust into adulthood by the thrusting of Assef’s hips. Much like Amir’s jealousy of Hassan was a gradual process that led to a climactic event, Amir’s path to redemption was also gradual. Only when Assef is beating him, when “[his body was broken]” does Amir finally “[feel] healed (Hosseini)."

"There is a way to be good again." -Rahim Khan

The Kite Runner addresses the critical thinking, global perspectives, and Christian elements of the general education objectives. Its discussion of guilt, redemption, and healing are within a different cultural perspective than our own, that of Islam rather than a Christian view. When we think critically about this novel, we should ask ourselves about our own path to redemption, cleansing, wholeness. Does our path differ from Amir’s? Would our healing just involve repentance and faith, or would it also involve rescue and freedom, as Amir’s did? Amir’s redemption involved action, would ours? Despite the different culture in the book, it is possible to even read some Christian imagery into it. Through his self-sacrifice and the breaking of his body, Amir is able to earn redemption for Sohrab, how had been in the clutches of evil. If it is difficult to comprehend Amir’s sacrifice and selflessness, how much more so is Jesus’ death on the cross!

My personal connection to this novel is part of the reason why I chose it. While growing up in West Africa, I had several friends who were Muslim. As younger children, we did not really discuss religion much and were content to play together during recess. Growing older, I realize that I never really learned much about their religion or their community of faith. The Kite Runner allowed me to gain something of a deeper knowledge about both Islam as well as Afghani culture. After the events of September 11, 2009, it was easy to vilify Afghanistan as a whole. By reading The Kite Runner, I have a respect for that nation and do not have those same prejudices.

Works Cited:

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York City: Riverhead Books, 2003.

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