“You are what you eat.” We’ve all heard the statement in regards to nutrition, but the same can be said for materials you ingest in other ways. Every individual is shaped into the person they become not only by those around them, but also by their own actions and the activities they choose to take part in. For some it is the movies and television they choose to watch or the bands and music styles they listen to or even the books they choose to read. The one novel that really resonated with me as a teen was Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini because of the many life lessons discussed in the storyline and the connection he is able to create between the audience and the characters in his story.
The story begins with Amir hinting to issues in his past, both good and bad, that have made him the man he has become and in the following chapters describes the many characters, including his father Baba, friend/servant Hassan and enemy Assef, as well as the incidents that have affected him, including the key incident involving Hassan and Assef. He eventually has to flee from his home in Kabul with his father when things become too dangerous for them to stay, leaving behind Hassan and the issues for which he feels guilty. Once in America he creates a new life, but the guilt he feels for his cowardice when Hassan needed his help and the ultimate lack of respect he showed Hassan does not go away even with this change of scenery and he eventually travels back to Kabul to attempt to make things right. Amir ultimately faces his demons, some in unexpected ways, and comes to terms with his past. Kite Runner has an exceptional storyline loaded with memorable quotes, including many that do more than just move the story along, but also introduce many of the themes found in the novel.
“That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out.” For me truer words have never been written, uttered or thought. It might be a cliché, but if you don’t remember where you’ve come from, you can’t know where you’re going. This quote, found in the first chapter of Kite Runner, foreshadows the coming-of-age story of the protagonist Amir as he battles to gain his father’s admiration, to understand his place in a complex world where he is in the “privileged class” but does not feel he belongs and to make up for a mistake that has continually haunted him. This idea of not hiding from your problems and becoming a better person as a result is one of the many lessons that are discussed and seen throughout the novel.
“Children aren’t coloring books. You don’t get to fill them with your own colors.” This is a quote from Rahim Khan, the only father figure Amir ever had, to Amir’s father Baba when discussing Amir and the difficulty Baba has had connecting with him. While parents, friends and neighbors do have a major effect on an individual, ultimately we must choose who we become. We can take everything they teach us into consideration but in the end we decide for ourselves which of these to keep.
“If America taught me anything, it’s that quitting is right up there with pissing in the Girl Scouts’ lemonade jar.” Amir had been in America for awhile when this thought crossed his mind. The message of this quote is apparent. Finally, Rahim Khan said, “There is a way to be good again,” to Amir just before he returned to Kabul, hinting to the always present chance of redemption. All of these quotes represent the underlying themes of the story and are the reasons this novel has become one of my favorites and has been influential in my life. When I first read Hosseini’s best seller I was a sophomore in high school and was attempting to create a persona for myself. While this novel was not the only thing to have an effect on me during this time, it helped by reintroducing these ideals and the overall theme of relationships and the importance of them to all of us.
I believe this theme of the importance of relationships is the main message Hosseini is attempting to introduce to his readers because of the many complex relationships existing between the characters and the idea that quitting is not an option and that redemption is always possible. Amir’s unconventional relationship with his father, strained relationship with his servant/friend Hassan and volatile relationship with his archenemy Assef shape him as a person. They also force him through the ups and downs of his life which lead to his eventual redemption. These character interactions, combined with the themes of the story, the dialogue that introduces these themes and the flashback style that Hosseini utilizes in his storytelling are the main ways I drew from the story, and eventually connected with, the important issues and themes Hosseini discussed.
For all of these reasons I feel that Kite Runner is a fantastic read that would be enjoyed by any literature-lover and is a book that should be read by everyone. Anyone that enjoys a well developed and entertaining story would thoroughly enjoy it. Some material found in the novel is graphic and unsuitable for younger children, but goes a long way toward creating Amir as a character that the audience can connect to. Some parts of the novel tend to drag on a little longer than what is necessary, but Hosseini never loses the readers’ interest. Kite Runner is a classic in the making and is a story for the ages and for all ages.
Khaled Hosseini, Kite Runner, published by Riverhead Books in 2003, Price: $12.99
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