At this point in the novel, several issues and themes on
life have been portrayed and explored. Of the following, which theme
(themes) would you consider to be most important/most explored? Explain
why, citing evidence from the text itself.
1. Role of books, literacy
2. Friendship, guilt & redemption
3. Relationship between Fathers & Sons
4. Coming of Age (becoming an adult/"man")
5. Resilience of the human spirit
6. Man's inhumanity to man
7. Discrimination, prejudice, bigotry, class structure
1. Role of books, literacy
2. Friendship, guilt & redemption
3. Relationship between Fathers & Sons
4. Coming of Age (becoming an adult/"man")
5. Resilience of the human spirit
6. Man's inhumanity to man
7. Discrimination, prejudice, bigotry, class structure
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ReplyDeleteAt this point in the novel I believe that the theme of the story is friendship, guilt and redemption. Through out this novel we hear a lot about the friendship of Amir and Hassan. This friendship becomes to have a troubles when Amir doesn't help Hassan in the alley when he was getting beat up by a trio of guys. Amir feels guilt after not helping Hassan get away from the trio. Amir took the guilt with him when he went over to the United States to start a better life, and get away from the violence in Kabul. After Rahim Kahn gets a hold of Amir, Amir thinks he is able to reconnect with Hassan and talk to him about what happened many years ago. After Amir arrives to Afghanistan he finds out that Hassan and his wife have passed away. Amir is trying to redeem himself by taking care of Hassan and his wife's son. This theme plays off of the friendship of Amir and Hassan and what happened many years ago.
ReplyDeleteOf all the listed themes, I believe that two of them stand out among the rest. Throughout the book, there are constant allusions to each of the themes; however, “friendship, guilt & redemption,” and, “Discrimination, prejudice, bigotry, class structure” take a huge role. To begin with, the very first chapter gives insight to something that has happened in the past leading to huge amounts of guilt. So almost instantly we are drawn in by this man’s history and how he can become “good again.” The guilt and redemption are not just in Amir’s story, but also in Baba’s story. Although the author does not let on until near the end of the book, there has been a whole other story focused on Baba and his past doings. Including how Hassan was actually Amir’s half brother. Baba’s story is the guilt he feels for Ali, and for his dead wife. He hoped to redeem himself through raising Hassan not as a Hazaran servant, but as a member of the family. The greater part of the book is trained on Amir’s childhood and the guilt he feels for mistreating Hassan. He believes that the best way he can atone for his actions is by saving Sohrab. He specifically states, that there was no possibility of him leaving Afghanistan without the boy.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of discrimination that took place in Afghanistan is astonishing. It seemed that constantly someone was making a point of why a Hazara was far less than a Pashtun. In the first few chapters, Hassan and Amir are ambushed by Assef and his cronies. In the confrontation Assef points out that Hassan is worthless simply because of whom he was born as. Even Amir faces the challenge of trying to understand how he felt towards Hassan. As a child he wanted to be able to call Hassan his friend, but something was always nagging at him to say that the relationship was servant and master. I do believe that at the end of the book, Amir truly overcomes the prejudice in his own heart because he would do anything o save Hassan’s son.
Both of these major themes are displayed in large amounts throughout the entire novel. The friendship and redemption is so easy to relate to, because almost everyone has experienced some sort of need for redemption. The Kite Runner forces us to look at friendship and guilt in a whole new light through two different stories. In America it is very easy to relate to the discrimination and prejudices, because despite the nearly seventy years of freedom, we still battle racism. This novel doesn’t even have to try to go out of the way to display the deep rooted prejudice of the Pashtuns.
At this point in the book the most important theme is friendship, guilt and redemption. Amir goes back to Afghanistan to see Rahim Khan before he passes. While he's there, Rahim gives him a letter from Hassan talking about Hassan's life considering Hassan and Amir have not communicated in a long time. In the letter, Hassan writes "I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you." When Amir finally came back to Kabul, he comes to find out his old, faithful friend was shot in the back of the head by the Taliban. After reading the letter and finding out he has been shot Amir thinks of a time to his childhood. Amir was always a little bit jealous of Hassan because Baba treated him like his own and did not give Amir the extra attention he wanted. Now that Hassan is dead, I think Amir feels guilty about his childhood and not communicating with him after he left for America. Hassan never felt anger towards Amir after framing him for stealing and not helping him in the alley and because of this Amir feels guilt because he did not treat Hassan fairly. Now Amir tries to redeem himself by returning to Afghanistan to see Rahim, but to also help Hassan and Farzana by finding their son Sorhab. This theme displays friendship through Hassan and Amir's childhood, guilt through Amir's actions, and redemption through the act of Amir coming to Afghanistan to see Rahim and to find Sorhab.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the most explored theme in the novel would be Amirs friendship, guilt, and redemption. I think this because throughout the book the moments when friendship, guilt, or redemption came up they were either big points in the novel or turning points in the novel.
ReplyDeleteFriendship is one of the biggest parts of the novel. It is one of the biggest parts because it seems that everyone is connected to everyone through friendship throughout the novel. It starts off with Amir and Hassan and then goes into Ali and Baba and now it is at the point where it is Rahim and Amirs friendship. Friendship connects many people in the story and it shows how close all of them were to each other.
Guilt is another major part in the novel. Guilt is more of a turning point in the novel rather than being a focal point. Guilt is a turning point in the novel because when Amir does not help Hassan while he was being sexually assaulted, Amir lives with guilt well into his twenty's. After Amir did not help Hassan many things went wrong due to Amirs guilt. Amir tries to frame Hassan and his father, it does not work but Hassan and Ali eventually leave the house. Amir goes to America and Hassan writes Amir letters but Amir never receives them, later in the novel in chapter 17 Rahim gives Amir one of those letters, and Amirs reaction was guild and sadness.
Redemtion is the final "big thing" in the novel. Ever since the sexual assaulted incident Amir has been trying to redeem himself. Yes many times Amir tried to just get over what happened and put it behind him but no matter what Amir was trying to redeem himself to Hassan. In chapter 18 Amir finds out that both Hassan and his wife were killed in Kabul while protecting Baba's house. With them both dead that meant that Sohrab, Hassans son, was left without any parents. Amir believed that he owed it to Hassan to find Sohrab.
I believe that throughout the whole novel friendship, guilt, and redemption where the most explored part in what has made up the Kite Runner this far. Without those three key parts in the novel, there would be no suspense, foreshadowing, or excitement.
I believe that all of the themes listed have been portrayed and explored throughout the novel but some have a bigger impact than others. One theme that really stuck out to me has been friendship, guilt, and redemption. Up to this point of the book, the whole book has been based off mainly this theme. Amir and Hassan have a friendship, Amir has a lot of guilt after seeing Hassan raped, and now he wants to get redemption and make up for what he didn't do when he was younger. On page 239 to 240 when Amir was staying the night at Wahid's house and had a dream that he was the one that was holding the rifle up to Hassan and pulling the trigger showing how much guilt he had in all of the things that he had done and what he had failed to do for Hassan.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme that I thought has stood out throughout the book so far is the theme of relationship between father and sons. Throughout the book, Amir has been wanting acceptance from his father like Baba accepted Hassan. Recently, in chapter seventeen, the book reveals that Baba is actually Hassan's dad and that is why Baba has given him so much throughout the years. Amir then realizes that him and his father are alike after all, Baba never told anyone that he was Hassan's father because it would ruin his reputation with the town, and Amir did not tell anyone about Hassan getting raped because he thought Baba wouldn't accept him.
I believe that the most explored theme of this book would be the theme of friendship, guilt and redemption. Through out this story, it talks about how in the winter of 1975, Amir's life had changed. Amir had witnessed his friend, Hassan, being assaulted in an alleyway, and Amir did nothing to try and save his friend. Amir feels guilty because he did not even try to save Hassan. Amir could have stood up to the people assaulting Hassan. He could have saved Hassan, or he would have suffered the same assault that was happing to Hassan, and that is what stopped Amir from helping Hassan.
ReplyDeleteAfter 20 years of living in America, Amir is called back to Pakistan by an old friend named Rhaim Khan. Rhaim says that he knows how he can get redemption for what happened back in the winter of 1975. This gives Amir a chance to make up for the mistake he made back on that day and a chance to be rid of the guilt he still had to this day. Rhaim asks Amir to go and fetch Hassan's child who is in an orphanage in Kabul due to the fact that Hassan and his wife were killed by the Taliban. Rhaim says that this is Amir's chance to be good again and make up for what happened that day in the alley. Amir does this all in the hopes that he can be at peace with what happened that day in the alley and can finally let go of the guilt he has been holding onto for so long.
One of the most important themes the Kite Runner has I would say is Friendship, guilt, and redemption, the reasons why is Amir still has struggled the past thirty eight years to stick up for his long lost friend Hassan. You can tell Amir still likes Hassan just is trying to avoid him rather than take action and make things right between Hassan and him. But when he finally has the courage to meet with Hassan he is to late. Hassan was shot and killed along with his wife. Now with guilt Amir decides to go to Kubul and find Hassan kid to try to make things right between Hassan, his brother, in order to “become good again”.
ReplyDeleteAnother important theme in this book would be relationship between Father in Son. As revealed in Chapter 18, Amir and Baba our more alike than they ever expected, they have both betrayed Hassan and Ali, they had both kept their secrets, like Hassan being Baba’s son, and Amir not sticking up for Hassan when he was sexually assaulted. Amir had said earlier in the book “all I want to do is make my father proud of me” and he never really understood that his father was truly proud of him, in my option, just that Amir and Baba were different. Those are the two themes I believe are the most important in the book the Kite Runner this far into the book.
The thing that I thing this the biggest thing in the book is about the relationship between Fathers and Son. In in there culture it is huge that the father and son has a great relationship. It was a big thing for a father and his son to go fight kites. But when the war state they band kite fighting. That takes a lot way from a father and son. Like in the book when Farid and Amire were driving down the steer in a tiny village there was a great bicycle repairman He played the table well too. The Taliban killed him and his family and burned the village down were they called home. Or like when Amir and his father were fighting kites and his father would not like be with Amir when he was little and would not give him the time of day. But when Amire won the kite fighting torment and he looked up at the build and his father was there throwing his arms up in there air that his boy just won the torment that made them become more together than before. That is what I thing the father and Son relationship is so big in this novel.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the big picture of the book "The Kite Runner" is friendship, guilt and redemption. In the book Amir and Hassan are best friends, and Hassan would do anything for Amir. " For you a thousand times over" Hassan would do anything for Amir and never let Amir get into trouble and would always take the blame. Amir then let Hassan down when he got jumped by Assef in the alley way. After the accident Amir felt ashamed for not helping Hassan, he was a coward. Amir said "I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me."
ReplyDeleteAmir had to redeem himself to Hassan and to Baba, but didn't know how. After Hassan and Ali left Baba and Amir moved to California. The years went by but that same old feeling of guilt never left Amir. Rahim Khan came and told him that "there is a way to be good again" , Amir soon learned that Hassan and his wife were shot and killed by the Taliban. Sohrab, Hassan's son was put into an orphanage in Kareh-Seh. It was Rahim Khan's dying wish that Amir redeem himself, and his fathers sins and go find Sohrab and bring him back to the United States.
I believe that the theme in the novel is friendship, guilt and redemption. I believe this because earlier in the novel Amir witnesses Hassan get attacked and raped in an alley. Amir does nothing but just watch and look on. Amir had to live with the guilt that he did not step up and try to save Hassan from being raped. Later on in the novel Amir almost tries to get Hassan to beat him up because he feels like he deserves it for not helping Hassan when he was getting attacked. Amir did not help Hassan when he needed it the most. Amir later goes to America for many years. When he comes back to Afghanistan he finds out the very shocking news that Hassan has passed away. Amir has always felt guilty about the incident in the alley. So he tries to make up for it my caring for Hassan's son. I think guilt is the most significant theme because of the incident that happened in the alley. This incident plays a huge role in the novel.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are two very good themes that are playing out in the book right now. Those two themes would have to be Friendship, guilt & redemption, And Coming of age. Theses themes both play out in the book and do it very well.
ReplyDeleteOn page 224 to 227 Amir is thinking about a lot of things. He just found out that Hassan and his wife have been killed by the Taliban and Hassan's son, Sohrab, was taken to a orphanage in Kabul. He is upset with himself for not being able to be there for Hassan when he needed it and he is blaming himself, but as he is thinking he said something in his own thoughts. He states "There is a way that I can be good again, A way to end the cycle. With a little boy. An orphan. Hassan's son. Somewhere in Kabul." Once he says that he knows that he can make up for everything he had done to Hassan physically and emotionally. So with that Amir sets off to go return Sohrab for Hassan. That itself is a good way the theme friendship, guilt & redemption comes into play in this book. Amir is trying to gain the respect from Hassan he had lost earlier in the book so he decides to risk his life and go on an adventure to get Hassan's only living child, Sohrab.
The second theme I thought of was Coming of age. This theme basically means becoming an adult/man.In the beginning of the book Amir was never really able to stand up for himself and others around him. Baba always thought that Amir would grow not being able to take care of himself. Later in the book Amir returns to Pakistan and has a talk with Rahim. As they were talking Rahim brings up a quote that Baba once told Rahim and now he is telling Amir. Rahim says "A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up for anything." Amir thinks about the thought long and hard and eventually storms out the room and goes for a walk to calm down. as the book is coming to an end I can see that Amir is slowly changing for the better and he is starting to grow up and actually become and "Man".
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ReplyDeleteI think the most important theme at this point I the novel is relationship between father and son. Throughout this book the main focus was Baba and Amir. In the beginning Amir was wanting to make his dad proud like he did when he won the kite tournament. Amir wants to be just like his dad. Another big theme to this story is Friendship, guilt & redemption. The story started out with the friendship of Hassan and Amir. Hassan said that he would do anything for Amir but when the group of boys were beating him up Amir didn't help. As the story went on Amir still felt guilty about not helping and being their for Hassan when he needed him. Then later in the novel the guilt comes back to Amir when Hassan dies. Then the redemption part comes into it when he tries to make up for it by caring for his son. Therefore, father and son relationship and Friendship, guilt & redemption are the most important themes of the story.
ReplyDeleteI believe the important theme at this point in the book are friendship, guilt and redemption. Throughout the book it talks about how Amir's life has changed in America. Amir had witnessed his friend being assaulted in the ally, and he didn't do anything to stop it, he also took the gilt with him to America because he thought running away would be the best option. After 20 years Amir receives a phone call from Rahim Khan and says he knows a way to make everything better. He says he needs to go get Hassan's kid in the orphanage. Since Hassan and his wife were killed by the Taliban it give Amir the chance to make everything right again. he hopes he can find Hassan child and hope that he will not have any gilt anymore, he wants to do the right thing, because that is what Hassan would have wanted.
ReplyDeleteI believe the important theme at this point of the book is friendship, guilt and redemption. Amir's life changed once he left Afghanistan and moved to America. Amir watched his best friend get brutally raped by older boys and he stood right there and didn't do anything about him. Amir has so much guilt because he didn't do anything to stand up for Hassan. He wants Hassan to forgive him so some of the guilt can go away. 20 later Amir gets a phone call from Rahim Khan, he tells Amir what has happened and that Hassan's kid needs a place to live. Amir has the chance give back to his best friend and help him out, because he never got the chance before.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important theme in the novel is the friendship, guilt, and redemption because of all the connections between them. Hassan was a friend to Amir, but Amir did not treat him like that he treated him badly. Also guilt is another large portion of the novel because that is the biggest reason Amir goes to Pakistan to see Hassan. Then figures out that Hassan has been taking care of Baba's house all those years. The redemption shows that Amir is going to do his best to find Sohrab and bring him to Pakistan so he is safe. pg.216-218 The letter to Amir before he died makes Amir feels worse and more guilty about the whole situation with the Taliban. That is what causes Amir to go save his half brother Sohrab.
ReplyDeleteI believe the main idea of the book is Friendship, guilt & redemption because throughout the book Amir and Hassan have kind of a love hate relationship because they bicker and Amir feels ashamed of what happened to Hassan and Amir hasn't said anything about it. And so I think Amir feels guilty because he knew about it and didn't say anything but he truly wants to make things right and tell Hassan what really happened and what he saw. Another theme is the relationship between father and son because Amir wants to make his father proud by winning the kite thing and bring home his trophy but what Baba really wants is for Amir to grow up and become a man and stick up for whats right.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest theme throughout this book is friendship, guilt, and redemption. I believe the big theme is friendship, guilt, and redemption because there are many different times throughout this story that there are tight friendship bonds. Amir and Hassan are close friends and they hold a true bond. They do everything true friends should do, but then there is a turning point in the story. Amir wins kite fighting and Hassan goes to catch the kite, along the way Hassan gets himself into some trouble. Amir comes upon the fight in the alley and he feels guilty about his decision but he chooses not to help Hassan out at all. Another time Amir feels guilty is when he puts the money and watch under Hassan's mattress to make Baba mad at Hassan. Amir makes some pretty poor choices throughout the story so far, and right now Amir has a big guilt trip on his shoulder because he just found out that Hassan has died and he just read the letter Hassan has written to him. This story has many themes, but I believe the biggest theme is friendship, guilt, and redemption.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest theme in the book is friendship, guilt, and redemption. There is a lot going on with friendship because Amir use to consider Hassan a friend, Amir would read to Hassan and play with him, they were as close as brothers. But when it came to the incident in the alley with Assef, Amir questioned if they actually friends. Guilt because after the day in the alley, Amir felt guilty for just standing there and doing nothing, which Amir avoided Hassan because of the guilt, in the end it ruined their friendship. Redemption because Amir can redeem himself with Hassan. Amir just found out that Hassan is his half brother who had a son. Since Hassan was murdered by the Taliban, Amir has to go back and safe Hassan's son which he will hope with lift the guilt off his shoulders.
ReplyDeleteThe most important themes in this book are friendship, guilt and redemption. I believe friendship was an important theme, because Hassan is a good friend towards Amir. He stands up for Amir when Assef insults them. The quote on page 42 "Hassan held the sling shot pointed at Assef's face was describing how brave and loyal he was to Amir. This also shows their friendship towards each other, because he wanted Amir to know that even in the difficult times he was still there for him no whatever what. He also tells Baba he stole Amir's watch even though he didn't. Another way they showed friendship towards each other was from the quote on page 92. "I hit him with another pomegranate, in the shoulder this time,. The juice splattered his face. "Hit me back." This quote is saying even though Amir kept throwing pomegranates at Hassan, Hassan wouldn't hit Amir back. instead he would smash it against his head. This shows that not matter what Amir did to him he would never do something like that to him, because that's how much he cared about him.
ReplyDeleteThe second most important theme in this book was guilt. After witnessing Hassan being rapped, Amir does not know how to deal with his guilt. instead he tries to make himself feel better by ignoring Hassan. He is also being meaner to him and accusing him of stealing his money and watch. However, none of these actions lessons his guilt. He carries the guilt around him for the next twenty six years. Amir also does not tell Hassan about what he saw happen in the alley.
The last theme I find to be very important is redemption. When Rahim Khan calls Amir he tells him "There is a way to be good again." (page 192) Amir finds redemption by putting his own life in danger to save Sohrab from Assef.
The theme, I believe, is most important is relationship between fathers and sons. Throughout The Kite Runner, it is based on Amir's relationship with his father. From the beginning of the story we knew all Amir wanted to do was to make his dad, Baba, happy. Baba is not a bad father to him, but I believe sometimes he does not treat or appreciate Amir the way he should. For an example, Amir should not have to keep saying in the book, "all I want to do is make my dad proud of me." Also another example was the lie from Babe to Amir about Hassan. Although Amir was very upset, I personally believe there was a good reason for keeping it a secret for so long.
ReplyDeleteAmir has made mistakes throughout his life, but they only make himself a better person because he learns from them. Amir is following every step Baba takes, and he wants to be like his dad. The relationship between father and son should be like best friends but letting Baba be more controlling over Amir. Amir is a good son and Baba is a good father, it is now just the part of making them both happy to be with each other.
In the book "The Kite Runner", there are three important themes that make the book very life realistic. The first one is "Friendship, guilt of redemption". The main theme of the book is about the main character Amir feeling guilt for not standing up for his best friend Hassan. Amir watched how Hassan was being raped, but Amir was too scared to do something. This decision will affect negatively Amir’s conscious for years. The second theme and the most important is "Discrimination, prejudice, bigotry, class structure". This theme plays a big role in the book. Pashtuns and Hazaras are the two social groups in which Pashtuns have almost absolute domination over Hazaras. Amir being a Pashtun and Hassan a Hazara both create conflict by just being friends. Social class it is also one of the reasons Amir did not stepped to help Hassan when being raped. Amir thought Hassan was just a Hazara who could sacrifice himself to bring Amir and Baba closer together. Even kids like Aseef, who rapes Hassan are being taught discrimination and prejudice by society itself. The third important theme is “Man's inhumanity to man”. The book describes in detail the acts of the Russian invasion and later the chaos the Taliban brought to Afghanistan. Homeless kids in their parents’ arms, buildings turned to debris and dust by explosions of rocket launchers and tanks, and the massacre of the Hazaras. The book clearly gives examples of the atrocities man are capable of.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I think the main theme in the book is friendship, guilt, and redemption. Its shown when Amir goes back to Kabul to get Sohrab. Its the result of his guilt and wanting redemption. His friendship is still strong because he wants to save Sohrab and with a little hesitation he decides he's going to do anything to get him back. Also his friendship with Rhamin Kahn is strong because he's granting his dying wish.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the most important theme that is explored throughout the novel is friendship, guilt and redemption. From the very start of the book it talks about how good of friends Amir and Hassan are. The author explains all of the various activities that Amir and Hassan would take part in in their free time, such as climbing trees, flying kites, and reading stories together. The book hints at things like the fact that when Amir had other friends over he wouldn't include Hassan in their activities. This makes you wonder about the friendship of Hassan and Amir. After Amir witnessed Hassan, his best friend, being raped he felt extreme guilt. Amir feels so bad about what happened that he actually formulated a plan to get Hassan kicked out of the house so he wouldn't be reminded of his mistake every time he set eyes on Hassan. After moving to America Amir still can't help but feel guilty for not doing anything to help Hassan. He thinks about it all the time even though he is thousands of miles away and that part of his life happened a long time ago. Towards the end of the book Amir wants to redeem himself. This is why he traveled all the way down to Pakistan to meet Rahim Kahn because he promised Amir there was a way to make things good again. He continues to try to redeem himself by traveling to war torn Afghanistan to retrieve his nephew to fulfill the dying wish of Rahim Kahn.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that the most important theme of this book would be relationship between fathers and sons. The book was based off of Amir trying to get his fathers approval of everything he had done. Baba tried to do his best at being the perfect father including trying to hide Hassan being Amir's brother. in the end the secrets and withholds ended up getting the best of Amir. I think that it is very important to have a strong bond between a father and his son.
ReplyDeleteThe most important theme of the Kite Runner is Amir found out that he is bothers with Hassan. I think its the most important theme because Amir thought that he was bothers with Hassan but know he knows for sure. He knows that he cant change that fact that Hassan is died but Amir can take car of Hassan's son. Amir can ask himself why Baba kept it from him so long.
ReplyDeleteIn the book the Kite Runner I think the most important theme has to be friendship, guilt, and redemption because in the beginning of the book it talks about how good of friends Amir and Hassan are but then again they are not really good friends because the only real time Amir and Hassan play is when there is nothing to really do Hassan thinks they are good friends but Amir treats him so bad like he lets Hassan take all the blame when Amir does something wrong. When he seen Hassan in the ally way he knew he should of did something because Hassan would of did something to help out also. I think guilt is a big deal because through out the book Amir feels guilt for what happened to Hassan in the ally way. when Amir found out that there is away to be good again he takes action by going back to his home town to save Hassans son.
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