Fighting kites demonstrate the internal and external struggles of Amir. Personal disappointment cuts deep into Amir’s conscious after the initial celebration of the retrieval of the blue kite. He is unable to view the kite without the accompanying feeling of guilt. Rather than being the origin of fatherly respect Amir desires, the kite becomes a concrete symbol of his cowardly decision. As a result, Amir’s memories are now tainted with remorse.
As mentioned earlier, Hassan’s face is that “of Afghanistan” (25) but, after the incident, he sees “lines etched into [Hassan’s] tanned face [that he] might as well have taken a nife and carved [himself]” (92). By mentioning how Amir feels he damaged Hassan, Hosseini draws parallels with the kite. Both Amir and the kite appear admirable and innocent but, when placed in difficult circumstances, have the capability to inflict great harm, both physically and emotionally. For Amir, the pain borne from his own guilt is incessant and memories of the event flood his mind nonconsensually, leaving him feeling “empty” (85).
He remarks that his “mind [drifts] with the kite” (63) meaning that his thoughts lack order or predictability. Rather one contemplation bleeds into the next until the rotagonist ultimately finds himself meditating on the betrayal. For instance when Baba defends a woman whom a soldier intends to rape, he announces that he would “take a thousand of his bullets before [he] let this indecency take place. ” Amir’s father’s use of the words “thousand” and “indecency” trigger Amir’s mind to return “to that day six years ago. (116)
Similarly, Farid mutters the same phrase to Amir when he asks for a “favor,” causing “tears [to gush] down [his] cheeks” (305). The protagonist associates words, phrases, and images, such as the sky, with his shameful past and, although Amir seldom discusses he incident, his betrayal is always under the surface of his conscious reasoning. The protagonist’s guilt also manifests physically in the form of illness. During the celebration of his victory, Amir comments that he is “getting sick” as a result of overwhelming thoughts of Assef’s cruelty. When he looks “to the sun,” he sees “Hassan’s brown corduroy pants discarded … n the alley. ” (84) Looking toward the sky is indicative of Amir’s subconscious recollection of that winter day and the venue of kites. Regardless of his efforts to forget his past, the image of the kite perpetually penetrates his thoughts.
Many of Hosseini’s characters and events parallel each other to demonstrate the idea of cycles of betrayal. For example, an external struggle exists between Amir and his father. Unbeknownst to each other, both characters have initiated a betrayal. Debates regarding the definition of “theft” litter their conversations. In fact, Baba states that “there is no act more wretched than stealing. (18) Not until the discovery of Baba’s betrayal does Amir truly understand the importance of redemption and the purpose behind his father’s generosity. Similar to Amir, Baba did not account for future motions regarding his intimacy with Sanaubar; a decision which produced Hassan. Their relationship can be seen in the light of battling kites.
Amir feels as though Baba is above him, attempting to cut his line by reminding his son how he had “cut fourteen kites on the same day” (56). Furthermore, Amir’s resentment shows when he reveals his belief that “all fathers… arbor a desire to kill their sons” (29). The protagonist’s philosophy stems from his feeling of inadequacy when compared to his father. In the end, neither father nor son sever the other’s line but rather their personal remorse harms them the most. Father and son run from their problems both literally and figuratively; Baba never announces the truth of his relation to Hassan to anyone while Amir attempts to avoid any interaction with the servant. In addition the two characters’ departure from Afghanistan during the war is indicative of their denial to confront the consequences of their actions.
By abandoning their home country, Baba and Amir are essentially running from their problems in the same way Amir deserted his best friend. They endeavor to slash their lines and connections to the past, allowing themselves to believe they can escape their mistakes. However, a person is always “waiting for the kite to fall” (55). In other words, it is impossible to entirely avoid an issue because an object or image will appear to remind Amir or Baba of their shameful past. By examining the two kite tournaments, one is able to pinpoint particular consistencies and resemblances.
For instance, Amir utilizes the “old lift-and- dive trap” to slice the opposing kite’s line in both circumstances. However, when he is flying the kite with Sohrab, he refers to the strategy as “Hassan’s trick” (370), demonstrating his recognition of his half-brother’s contribution to their previous victory. Furthermore, while Hassan pursued the kite in Kabul, Amir assumes the role of the kite runner in America. The role reversal displays character development on Amir’s part because he is performing a service for Hassan’s son selflessly.
Sohrab’s “smile” (371) upon hearing Amir’s offer to retrieve the kite indicates the beginning of forgiveness in Sohrab and redemption for Amir. Furthermore, the author draws parallels between Amir’s and Hassan’s families to demonstrate the influence of inequality on personal and community morals. Their Kabul society dictates that Hazaras are lesser beings and hould be treated as such, exemplified when Assef comments that “it’s just a Hazara” (75) in response to his friends’ objections of the rape’s sinfulness.
Referring to Hassan as “it” establishes a prejudice of Hazara inferiority while the rape itself symbolizes the dominance of Pashtuns in Afghanistan. Ironically, the Hazaras tend to be characteristically kind and gentle, like Hassan or his father Ali. They are the paper and string kite. While they may experience a degree of freedom with the breezes of the wind, ultimately the Pashtuns and the line determine their fate. Amir describes Hassan as being “the lamb” ith the “look of acceptance” (76) as if his “imminent demise is for a higher purpose” (77).
Hassan sacrifices himself for Amir’s benefit not only because he loves Amir but also because he acknowledges the unfairness of the life he was born into. In addition, parallel to his father’s appearance, Sohrab has “slaughter sheep’s eyes” (285) when Assef’s “hands [slide] down his back. ” (280) Unlike many Pashtuns of Kabul, Amir has a unique connection with a Hazara and witnessing the rape forces Amir’s morals to evolve. He recognizes that Assef’s actions are based in cultural prejudice and now he must determine the xtent to which these same prejudices influence his own life and personal philosophy.
For instance, after Hassan admits to the false accusation of theft, Amir realizes that he “loved him in that moment, loved him more than [he’d] ever loved anyone” and “that he wasn’t worthy of this sacrifice” (105). This revelation marks a moral development regarding Amir’s internal conflict as well as the realization of Hassan’s ethical superiority. Despite his culture’s determination to prove Pashtun supremacy, Amir realizes that Hassan’s moral code symbolizes all that Amir is not: oyal, honest, and forgiving.
Regardless of Amir’s new understanding, he does not confess to the truth of the theft, illustrating his continuing cowardice as well as his role as the cutting line. Hosseini employs tragic irony to allow the reader to understand the consequences associated with sentiments of entitlement and superiority with regard to the kite. For instance, when Amir and his father are escaping Afghanistan they encounter Kamal, an accomplice of Assef’s during the rape. Amir overhears the phrases “four of them… tried to fight” insinuating Kamal’s own defilement.
His “withered” and hollow” (120) appearance reveals his new understanding of his cruel part in Hassan’s rape because he now regretfully recognizes his own cowardice. However, while Amir knowingly abandoned his friend, Kamal sacrificed himself to avenge his mother’s death. After seeing Kamal’s father commit suicide upon the realization of his son’s death, Amir “dry-heaved on the side of the road” (124). With a new understanding of the nature of Kamal’s condition, Amir feels a connection to their scenario. Kamal’s silence and sudden death is a punishment for his father’s letting “him go alone” (120)