The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

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Afghanistan, 1970.

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is an intense saga of love, betrayal and redemption. The events of the book take place during a volatile period of Afghanistan’s recent history, and explores universal themes of emotional and moral complexity through the early lives of Amir and Hassan. It also illustrates how destiny is impacted by human frailty, family and culture.

The Kite Runner opens in Afghanistan before the country faced the Soviet invasion. Amir and Hassan are friends but they came from different backgrounds - Amir is the son of a wealthy businessman; Hassan is the son of the father’s servant. They also come from different ethnic classes - Hassan belongs to the Hazara community which is looked down upon in Afghan society. As time passes, even before the young boys lose the innocence of youth - this dynamic creates a slight but growing tension in their relationship, with Amir conflicted about his own feelings towards Hassan’s courage and loyalty. 

The story turns around an incident during a kite-flying contest, where Amir gains his father’s approval by betraying his friend Hassan. Amir’s cowardice is a pivotal moment in his life; it torments him and he carries almost unbearable shame and guilt because of it. These emotions carry the entire story as it impacts every action and decision Amir takes. As Afghanistan faces relentless political and social turmoil - first at the hands of the Soviet invasion and then through the ascent of the Taliban - Amir and his father flee to the United States. Years later - as an adult - Amir is offered a chance at redemption and journeys back to confront his mistakes and failings. 

Amir’s journey towards redemption takes over the novel; he journeys back home to a war-torn land, despite the brutal Taliban regime and all the accompanying dangers, driven by his desire for forgiveness. The author brilliantly brings Amir’s internal and personal struggles alive for the reader, making the experience personal and universal at the same time. 

Along with friendship, another theme that is explored in The Kite Runner is the father-son relationship between Amir and his father, Baba. Amir’s overwhelming desire to impress his father sets off the chain of events of the book. Amir’s feelings of inadequacy remain, and his father’s disapproval of Amir’s sensitivity and lack of courage don’t help. Baba’s view of Amir’s weaknesses drive a wedge between father and son, and layers of complexity to their relationship are added as the story progresses and secrets are revealed. 

Baba’s worldview is shaped by the Afghan image of masculinity, where courage and stoicism are valued. But as the story unfolds the reader sees the nuances, their personal flaws and vulnerabilities, and how these revelations bring father and son closer. The father-son relationship is viewed through the lens of sacrifice, loyalty and the burden of legacy, creating one of the most poignant threads of The Kite Runner. 

Amir’s personal struggles are mirrored in the cataclysmic changes happening in Afghanistan - politically and socially. Hosseini weaves the personal and political journey of Amir and Afghanistan into a powerful, fitting narrative. Afghanistan becomes a theatre of conflict in the US-USSR Cold War, and the bleak after-effects are brilliantly depicted and juxtaposed against Amir’s heart-wrenching adolescence. Afghanistan is ripped apart in the conflict and left to pick the pieces and deal with corruption, fundamentalism, a destroyed economy and a divided populace. All this is in addition to the ethnic division already prevalent in Afghan society, where the minority Hazara community is socially persecuted and pushed down in the hierarchy. 

The Kite Runner is a heart-wrenching tale, told from Amir’s POV which gives the reader a deep insight into his trauma and regret. The writing is accessible and easy to read, yet intimate and emotional. Even the nostalgic descriptions of the Afghan capital Kabul evoke an idyllic past that seems so far removed today as to seem unreal, given how ravaged and battle-scarred the multicultural city once was. The source material for the reader is Amir’s memory and how his introspection affects him and shapes his life. 

Given how remote the Afghan experience is for most readers - the author uses themes of guilt, family, betrayal, identity and redemption that resonate universally because of the shared human experience of grappling with the consequences of our actions. 

Ultimately The Kite Runner is the story of redemption, through the prism of an unchangeable past.