Final Post

The Kite Runner Final Post

4.Is there a message or main theme you see emerging? What is it and how is it shown? Are there any other books you have read or movies you have seen that also have this same theme? Explain.

          Throughout the beginning of The Kite Runner and all the way towards the end there is a reoccurring theme of redemption and forgiveness. The protagonist, Amir, during the interlude and middle of the novel struggles with the guilt of breaking the strongest bond he’s ever had with a companion that was nothing but good to him. His guild and regret that he holds, which accounts for his lifetime symptoms of insomniac and anxiety, leads Amir to framing his friend Hassan and Ali away in order to escape his own remorse.  The sin that he created as a young child hangs on to him like heavy baggage even throughout adulthood in California.  The Theme of redemption is especially shown when an old family friend, Rahim Khan, calls Amir telling him “there is a way to be good again.” (Page 202) This begins a journey to a city that he could barely recognize in order to find Hassan’s son. When he is face to face with Assef, who has taken a hold of Sohrab, and is being harshly punished, Amir finally feels the peace that he has been waiting for since the day he had wanted Hassan to pelt him back with the pomegranates- “I hadn’t been happy and I hadn’t felt better, not at all. But I did now. My body was broken- just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later- but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed.” (Page 303) After finally gaining the courage to do the right thing by saving Hassan’s son at the cost of his body, he finally feels free from the guilt and pain that has haunted him for decades.  Another example of redemption that is shown is when the truth is revealed about Hassan being Amir's half brother. Baba too, like Amir, lived with the guilt of not being able to come out and be honest about being Hassan's biological father- "I think everything he did, feeding the poor on the streets, building the orphanage, giving obey to friends in need, it was all his way of redeeming himself. And that, I believe is what true redemption is, Amir Jan, when guilt leads to good." (Page 316) Again you can see that Amir's father, though a great man, had regrets and haunting sins of his own. He redeemed himself by always putting on a kind demeanour and offering a helping hand to those in need. 

The movie 7 Pounds also has a similar emerging theme of redemption. The main character Tim Thomas is unable to live with the fact that he killed seven people, including his fiancé, while absentmindedly sending a text message while driving. He is determined to redeem himself by recreating the lives of seven strangers, even if it comes with the cost of his own life. 

9.Would you recommend this book to another reader? Why/Why not? What kind of person would you recommend it to? What would you tell the person about the book?

        When I first heard of this book and only got the gist of what it was about, I honestly did not have much interest nor was I in a hurry to get it started. The Kite Runner is one of those novels where the cover definitely doesn't do the book justice. After only reading the first chapter, I was so engrossed in the book that I read the whole novel in three days. Some chapters more than once. Though I am more of a romance novel kind of girl, I fell in love with the lessons that I gained and the storytelling tone of voice. I would recommend this novel to anyone that is open to learning about the raging war zone in Afghanistan and also gaining a new perspective and mindset. Though it is about the ethnical, religious, and political tensions in Afghanistan, It is nothing like reading a history book. You are able to truly be emotionally touched while reading the tale of the two boys while learning about Afghanistan's history.  There is a continuous theme of redemption that comes up during the novel and I believe that Redemption is something that everyone of all ages can relate to.The Kite Runner does a magnificent job of showing how the guilt of someone can be redeemed by turning it into good. What I particularly loved about this book is that there were some passages that were unforgettable, especially this short story written by Amir- "It was a dark tale about a man who found a magic cup and learned that if he wept into the cup, his tears turned into pearls. But even though he had always been poor, he was a happy man and rarely shed a tear. So he found ways to make himself sad so that his tears could make him rich. The story ended with the man sitting with a knife in hand, weeping helplessly with his beloved wife's slain body in his arms." (page 33) Like the theme of redemption, this short passage which held a strong lesson of the dangers of greed left remarkable imprint.