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Kite runner themes - Coggle Diagram
Kite runner themes
Betrayal
The betrayal of a loyal friend by a wealthier, more corrupt “master” is recurring
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The central betrayal comes when Amir watches and does nothing as Hassan, who has always stood up for Amir in the past, gets raped by Assef.
Amir learns that Baba also betrayed his own best friend and servant – Ali, by fathering Hassan
Amir, who had always hero-worshipped Baba, is shocked to learn of his father’s flaws.
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demonstrate the change in Afghanistan from a trustworthy country to one that would inform the enemy on each other
Kabul changes and people like Zaman are forced to betray each other to survive in the war stricken Afghanistan.
Redemption
Amir’s greatest struggle was to redeem himself to Baba for “killing” his mother during childbirth, and for growing up a disappointing son
After Hassan’s rape, Amir spends the rest of his life trying to redeem himself for his betrayal of his loyal friend. This ultimately culminates in Amir’s return to Afghanistan
Baba tries to redeem his adultery through his many charitable activities and strong principles in later life
Amir is also able to find a kind of redemption in his bloody fight with Assef, and his adoption of Sohrab.
Hosseini subtly connects these personal quests for redemption to Afghanistan itself. Despite its violent and corrupted past, Hosseini hopes for a redemption for his country someday.
One of the symbols of redemption, or gaining freedom from sin is the kite fight. Amir hopes that it will redeem him in the eyes of his father
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Amir fails to stand up for himself. As an adult, he can only redeem himself by proving he has the courage to stand up for what is right.
Violence
Rape occurs several times as the ultimate act of violence and violation that drastically changes the lives of both the characters and the country
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There are more peripheral instances of rape it is implied that Kamal was raped by soldiers, and Baba saves a woman from being raped by a Russian soldier
The rape of Sohrab is never shown, but it reflects Hassan’s horror and his role as a “sacrificial lamb
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after many violence free but guilt filled years in America Amir returns back to the violent ridden Afghanistan
the Kite Runner utilizes violence to set the tone and setting towards a darker, more depressing atmosphere
Amir learns of more violence; the Taliban’s murder of Hassan and his wife which is important to the theme and tone, as Hassan’s ethnicity was connected in a symbolic way to the discriminatory attacks on Hazaras by theTaliban
Politics and Society
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The Soviet War in Afghanistan interrupts Amir’s peaceful, privileged life and forces him and Baba to flee
It is the Taliban that give Assef an outlet for his sadistic tendencies, and it is this political state that facilitates Amir’s final meeting with Assef and his redemptive beating
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Ali and Hassan are Hazaras considered inferior, though Hosseini makes it clear that Hassan is Amir’s equal and in many ways morally and intellectually superior
In Amir’s recollections of his childhood, we see the calm state of Kabul during the monarchy, the founding of the republic, and then watch as the Soviet invade
The establishment of the republic gives Assef an opportunity to harass Amir,
Amir’s mission to save Sohrab and his redemption by confronting Assef, subtly implies that Afghanistan will similarly have its own redemption one day.
Family
The most important relationships in The Kite Runner involve fathers and their children, usually sons.
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Baba also had to hide his natural affection for Hassan- He feels guilty treating Amir well when he can’t acknowledge Hassan as his son.
the relationship between Soraya and her father General Taheri becomes important. As a girl the independent Soraya had rebelled against her strict, traditional father
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The father/son relationship then becomes a principal part of Amir’s redemption and growth, as he tries to rescue him from Assef and adopt him
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Gender
Hosseini and Soraya comment on the double standard that Afghan society holds for women and men. Men are forgiven for being promiscuous or flirting, but women will be shamed and gossiped about for life.
Rahim Khan takes the role of pushing back against the questionable choices both men make. He can take this role because he occupies the same social position
There may be very limited representation of women in the novel, however woman play a vital role to Hosseini's novel.
The Kite Runner focuses nearly exclusively on male relationships- Hassan and Amir though constant companions, Amir’s superior social status causes a power difference between them
Centered around the male's role in Afghan society. There is an absence of input from woman, which reinforces the lack of women's rights.
The role of women in the novel are to show women are shifting from their culture's traditions and creating a new social norm for themselves