THE KITE RUNNER-A BIRD'S EYE VIEW
Sunday, February 7, 2010
THE KITE RUNNER-A BIRD'S EYE VIEWSaturday, February 6, 2010Since am from a literature background i thought the best way to start my blog would be by telling you all about one of my favourite books,i.e 'The Kite Runner'.The idea came to me when i suggested to one of my friends to read the book and she replied by sayin that she has no time.Well,though i was shocked i decided to write this blog.'The Kite runner' is written by Khaled Hosseini who is from Kabul but is working in America as a doctor.
The story is set in Afghanistan which was divided in two groups Hazaras and the Pashtuns.Hazaras were looked upon by the Pashtuns and many atrocities were committed on them.Pashtuns were supposed to be the elite class the people who ruled Afghanistan.Amir represents the pashtun group,a boy who lives with his father and whose mother died in his childhood days.Amir's father,Baba wants his son to be more manly and responsible but amir is very weak and not mature.Hassan represents the hazara group and is the son of Ali who is amir's fathers servant.Amir and Hassan are shown to be playmates roaming together,kite flying and forgetting the divide between them.But the society doesn't.Assef,an older boy rebukes Amir for being friends with a Hazara.He prepares to attack Amir but because of Hassan's intervention,who boldly stands up for his friend when the time comes,Assef lets Amir go.Amir in order to impress baba decides to bring the kite as a prize from the local tournament.He seeks Hassan's help who has the innate ability of being a 'kite runner'.In the tournament Hassan runs after the cut kite only for Amir but in an isolated road he runs into Assef and his friends.Hassan refuses to give the kite and Assef and his friends rape Hassan.Amir watches all this from a distance but is too scared to help.After this Hassan reaches home,gives Amir the kite and pretends like nothing had happened.Hassan is framed wrongly by amir for stealing and is made to depart along with his father.Amir thus becomes free of his reminder of cowardice and betrayal but the guilt lives in him.Amir and his father move to California.Amir has writting skills which lead him to become a novelist.He marries Soraya and soon his father dies.The couple realises that they cannot have children.Fifteen years after the incident at the isolated incident happened a certain person called Rahim khan calls up Amir and says that there is a way to redeem.He is the only person other than Hassan and Amir who knows about the incident.Then he reveals that Ali, Hassan's father had died and Hassan and his wife died too leaving behind their son Sohrab who is in an orphanage now.He reveals that Hassan is actually the son of Amir's father,his half brother.Reaching the orphanage he does not find Sohrab and comes to know that a certain gentleman comes often,brings cash and takes a boy with him.This time it is Sohrab who he has taken.Amir goes to this man's place.This man is revealed to be Assef who recognizes Amir but Amir doesn't recognize him until he starts asking about Ali and Hassan.Sohrab is being kept in his house and is sexually assaulted.Assef agrees to free Sohrab but only if he can beat up Amir.Amir agrees but is saved by the sling shot of Sohrab.Amir takes Sohrab back to America and introduces his wife but Sohrab is mentally shattered and refuses to speak to anyone.This is continued till Amir tells Sohrab about his father's kite flying skills.The ice melts between the two.Sohrab's face turns into a smile which reminds Amir of Hassan and Amir runs after the kite for Sohrab.In his very first novel Khaled Hosseini strikes a chord with the audience and deals with a wide range of issues.He brings out the plight of the Hazaras and the exploitation that they suffer in the hands of the Pashtuns.It talks about loyalty and sacrifice which is demonstrated by Hassan and fear and cowardice which is represented by Amir.But the main focus of the story is sin and redemption.The general notion that is concerned with this is that man has to account for each of his sins in this world only.The sin that Amir commits of not standing up for his friend,for turning his back to him at the time when his friend needed him the most and for being selfish haunts Amir for the rest of his life.It is like an 'albatross that is hung around his neck'.But he redeems his sin by rescuing Sohrab and by giving him a new life.Khaled Hosseini has given us a beautiful account of the customs and traditions of Afghanistan and gives us a poignant tale of the realities of this world and the real meaning of relationships.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
THE KITE RUNNER-A BIRD'S EYE VIEWSaturday, February 6, 2010Since am from a literature background i thought the best way to start my blog would be by telling you all about one of my favourite books,i.e 'The Kite Runner'.The idea came to me when i suggested to one of my friends to read the book and she replied by sayin that she has no time.Well,though i was shocked i decided to write this blog.'The Kite runner' is written by Khaled Hosseini who is from Kabul but is working in America as a doctor.
The story is set in Afghanistan which was divided in two groups Hazaras and the Pashtuns.Hazaras were looked upon by the Pashtuns and many atrocities were committed on them.Pashtuns were supposed to be the elite class the people who ruled Afghanistan.Amir represents the pashtun group,a boy who lives with his father and whose mother died in his childhood days.Amir's father,Baba wants his son to be more manly and responsible but amir is very weak and not mature.Hassan represents the hazara group and is the son of Ali who is amir's fathers servant.Amir and Hassan are shown to be playmates roaming together,kite flying and forgetting the divide between them.But the society doesn't.Assef,an older boy rebukes Amir for being friends with a Hazara.He prepares to attack Amir but because of Hassan's intervention,who boldly stands up for his friend when the time comes,Assef lets Amir go.Amir in order to impress baba decides to bring the kite as a prize from the local tournament.He seeks Hassan's help who has the innate ability of being a 'kite runner'.In the tournament Hassan runs after the cut kite only for Amir but in an isolated road he runs into Assef and his friends.Hassan refuses to give the kite and Assef and his friends rape Hassan.Amir watches all this from a distance but is too scared to help.After this Hassan reaches home,gives Amir the kite and pretends like nothing had happened.Hassan is framed wrongly by amir for stealing and is made to depart along with his father.Amir thus becomes free of his reminder of cowardice and betrayal but the guilt lives in him.Amir and his father move to California.Amir has writting skills which lead him to become a novelist.He marries Soraya and soon his father dies.The couple realises that they cannot have children.Fifteen years after the incident at the isolated incident happened a certain person called Rahim khan calls up Amir and says that there is a way to redeem.He is the only person other than Hassan and Amir who knows about the incident.Then he reveals that Ali, Hassan's father had died and Hassan and his wife died too leaving behind their son Sohrab who is in an orphanage now.He reveals that Hassan is actually the son of Amir's father,his half brother.Reaching the orphanage he does not find Sohrab and comes to know that a certain gentleman comes often,brings cash and takes a boy with him.This time it is Sohrab who he has taken.Amir goes to this man's place.This man is revealed to be Assef who recognizes Amir but Amir doesn't recognize him until he starts asking about Ali and Hassan.Sohrab is being kept in his house and is sexually assaulted.Assef agrees to free Sohrab but only if he can beat up Amir.Amir agrees but is saved by the sling shot of Sohrab.Amir takes Sohrab back to America and introduces his wife but Sohrab is mentally shattered and refuses to speak to anyone.This is continued till Amir tells Sohrab about his father's kite flying skills.The ice melts between the two.Sohrab's face turns into a smile which reminds Amir of Hassan and Amir runs after the kite for Sohrab.In his very first novel Khaled Hosseini strikes a chord with the audience and deals with a wide range of issues.He brings out the plight of the Hazaras and the exploitation that they suffer in the hands of the Pashtuns.It talks about loyalty and sacrifice which is demonstrated by Hassan and fear and cowardice which is represented by Amir.But the main focus of the story is sin and redemption.The general notion that is concerned with this is that man has to account for each of his sins in this world only.The sin that Amir commits of not standing up for his friend,for turning his back to him at the time when his friend needed him the most and for being selfish haunts Amir for the rest of his life.It is like an 'albatross that is hung around his neck'.But he redeems his sin by rescuing Sohrab and by giving him a new life.Khaled Hosseini has given us a beautiful account of the customs and traditions of Afghanistan and gives us a poignant tale of the realities of this world and the real meaning of relationships.
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