Choose a symbol used in a novel or play of your choice and discuss its function in the world of the work.
In the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir faces two family conflictions; one with his father, and one with his "brother" Hassan. Hassan belongs to a minority group called the Hazara. These Hazaras are discriminated for their appearance and generally live as second-class citizens. Throughout this novel, Amir reveals his conflicts about Hassan and with his father through the symbol of the game, Kite Runner.
Kite running is a sort of sport in Afghanistan, and our protagonist, Amir, revels in it along with his brother Hassan. Amir and Hassan create their own homemade kite for the competition. This process of building the kite together symbolizes the friendship between Hassan and Amir. The sort of brotherhood between Hassan and Amir is also symbolized through the fact that they were both nursed from the same woman as well.
The class distinction between Amir and Hassan is also seen through the kite running. Amir controls the kite and holds onto the string of the kite, maneuvering it through the air to strike and cut down the other kites. While Hassan, is in charge of feeding more string to Amir and then running to retrieve the the opponent's kite in the streets.
Through the competition of Kite Running, Amir believes that it will be his chance to finally win his father's acceptance and attention, that he craves for. Amir believes that kite running will help him gain his manhood, to prove himself to his father. In the end, Amir and Hassan manage to be the last two kites remaining; there is only a blue kite and their own left. Amir successfully cuts this last kite, and Hassan promises Amir that he will catch that kite for him. While Amir believes that he has won his manhood by winning the competition, he soon loses it in the events that follow by not stepping forward to protect his friend, the true kite runner.
Therefore, the symbolism of the game kite running is a significant symbol throughout this entire book. Kite running helped explain Amir's story throughout the book, about the different class distinctions between himself and Amir, the bond they shared as brothers, and the final betrayal Amir had done to Hassan. However, Amir redeems himself later on in the book, the final act being Amir flying the kite with Hassan's son, Sohrab.
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Vivien,
ReplyDeleteWow you totally enlightened me! I did not think kite running would be about something like that. The way you use the game as the symbol was very interesting - I would not have interpreted in the deep way that you did! Very interesting to read(:
Good job!
vivvv
ReplyDeletei love this book! i really liked your essay. it explained the symbolism of Hassan's inferiority to Amir through the game of kite running. your word choice and flow were great throughout the whole essay. i think you mentioned in the intro about Amir's conflict with his father, but you didn't really explain much about that. other than that, your essay was really great :D
Viv,
ReplyDeleteI especially liked that your essay was short and sweet :].
I did not see kite running as a symbol at all, so that was interesting to read. I'm reading that book right now and I only saw kite running as an extremely competitive sport, not symbolic of something like the relationship between Amir and Hassan. Awesomeee.
Hey Viv
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very unusual and, for lack of a better word, interesting how you used the game as a symbol. I guess i can see how the kite is interlocked between all the elements of the book. This was an interesting viewpoint and changes how you look at the story a little. Nice job.