What does Hosseini gain or lose in creating an unreliable, or- at least- flawed narrator? Does this decision contribute to, or detract from, the delivery of the story? Do Amir's transgressions elicit a response from the reader? If so, how might you characterize it?
Your response must include:
-a sound thesis statement
-explicit support and direct quotations
-3 complex sentence types from the Sentence Wizardry form (available in your binder/on edline department page)
-2 vocabulary words from lists 1-4
Bring your "A Game" because the rubric will bring hers.
79 comments:
Khaled Hosseini has chosen to be a character in the Kite Runner rather than being just the narrator. By doing this he has taken on the challenge of having different opinions from his readers. The Kite Runner is about an Afghan boy name Amir who goes through life not always making the right decision. Being able to be the character and not just explain about him certainly makes this novel stronger. Hosseini ultimately gains greater attention from his readers by creating and unreliable and flawed narrator.
Hosseini has formed the characterization of Amir to make the wrong decisions. For example, when Amir blamed Hassan for stealing his watch and money, Amir said “and if Baba believed him, then I’d be the accused; I would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was.” (page 105). This shows that Hosseini has made Amir look like a bad person because he was not loyal to his best friend. This also shows that Amir has made the decision to sacrifice his friendship rather than confess to setting up Hassan.
Robert Southworth
November 18, 2010
English C
The Kite Runner Short Essay
The Kite Runner Short Essay
More commonly a protagonist, narrators in pieces of fiction are usually regarded as the main characters of a novel. However, there are exceptions. In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, the narrator, Amir, adds to the value and significance of the tale from his troubled past. Throughout the novel, Amir is able to look upon his past and realize that he is the man he is today because of his multiple transgressions.
Living in Kabul, Afghanistan as a child, Amir created a close friendship with his father’s servant’s son, Hassan. Hassan and Amir would team together during the local kite tournaments, a true test of their companionship. After winning a major tournament, Hassan was cornered by a few bullies for possession of a coveted kite. Amir watched from an alley as Hassan was brutally sexually assaulted, scaring him for life. Amir did not act and try to end the diatribe that would prove to be a major aspect of his life. As Miley Cyrus states, “nobody’s perfect” and Amir should not be punished for his lack of action.
Khaled Hosseini’s decision to incorporate a trouble past into the narrators life adds to the value of the story. While the reader may hate Amir for his lack of action, and therefore lack of decisions, Amir’s past contributes to the story. Not a single person can state that they have never done anything wrong or improper in their lives. Amir was a young boy who was witnessing a tragedy to someone he loved and cared for. Unless presented with this situation ourselves, not a single person can criticize Amir because how would you know how you will act in a time of crisis. The reader should not loathe Amir, but instead adore. He has paid for his sins every day with his memories ever since that day in the alley. Hosseini’s brilliant incorporation of Amir’s past life adds a true meaning to the sense of friendship and loyalty present each day in our lives.
Sydney Colbert
C Block English
Short Essay
The Kite Runner
By creating Amir, a narrator that is unreliable and voiced by a boy progressing in age, Hosseini has gained a unique style that makes the novel more enjoyable to read. The decision certainly contributes to the novel because the reader prefers to read on and find out what this unreliable character will do, or who he will let down, next. Amir’s transgressions have targeted a response from the reader. “Then I knocked on Baba’s door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies,” (104). In this scene, Amir had concocted a plan to get rid of Ali and Hassan because it was too painful to see Hassan’s face every day.
He told many lies in order to get what he wanted. The reader’s response is to think automatically that Amir is a bad person. He tried to get his best friend sent away just so he wouldn’t have to deal with him. Amir has had a troubled child hood which could have been the cause of his frustration. His father’s love for him is apocryphal because he tends to favor Hassan more than his own son; his love is cold for Amir.
Christopher Ruta
Period: C
What if there were perfect people in this imperfect world? To imagine a world where there is in fact a perfect person is hard to do when in reality there is no such person. When developing a novel, the author should not make a perfect narrator in order to give the book a practical feel. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini gains the reader’s attention, and respect for creating a flawed narrator because no human being is perfect; therefore, composing a more realistic and relatable novel.
The narrator, Amir, is the most flawed character in the novel which creates a more desirable read. He gives the reader something to relate to because everyone has made a mistake at one point in their life. Amir’s biggest flaw was he ran, “I ran because I was a coward” (Hosseini 77). Amir ran away from Hassan when he was being physically and mentally hurt by Assef. This one mistake creates a large opening of questioning for the reader to decide what type of characteristics Amir holds. The delivery of the story intensifies because the reader is always questioning Amir and his decisions. Is he doing the right thing this time or is he making another mistake once again? Questions such as these are created for the reader because of Amir’s mistakes.
Becca Morse
11/18/10
Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, is a narrative of a boy’s life in Afghanistan, as told by his grown self. The narrator, Amir, is portrayed as a selfish, uncaring, spoiled boy, who realizes his sins as he ages. While his life is passing by, Amir realizes his decisions have influenced the way he is. He experiences regret and loneliness. He wishes he had been a better friend to his only pal, Hassan. Hosseini chooses a narrator who is not perfect for specific reasons. Having a flawed narrator produces more of a connection to the story, by the reader because of the emotions involved; the reader hates the character, feeling a part of the text, instead of standing outside the story.
In the quest for his father’s acceptance, Amir’s conciliatory actions in turn push his best friend away. The major turning point in Amir’s psychological well-being comes after he watches Hassan being raped, and does nothing. The reader hates Amir because of this. Hassan has nothing but “unwavering loyalty” (87), but Amir treats him like garbage. Amir is heedful to be around Hassan in public because of social standards between Pashtuns and Hazaras. As the reader continues through the novel, a deep hatred builds more and more. There is much surprise at how selfish Amir is. Amir knows he is better than Hassan and constantly has thought that “he’ll never be anything but a cook…what does he know, that illiterate Hazara?” (34). Amir continuously insults Hassan, but looking back as an older man, he corrects himself. The feelings pent up by the reader are extremely against Amir.
Hosseini did not pick such a narrator at random. Every single detail about Amir was chosen for a reason. Amir is a character who stirs emotions for the reader. This brings the reader deeper into the plot for a stronger connection. This creates a stronger impact of the story’s delivery. The reader enjoys to hate Amir. They feel as if he is a real person and they enjoy reading the story more and more. It becomes harder to put the book down. Hosseini’s ability to create such a deep effect within the readers characterizes him as an extremely talented author, capable of capturing the audience’s full attention.
Michael Costa
Period C
Short Essay
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini concerns a boy named Amir, the son of a wealthy business owner, who is faced with life changing decisions that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Amir is characterized through other characters that have influenced his life such as the haughtiness of his father, Baba. Hosseini creates this flawed character, Amir, from which he speaks in the first person in order to engross the reader deeper into the novel.
The depiction of Amir as a negative character further draws the user into the story through nerve-racking scenarios and emotion evoking lines. The entire storyline of the kite runner is a rollercoaster of different emotions that expressed through the characters. This first example can easily be seen when Amir is faced with the biggest decision of his life; should Amir save his friend Hassan or dismiss the situation and run? Hosseini does a marvelous job in evoking the emotion of anger when he states “In the end, I ran” ( 77). All the suspense and buildup only to release the floodgates of emotion as Amir is characterized as a horrible human being. Slowly, discretely, Hosseini starts to incorporate Amir’s emotional struggle through his own thoughts. This is further seen as we follow Amir through his journey. Hosseini utilizes the first person point of view to continually rekindle the images of the dark alley in Amir’s mind. Because the point of view is constantly following Amir and speaking of his thoughts, we can continually see that his decision is being branded into his thoughts. When Hassan was being sent away Baba “turned left at the street corner where we’d played marbles so many times”(109). This is one of the allusions that Amir makes to the past times haunting him consistently in his everyday life.
Through Hosseini’s use of the first person point of view and his negative characterization of Amir one becomes more absorbed by the story. The ability for the author to cast a constant broadcast of what the narrator is thinking helps him portray the tragic irony that runs rampart throughout the novel. At many points nail biting moments are created causing the reader to become emotional over the constant plot twisting and emotion that Amir himself is experiencing.
By writing in the first person, Hosseini is able to mirror his personal life through the fictional character of Amir, who enhances the novel by making it seem realistic while engaging the reader into his unfortunate decisions. Amir is a flawed character who is relatable to readers, who in similar situations would make the same decisions as he did. For instance, when Amir goes to find Hassan and the kite he witnesses him being rapped, yet does nothing to thwart it. In the end Amir had “one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who [he] was going to be. [He] could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan—the way he’d stood up for [him] all those times in the past – and accept whatever would happen to [him]. Or [he] could run. In the end, [he] ran” (77). By watching with circumspect, Amir ditched his best friend when he was in need, causing the reader to be angry and disgusted. His behavior was the very antithesis of brave. This however, proved to be beneficial to the overall story; the reader is able to gain insight into the reasons of why Hosseini wrote about Amir’s hesitation and dilemma.
Through the cowardly and spineless decisions of Amir, the reader is able to not only characterize the narrator but also the author. Having written the novel in first person through the narrator, Amir, one can presume that most of the decisions Amir makes is based off of the decisions Hosseini had made. By ignoring Hassan in the alley, one can conclude that Hosseini carries the same emotional burden and regret as Amir. By having a flawed character, Hosseini is able to make his novel realistic and enjoyable to the reader. Amir contributes to the overall delivery of the story and elicits a response from the reader, any authors ultimate goal.
Tory Carlson
David Littlefield
Period C
The Kite Runner
Throughout life, our true nature, and personality can be seen equally in what we do, and what we don’t do. Throughout Hosseni’s novel The Kite Runner, Amir is depicted in many ways, both good, and bad; which exponentially intensifies the meaning within the novel. Amir, the son of a wealthy business man can be directly compared to us, because he, like us is not perfect.
Amir faces many hardships and challenges, and his characterization is constantly changing. He is a character that confuses the reader, and forces them to really think about their stance on this character. Amir is a character that faces intense situations, which characterizes him as a good or bad person based on what he has, and hasn’t done. Amir’s struggles in these situations bring him closer to the reader, because everyone can relate to his errors, and the shame of not acting. Hosseni’s choice to use a broken, imperfect character as the main narrative method is very interesting, because normally the protagonist is an honorable, noble, fair character. The choice to use Amir brings a whole aspect to the novel that would been unseen if a 3rd person narrative was used, like the personal, and emotional traumas endured as a result of these situations.
Literature is directly related with creativity, and the ability to deliver a message. The Kite Runner does this job perfectly. It relates to everyone, everyone is somehow like Amir, we all need to stand up, we all have made mistakes, and we can all relate to Amir.
Tim Webberson
In every story, the author has several different characters each with their own specific characterizations. Not all characters depict a perfect human being. Sometimes, they will be flawed or have some fault that can engage many emotions in the reader. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hoesseini, he takes on the role of the main character, Amir. Not many authors will do this, but Hoesseini decides to portray himself after a flawed character. Through the eyes of his main character, Amir, Hoesseini portrays how the use of a flawed character can ultimately contribute to a novel’s plot while eliciting strong and sometimes different emotions from every reader.
By creating a flawed character, a more natural and realistic plot is created. By using Amir as the narrator, the readers get to see how not everyone is going to make the right decisions in life. His father, a well known man called Baba, was always respected and seen highly by the town. He has high expectations for his son Amir. Making Amir’s characterization perfect would not make the novel as interesting as it could be. It would simply be too predictable and not provide critical thinking and foreshadowing throughout the story. Having a flawed character also will make the reader think about their own morals and how they are living their life. Reading the flaws of someone else could make on take a step back and see if they are following in these same footsteps.
This decision contributes to the novel because it can also add suspense to what may happen next. The reader wants to know if Amir will mess up again or if he will atone for his past actions. Amir even asks himself at one point “why did I play with Hassan only when no one else was around” (Hoesseini pg 41). This proves to the reader that he thinks about what he does wrong and it makes us wonder why he does not correct his wrong doings. We will sit in suspense asking ourselves if Amir will ever become a respectable man. Another contribution this flawed character makes is how much of a response the reader can make emotionally. When we see Amir pick on the reticent, loyal Hassan, we often get upset and begin to dislike his character. “I always loved when we came across a word that Hassan didn’t know” (pg 45). The reader notices how Amir gets joy from telling Hassan the incorrect definition of a word. Amir also loves to have these moments because it makes him feel better than Hassan; Amir is often jealous that his father likes Hassan more than him. The response that most readers will feel from reading these situations is that Amir is not the best or most genuine character.
It is evident that the use of a flawed character greatly contributes to a good novel. It enhances the plot and allows the reader to make their own opinions of a character. It eliminates predictability and makes for a surprise ending. Clearly, Hoesseini’s use of a flawed character is an overall enhancement to his writing and the experience received by the reader.
At an early age, young readers are introduced to the quintessential flawless protagonist. Snow White, Encyclopedia Brown, and Harry Potter are perfect examples. Reading these stories typically receive the same “feel-good” response that ultimately feels repetitive and insipid. Khaled Hosseini takes a different road by centering his novel, The Kite Runner, on the flawed Amir. By creating an imperfect protagonist, Hosseini helps his cause by forming a refreshing delivery that makes the reader question themselves.
Having the flawed Amir narrate creates a refreshing delivery. Readers become accustomed to perfect protagonists that can make reading dull. Amir’s flaws create dramatic irony in everything he does. For instance, when Soraya tells Amir about her scandalous past, she is terrified that he will leave her. However, the reader and Amir already know that Amir has no right rejecting Soraya because of her past because he “had one of [his] own” (180). Another way that the flaws aid Hosseini is that it makes the reader despise Amir. The reader cannot stop reading because of the feelings of vengeance and loathing for Amir because he let Hassan be raped; the reader feels like going a tirade. However, after feeling these raw emotions, the reader introspects and questions themselves about what they would do in a similar situation.
Hosseini’s flawed protagonist offers a refreshing delivery that makes the reader question their own flaws. Hollywood continues to produce movies with the “happily ever after” ending that makes the viewer feel unsurprised. Readers always relate themselves to the main character. With a flawed main character, the reader relates on a deeper level by questioning themselves.
Paul Southworth
Tim Webberson
In every story, the author has several different characters each with their own specific characterizations. Not all characters depict a perfect human being. Sometimes, they will be flawed or have some fault that can engage many emotions in the reader. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hoesseini, he takes on the role of the main character, Amir. Not many authors will do this, but Hoesseini decides to portray himself after a flawed character. Through the eyes of his main character, Amir, Hoesseini portrays how the use of a flawed character can ultimately contribute to a novel’s plot while eliciting strong and sometimes different emotions from every reader.
By creating a flawed character, a more natural and realistic plot is created. By using Amir as the narrator, the readers get to see how not everyone is going to make the right decisions in life. His father, a well known man called Baba, was always respected and seen highly by the town. He has high expectations for his son Amir. Making Amir’s characterization perfect would not make the novel as interesting as it could be. It would simply be too predictable and not provide critical thinking and foreshadowing throughout the story. Having a flawed character also will make the reader think about their own morals and how they are living their life. Reading the flaws of someone else could make on take a step back and see if they are following in these same footsteps.
Hosseini creates an unreliable character who goes against what he knows he should do, creating intense emotion in readers of Amir’s story. “I opened my mouth, almost said something. Almost.” (Hosseini 73). “You can do it Amir!” I remember thinking, “he’s sticking up for you and your not even there, why wouldn’t you help him!” Hosseini’s decision to be a flawed character in his book is what causes emotion while reading. Every person has their own opinion; even Amir has his own personality. The trick to writing in Amir’s point of view is his view will either contrast or compare to whoevers reading his story. People may agree or disagree but either way they are forced to judge Amir. Angry, depressed, I close the book thinking why the hell he not saved someone who is so loyal to him.
To draw emotion out of people, Hosseini hides behind a flawed character. Hiding behind a character makes the reader choose an opinion on the character. The reader is not able to get away with just agreeing with whatever an omniscient writer talks about. The reader grows attatched to the character, goes on an adventure with him; they can only watch from a distance though unseen and unheard, yelling to get him to listen but nothing comes of it. With this intense emotion the reader is drawn in, not able to put the book down because he wants to know what Amir will do next; making the reader ask themselves “is he finally going to do what I think is right?”
“Everywhere I turned, I saw signs of his loyalty, his goddamn unwavering loyalty.” (89) Most people want a friend who is loyal. Why does he not want a loyal friend? “We spoke our first words. His was Amir. My name.” (11) He realizes this but still does not treat him as one of the most important people in his life? The reader becomes frustrated at Amir’s backwardness. Will he ever do something right? With Hosseini’s first person view, the readers must follow Amir’s every move, good or bad, to eventually find out.
Amir’s flaws and wrongful acts help the reader feel poorly about him. Hosseini makes Amir flawed to deliver the story with morals and a general theme of respect. He portrays idealistic views of a wealthier child living in Kabul. In the novel, The Kite Runner, Hosseini’s choice to create Amir, a flawed, wrong, immoral character, contributes to the overall morals delivery of the story.
Hassan has been Amir’s servant all of his life. Although they play together, Amir sometimes doesn’t consider him a best friend. The thought that Amir has developed is that “in the end, [he] was a Pashtun and [Hassan] was a Hazara, [he] was Suhni and [Hassan] was shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that” (25). Amir’s prejudice mindset is developed just like the other people in Afghanistan. In another scene, Amir and Hassan are confronted by the bully, Assef with his two sidekicks. As Hassan loyally sticks up for Amir, he “held the slingshot pointed directly at Assef’s face. His hand trembled with the strain of the pulled elastic band and beads of sweat had erupted on his brow”(42). Clearly, Hassan is embroiling himself into a situation that he is not involved in but, his loyalty and friendship with Amir is much more important to him. Amir’s desired response to Assef, as he makes fun of being near Hassan is “But he is not my friend” (41)! Amir is embarrassed of being “friends” with Hassan.
Amir’s flaws are shown to clearly point out how good-hearted and nice Hassan really is. Later in the story, Amir does not even try to stop Hassan from being raped by the 3 bullies after winning the kite tournament. Amir’s lack of sincerity and loyalty to being Hassan’s friend points out the theme of respect and helps the delivery of the story.
-Brianna Valeri
In creating a flawed narrator, Khaled Hosseini has developed a story that readers find realistic and can identify with. Through his imperfections, Amir is made into someone that readers can identify with, though his transgressions make the reader wish they did not identify with his flaws. Amir’s transgressions elicit anger, and in some extreme cases, perhaps hatred, because subconsciously the readers relate to Amir and his disposition, his limitations, and his weaknesses. In identifying, on some level, whether they are aware of the parallel they have made between themselves and Amir or not, with Amir, the reader is outraged by his actions. For example, when Amir watches Hassan get raped by Assef in an dank alleyway, he “[bites ] on [his] fist. [Shuts] his eyes.” (73). The descriptions, the thoughts swirling through Amir’s mind, read in the first person, creates a sense of wonder; how could someone let that happen to another human being? How could anyone let that happen to someone they call ‘friend’? The reader is instantly pointing fingers, blaming Amir for what is happening, deciding that they hate him and they do not understand how he could let that happen. As he struggles with his secret, keeping it hidden from everyone, the reader is secretly happy that he struggles, that he is hurting and experiencing emotional turmoil.
Hosseini creates a character who seems to have “something missing in [him]” (22). Throughout the progression of the novel, Amir’s character develops but is always held back from reaching its full potential by the haunting memory of what happened to Hassan in that alleyway in Afghanistan. Again, Hosseini has created a situation that readers can identify with; people have regrets and those regrets haunt them throughout the duration of their lives. Amir is no different and readers can relate to that and understand the position he is in, while still resenting him because of what he has done. Also, by writing the novel in the first person, Hosseini has made it impossible for the reader to truly dissociate him/herself from the situations and thoughts being put forth by Amir.
Amir, the narrator, reveals the chapters of his life as they happened but looking back upon the situations.
Kerryn Camara
If the writer chooses to tell the story from the perspective of the main character, it makes the story seem more real. In The Kite Runner, author Khaled Hosseini tells the story from Amir’s point of view. Amir is the main character in the novel whose integrity is questioned throughout the novel. Though Amir is a questionable character, it adds to the delivery of the story. Hosseini’s decision to write from the perspective of a flawed character helps the audience connect emotionally to the character and to the overall story as a whole.
Throughout the novel, there are instances where Amir seems like an immutable character who won’t learn from his past mistakes. Amir’s mother, Sophia, died while giving birth to Amir. He feels as if his dad blames him for the death of his mother: “..I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife, his beautiful princess, hadn’t I?” (pg.19). He has a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it wasn’t his fault that his mom died. He “killing” his mother haunts him through the novel. The audience can connect to Amir, because they feel sorry for him when they find out his father blames him for the death. In Chapter 7, Amir watches his best friend, Hassan, get raped by older boys in the town. Amir “felt paralyzed” (pg.71) when he was standing in the alley watching Hassan and the boys. Amir feels guilty for the rest of his life for not stopping the boys from raping Hassan. He can never forgive himself for it. It haunts him even after he gets married years later. His wife has a history of not being good, but Amir didn’t care about her past: “But I think a big part of the reason I didn’t care about Soraya’s past was that I had one of my own. I knew all about regret.” (pg.180). Learning about Amir’s transgressions helps us relate to him, because he seems like a real person. Everyone makes mistakes in their past and still feel guilty about it. It can affect them for the rest of their lives.
This decision contributes to the novel because it can also add suspense to what may happen next. The reader wants to know if Amir will mess up again or if he will atone for his past actions. Amir even asks himself at one point “why did I play with Hassan only when no one else was around” (Hoesseini pg 41). This proves to the reader that he thinks about what he does wrong and it makes us wonder why he does not correct his wrong doings. We will sit in suspense asking ourselves if Amir will ever become a respectable man. Another contribution this flawed character makes is how much of a response the reader can make emotionally. When we see Amir pick on the reticent, loyal Hassan, we often get upset and begin to dislike his character. “I always loved when we came across a word that Hassan didn’t know” (pg 45). The reader notices how Amir gets joy from telling Hassan the incorrect definition of a word. Amir also loves to have these moments because it makes him feel better than Hassan; Amir is often jealous that his father likes Hassan more than him. The response that most readers will feel from reading these situations is that Amir is not the best or most genuine character.
It is evident that the use of a flawed character greatly contributes to a good novel. It enhances the plot and allows the reader to make their own opinions of a character. It eliminates predictability and makes for a surprise ending. Clearly, Hoesseini’s use of a flawed character is an overall enhancement to his writing and the experience received by the reader.
Tim Webberson
Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner, tells a fictional story, but chooses to take on the role of the narrator who demonstrates flaws. Hosseini takes a risk in developing his novel this way, but it contributes to the delivery of the story. Hosseini’s risk of developing a story from a flawed character allows him to easily capture the reader’s attention and manipulate it as the story unfolds.
Hosseini’s story is told in first person, as if he was the narrator even though the story is about Amir. Amir, the main character throughout the novel, displays several flaws and a sense to the readers’ that he is unreliable. The stories delivery is crucial to the novel because it can easily intrigue or disinterest a reader. One of the main flaws that Amir displays is that he witnessed his friend Hassan being raped but instead of speaking out, all he did was stay elusive and “turn away from the alley” (Hosseini 77). This situation can easily upset a reader and change their opinion on the novel because of its disturbing circumstances.
This one situation is constantly revisited throughout the novel as Amir reflects on his life and the situations he is undergoing. The plethora amount of times this incident is revisited can draw feelings out of the reader as Amir shows his regret and remorse for Hassan who always treated him fairly. Hosseini displays Amir as a character that constantly makes choices that will later come back to haunt him and reflect poorly on him. Amir had wanted Baba’s acceptance but “now that [he] had it, [he] felt empty” (85) because he had lost the acceptance of the one person who was loyal to him regardless of a situation. The characterization of Amir can easily draw a response from the readers because as the story unfolds, the reader is constantly reminded of how flaws can affect a person and cause them to regret. Also, the reader could be angry with Amir because of how he treated those around him and how even though he had a chance to change the situation, he was a coward and avoided it. Having such a flawed and unreliable narrator is risky because some readers may not agree with Amir and his decisions, causing them to possibly not finish the novel, but it was a risk Hosseini was willing to take in order to tell a story with a large impact.
Kaylyn Dorsey C
Khaled Hosseini’s , The Kite Runner, is a narrative story about an Afghan boy who is constantly growing as a character throughout the story. Amir, the narrator, is characterized as a selfish person whose past regrets/mistakes continues to haunt him throughout his life. The way Hosseini portrays Amir as an unreliable character helps him deliver the story by connecting Amir to the story through a deeper emotional level.
Amir continuously tries to fight for his father’s love and acceptance. To Baba, Amir’s father, Amir is not the perfect son. Baba shows more love to Amir’s friend/servant, Hassan, than to Amir himself. As a result Amir becomes a selfish attempting to sabotage Hassan and Baba’s relationship.
Joe Anderson
11/18/10
C English
The Kite Runner short essay
Khaled Hosseini, in his novel, The Kite Runner, uses an unreliable and flawed narrator as the main character. Through this, he gains respect from the reader and gains great success as a result. Using a flawed narrator as the main character can be risky, but it creates a more realistic and plausible story. By using a flawed narrator, Hosseini achieves a new level of storytelling because it adds validity to the story and helps the reader have greater emotions towards the characters.
Hosseini, as a result of using a flawed narrator, adds validity to his story. If an author does not use a flawed main character, it makes the story sound less plausible and makes the reader not feel as though they are reading a true story. In real life, everyone has flaws, so adding flaws makes Amir sounds like a real person who makes mistakes like everyone else. Amir at some points tries to get Hassan to tell of the incident in the ally by hurting him, mentally or physically, at one point he throws pomegranates at Hassan and shouts “Hit me back” (p 92), in an effort to make Hassan say something, but it does not work. Many times Amir abuses Hassan, but Hassan just takes it and lets it go. This creates enhanced emotions in the reader.
Another way that Hosseini gains in his storytelling by using a flawed character is by enhancing emotions in the reader. By making Amir abuse the reticent Hassan and make mistakes, he makes people feel Hassan’s pain, rather than making a vapid story by using a narrator with perfect qualities.
What qualities qualify someone to be categorized as a “good person”? In The Kite Runner, Hosseini writes from the point of view from Amir- a young Afghan boy who chose an immutable decision that would ultimately alter his life. Hosseini characterizes Amir as a cowardly boy who struggles to overcome the shadow of his respected father, as well as a monster in an aspect of his personal choices. Hosseini’s decision to have Amir as the narrator enables the readers to feel anger towards the character, but also connect to the character emotionally. Amir’s diverse characterization leads an aspect of uncertainty towards the type of person he is, as well as acceptance.
Hosseini’s choice to have Amir narrate helps the reader see through the eyes of someone in his own position in a different way. During the rape scene Amir says, “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he could do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hussan…”(66). Without Amir expressing why he ran (although it was obvious) it wouldn’t have given the readers the “we-are-only-human” type of connection to Amir as a character. Also, Amir’s residual regret overshadows the reality of what truly happened in the aspect that he does feel remorse. It makes the reader transform from angry at Amir’s decision, almost to understanding.
Amir’s regret for running in the alley becomes almost overwhelming throughout the novel. While sleeping in a room full of people (including Baba) Amir reveals that he had seen Hussan being raped and had done nothing about it. He says, “But no one woke up from the silence that followed, I understood the nature of my new curse: I was going to get away with it” (86). This is interesting because a truly bad person, one with no remorse, would find this as a “blessing” not a curse. This allows the reader to further connect with Amir’s character due to his personal narrating.
-alicia perry
What qualities qualify someone to be categorized as a “good person”? In The Kite Runner, Hosseini writes from the point of view from Amir- a young Afghan boy who chose an immutable decision that would ultimately alter his life. Hosseini characterizes Amir as a cowardly boy who struggles to overcome the shadow of his respected father, as well as a monster in an aspect of his personal choices. Hosseini’s decision to have Amir as the narrator enables the readers to feel anger towards the character, but also connect to the character emotionally. Amir’s diverse characterization leads an aspect of uncertainty towards the type of person he is, as well as acceptance.
Hosseini’s choice to have Amir narrate helps the reader see through the eyes of someone in his own position in a different way. During the rape scene Amir says, “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he could do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hussan…”(66). Without Amir expressing why he ran (although it was obvious) it wouldn’t have given the readers the “we-are-only-human” type of connection to Amir as a character. Also, Amir’s residual regret overshadows the reality of what truly happened in the aspect that he does feel remorse. It makes the reader transform from angry at Amir’s decision, almost to understanding.
Amir’s regret for running in the alley becomes almost overwhelming throughout the novel. While sleeping in a room full of people (including Baba) Amir reveals that he had seen Hussan being raped and had done nothing about it. He says, “But no one woke up from the silence that followed, I understood the nature of my new curse: I was going to get away with it” (86). This is interesting because a truly bad person, one with no remorse, would find this as a “blessing” not a curse. This allows the reader to further connect with Amir’s character due to his personal narrating.
-alicia perry
What qualities qualify someone to be categorized as a “good person”? In The Kite Runner, Hosseini writes from the point of view from Amir- a young Afghan boy who chose an immutable decision that would ultimately alter his life. Hosseini characterizes Amir as a cowardly boy who struggles to overcome the shadow of his respected father, as well as a monster in an aspect of his personal choices. Hosseini’s decision to have Amir as the narrator enables the readers to feel anger towards the character, but also connect to the character emotionally. Amir’s diverse characterization leads an aspect of uncertainty towards the type of person he is, as well as acceptance.
Hosseini’s choice to have Amir narrate helps the reader see through the eyes of someone in his own position in a different way. During the rape scene Amir says, “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he could do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hussan…”(66). Without Amir expressing why he ran (although it was obvious) it wouldn’t have given the readers the “we-are-only-human” type of connection to Amir as a character. Also, Amir’s residual regret overshadows the reality of what truly happened in the aspect that he does feel remorse. It makes the reader transform from angry at Amir’s decision, almost to understanding.
Amir’s regret for running in the alley becomes almost overwhelming throughout the novel. While sleeping in a room full of people (including Baba) Amir reveals that he had seen Hussan being raped and had done nothing about it. He says, “But no one woke up from the silence that followed, I understood the nature of my new curse: I was going to get away with it” (86). This is interesting because a truly bad person, one with no remorse, would find this as a “blessing” not a curse. This allows the reader to further connect with Amir’s character due to his personal narrating.
Alison Lynch
November 18, 2010
English IV C block
Short Essay
When a given person is telling another person a story about themselves, that story teller tends to lean more in their own favor, rather than giving the whole truth. Amir is not only ¬The Kite Runners main character, but he is also narrating his own life experiences. He brings the reader into his world as he grows up in Afghanistan and makes the move to America and also manhood. Hosseini’s decision to create a flawed narrator contributes greatly to the reader’s experience because it enables an emotional connection to be created between the audience and the narrator.
Amir’s unique experiences, cause the initial interest in discovering more about his developing life. Unlike some, Amir’s relationship with his dad has never reached a fulfilling point where Amir can believe they have a true connection. Even from infancy Amir recognized the distance between his father and himself; Amir reflects upon a picture and states, “I am a baby in that photograph, and Baba is holding me, looking grim and tired. I’m in his arms, but it’s Rahim Khan’s pinky my fingers are curled around” (5). The disappointment that fills this statement allows a reader into Amir’s world of hurt and rejection from his father, while still revering him. Without Amir directly showing his sense of worthlessness to the reader, an audience may never fully understand the importance of their developed friendship after the move to America. Amir notices a change in his father right before his death and reveals that he “could see [Baba’s] eternal smile, as wide as the skies of Kabul on nights when the poplars shivered and sound of the crickets swelled in the gardens” (173). Had Amir’s story been told in third person rather than first, he and his father’s relationship would not have been enhanced by the way that Amir reflects upon it. As a reader, one can feel the pride in Amir’s final success in Baba’s eyes because Amir had narrated the story himself.
To many, the way in which a novel is written or a story is told, matters little. In the case of The Kite Runner and Amir, though, Amir’s telling of the story contributes to the way in which it unfolds. Because of the way Amir allows a reader into his own life, a reader can truly develop a connection with his emotions, experiences, and growth.
Alison Lynch
November 18, 2010
English IV C block
Short Essay
When a given person is telling another person a story about themselves, that story teller tends to lean more in their own favor, rather than giving the whole truth. Amir is not only ¬The Kite Runners main character, but he is also narrating his own life experiences. He brings the reader into his world as he grows up in Afghanistan and makes the move to America and also manhood. Hosseini’s decision to create a flawed narrator contributes greatly to the reader’s experience because it enables an emotional connection to be created between the audience and the narrator.
Amir’s unique experiences, cause the initial interest in discovering more about his developing life. Unlike some, Amir’s relationship with his dad has never reached a fulfilling point where Amir can believe they have a true connection. Even from infancy Amir recognized the distance between his father and himself; Amir reflects upon a picture and states, “I am a baby in that photograph, and Baba is holding me, looking grim and tired. I’m in his arms, but it’s Rahim Khan’s pinky my fingers are curled around” (5). The disappointment that fills this statement allows a reader into Amir’s world of hurt and rejection from his father, while still revering him. Without Amir directly showing his sense of worthlessness to the reader, an audience may never fully understand the importance of their developed friendship after the move to America. Amir notices a change in his father right before his death and reveals that he “could see [Baba’s] eternal smile, as wide as the skies of Kabul on nights when the poplars shivered and sound of the crickets swelled in the gardens” (173). Had Amir’s story been told in third person rather than first, he and his father’s relationship would not have been enhanced by the way that Amir reflects upon it. As a reader, one can feel the pride in Amir’s final success in Baba’s eyes because Amir had narrated the story himself.
To many, the way in which a novel is written or a story is told, matters little. In the case of The Kite Runner and Amir, though, Amir’s telling of the story contributes to the way in which it unfolds. Because of the way Amir allows a reader into his own life, a reader can truly develop a connection with his emotions, experiences, and growth.
Alison Lynch
November 18, 2010
English IV C block
Short Essay
When a given person is telling another person a story about themselves, that story teller tends to lean more in their own favor, rather than giving the whole truth. Amir is not only ¬The Kite Runners main character, but he is also narrating his own life experiences. He brings the reader into his world as he grows up in Afghanistan and makes the move to America and also manhood. Hosseini’s decision to create a flawed narrator contributes greatly to the reader’s experience because it enables an emotional connection to be created between the audience and the narrator.
Amir’s unique experiences, cause the initial interest in discovering more about his developing life. Unlike some, Amir’s relationship with his dad has never reached a fulfilling point where Amir can believe they have a true connection. Even from infancy Amir recognized the distance between his father and himself; Amir reflects upon a picture and states, “I am a baby in that photograph, and Baba is holding me, looking grim and tired. I’m in his arms, but it’s Rahim Khan’s pinky my fingers are curled around” (5). The disappointment that fills this statement allows a reader into Amir’s world of hurt and rejection from his father, while still revering him. Without Amir directly showing his sense of worthlessness to the reader, an audience may never fully understand the importance of their developed friendship after the move to America. Amir notices a change in his father right before his death and reveals that he “could see [Baba’s] eternal smile, as wide as the skies of Kabul on nights when the poplars shivered and sound of the crickets swelled in the gardens” (173). Had Amir’s story been told in third person rather than first, he and his father’s relationship would not have been enhanced by the way that Amir reflects upon it. As a reader, one can feel the pride in Amir’s final success in Baba’s eyes because Amir had narrated the story himself.
To many, the way in which a novel is written or a story is told, matters little. In the case of The Kite Runner and Amir, though, Amir’s telling of the story contributes to the way in which it unfolds. Because of the way Amir allows a reader into his own life, a reader can truly develop a connection with his emotions, experiences, and growth.
When unreliable and flawed narrators tell a story it can cause literary texts to become skewed or perceived completely different from how the author had intended it. One novel such as The Kite Runner, uses a first person narrator to tell the story of his life. Amir, the narrator, draws the audience in with his first hand experience of each event. Khaled Hosseini in The Kite Runner uses Amir as his narrator which ultimately detracts from the story due to the fact that Amir is an unreliable source.
For many readers having Amir as the narrator of his own life makes them believe he is not telling the truth about everything he tells. For example, when Amir talks about his father and how he is not a good father no one will really know if his father actually was nice to him. When Amir tells the reader “I always felt like Babe hated me a little” (19) there is no way to actually know. Amir could be telling his story so that people feel compassion for him. Amir’s only way of making his story believable is by telling stories, such as watching Hassan be raped. Amis wants compassion from his readers and by adding something he did wrong he engages the reader to think he is a truthful person.
The first person narration of The Kite Runner, detracts from the overall interpretation of the novel. Had the novel been told by a third party nonbiased person the novel could have been perceived completely differently. Hosseini ultimately ruins his novel because of Amir’s first person narration.
Alison Lynch
November 18, 2010
English IV C block
Short Essay
When a given person is telling another person a story about themselves, that story teller tends to lean more in their own favor, rather than giving the whole truth. Amir is not only ¬The Kite Runners main character, but he is also narrating his own life experiences. He brings the reader into his world as he grows up in Afghanistan and makes the move to America and also manhood. Hosseini’s decision to create a flawed narrator contributes greatly to the reader’s experience because it enables an emotional connection to be created between the audience and the narrator.
Amir’s unique experiences, cause the initial interest in discovering more about his developing life. Unlike some, Amir’s relationship with his dad has never reached a fulfilling point where Amir can believe they have a true connection. Even from infancy Amir recognized the distance between his father and himself; Amir reflects upon a picture and states, “I am a baby in that photograph, and Baba is holding me, looking grim and tired. I’m in his arms, but it’s Rahim Khan’s pinky my fingers are curled around” (5). The disappointment that fills this statement allows a reader into Amir’s world of hurt and rejection from his father, while still revering him. Without Amir directly showing his sense of worthlessness to the reader, an audience may never fully understand the importance of their developed friendship after the move to America. Amir notices a change in his father right before his death and reveals that he “could see [Baba’s] eternal smile, as wide as the skies of Kabul on nights when the poplars shivered and sound of the crickets swelled in the gardens” (173). Had Amir’s story been told in third person rather than first, he and his father’s relationship would not have been enhanced by the way that Amir reflects upon it. As a reader, one can feel the pride in Amir’s final success in Baba’s eyes because Amir had narrated the story himself.
To many, the way in which a novel is written or a story is told, matters little. In the case of The Kite Runner and Amir, though, Amir’s telling of the story contributes to the way in which it unfolds. Because of the way Amir allows a reader into his own life, a reader can truly develop a connection with his emotions, experiences, and growth.
Through Hosseini’s creation of an unreliable narrator, he enables the reader to feel a personal connection with the narrator, contributing greatly to the delivery of the story. The narrator, a young Afghan boy named Amir, is the main character in the novel. The Kite Runner follows Amir through his life as he experiences the hardships of living in Afghanistan and immigrating to the United States.
The flaws that Amir possesses contribute to the humility of the story. Grieving and guilty, Amir’s narration reflects his feelings toward his past transgressions. At some points in the novel, the characterization of Amir through his narration seems to be the antithesis of the characterization of him within the story for which he is providing the narration. This is especially evident in the scene in which Hassan is raped. The Amir in the story was worse than a coward; he “aspired to cowardice” (77) but the Amir narrating showed courage by telling the story, his deepest darkest secret. The raw emotion in the narration makes the reader feel as though they can relate to Amir although they have feelings for him as they would of a real human being; at points they feel bad for him but at other times he makes them want to go off on a tirade.
Jill Wry
Ariel Monat
In life everyone makes mistakes and has flaws; these flaws can either help or antithesis someone’s decisions and views of life. Hosseini gains a message in creating a flawed narrator by engendering the fears and flaws within people’s relationships. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, having a flawed narrator contributes to the delivery of the story.
Amir’s flaws illustrate his past and futures, helping him make his decisions. Amir’s decision to not help Hassan and just sit there while watching him get raped is a flaw he has. He was scared and afraid what Baba would think. Amir’s selfishness is a major dilemma throughout the novel due to his longing to fit into Baba’s heart: “This was my one chance4 to become someone who was looked at, not seen, listened to, not heard” (65). His betrayal of his friend causes Amir’s conscious to get the best of him; always thinking back to that moment in the ally and never forgetting what he had done, how he could’ve stopped it. Now Amir is left with the guilt, questioning whether this was worth Baba’s love and affection. Amir’s transgressions relay to the reader as anger. His poor decision making of letting his friend be harassed, raped, and beaten just to get the love and affection from his father shows that he is a coward and selfish.
In conclusion a flawed narrator relays a message across to the reader. Amir’s guilt gets the best of him and relays a message that everyone is flawed. Also, that in the end is the mistakes we make and the choices we choose, are they really worth it in the end.
Short Essay
When reading a story, one must be intrigued by an interesting and emotional situation that causes them to either love or hate the story. In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, he uses the disparity between two different cultures and two types of personalities between father and son to create drama and emotion within the novel. He uses imagery and personification to make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the situation themselves. Because of the lucid flaws and transgressions that Amir faces throughout the novel, it contributes to the story, thus eliciting an intriguing plot, causing one to want to continue reading.
The usage of imagery when describing Amir’s feelings towards the situation that he has put himself in causes the story to become entertaining. Although the emotions are sadness and anger from the audience, it causes the reader’s attention to be captured by the curiosity of what will happen next. Regardless of the fact that Amir is married, his betrayal towards Hassan continues to haunt him. He realizes that Hassan’s loyalty was one to be appreciated, not ridiculed, which can be clearly seen when he says: “[I] dreamed of Hassan running in the snow, the hem of his green chapan dragging behind him, snow crunching under his black boots. He was yelling over his shoulder, ‘For you, a thousand times over.’” (193)Amir’s feelings of regret elicit a negative response from the reader, because, not only did Amir betray Hassan, but he would also ridicule him for his lack of understanding of the English language. When his wife tells him of the story when she taught one of her slaves how to read, he automatically “thought of how [he] used his literacy to ridicule Hassan.” In a way, he feels embarrassed because of the fact that his wife did so much to help her slave while Amir simply ridiculed his.
Because of the immutable effect that Amir’s betrayal has on his life, it becomes the subject in the story that keeps the reader connected and curious. The fact that Amir, conniving and secretive, has to deal with the situation alone, also adds to the story itself. It causes one to wonder whether he ever confesses what he has done or simply assumes that it is already known. Also, it enhances the view of trust between him and his wife, because she has told him her deep, dark secrets while he keeps his to himself. The question I ask myself is “does Hassan ever come back?” Khaled has kept us guessing, and only time can tell whether he does or does not.
JESSICAHERRERA
In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, Hosseini contributes to the novel by having an unreliable and flawed narrator. The narrator, Amir, faces a decision in the story that changes his life forever. He tells his story throughout the book and how it affects him even years later. Hassan was Amir’s friend and servant, and Amir betrayed him. Hassan was obsequious and always did as he was told. Amir lives with his guilt every day. Everyone has a secret, one that can flaw a person such as Amir and still find “a way to be good again” (2).
Amir was the antithesis of a loyal friend. After betraying Hassan, Amir became unreliable and flawed. Being this way, Hosseini gives reality to the story. Not everyone is perfect, and Amir is an example of this. Amir’s father, Baba believes “there is only one sin, only one. And that is sin” (17), but Hosseini has him proven wrong by having Amir sin in a different way. Secrecy is one of Hosseini’s ways to keep the reader interested. You never know when Amir is going to tell his secret. Amir’s transgressions elicit a response from the reader. The reader sees different ways people deal with situations. Also, the reader can see how people can be selfish and betray a friend whom they are supposed to be like brothers with. Lastly, Hosseini shows the reader how a flawed person can also try to think of a way to be good again and fix his mistakes.
Amir’s secret gives delivery to the story. It shows his imperfectness and how people make mistakes. Amir says, “in the end, I ran. I ran because I was a coward”(77), because he realizes he made a mistake and he wants to overcome the feeling of guilt. The readers response may change throughout the novel because Amir realizes his mistake and disloyalty, and he knows right from wrong. Even though Amir is flawed because of a bad decision, Hosseini adds to the story by having a way to be good again.
Conor Regan
Evil Essay
What does Hosseini gain or lose in creating an unreliable, or- at least- flawed narrator? Does this decision contribute to, or detract from, the delivery of the story? Do Amir's transgressions elicit a response from the reader? If so, how might you characterize it?
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini shows the drastic difficulties people face when dealing with a life changing decision. Every decision, no matter how large or small, has a number of consequences for each option. Sometimes, in making such decisions a person can become flawed and filled with guiltiness. By making the narrator, Amir, a flawed character Hosseini gains a more intriguing aspect to the story and causes the reader to engender a judgment Amir and become opinionated toward every part of the novel.
By becoming an unreliable character, Amir becomes a more interesting and meaningful character. By choosing “salvation, redemption” (65) from Baba, his father, over the safety of a friend, Hassan, Amir reveals himself as a selfish person who does not value the friendship in which Hassan held dear to his heart. The betrayal by Amir contributes to the story because it adds a sense of unpredictability of the narrator and yet gives the reader a right to judge him. Readers of this story judge Amir based on his “past of unatoned sins” (1) and the readers are able to respond to the choices he has made, whether it be in a negative or positive manner. While making the reader dislike the narrator is a bold move, Hosseini does so in such a way that enhances the book greatly.
The unreliability of Amir and the choices he made, even though they are somewhat justifiable, induces a response from the reader and contributes greatly to the story. The Kite Runner would not be a complete book without the flaw in the narrator. The change of opinion and judgment of Amir allows the story to become more and more interesting and entices the reader into continuing their reading.
Short Essay
When reading a story, one must be intrigued by an interesting and emotional situation that causes them to either love or hate the story. In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, he uses the disparity between two different cultures and two types of personalities between father and son to create drama and emotion within the novel. He uses imagery and personification to make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the situation themselves. Because of the lucid flaws and transgressions that Amir faces throughout the novel, it contributes to the story, thus eliciting an intriguing plot, causing one to want to continue reading.
The usage of imagery when describing Amir’s feelings towards the situation that he has put himself in causes the story to become entertaining. Although the emotions are sadness and anger from the audience, it causes the reader’s attention to be captured by the curiosity of what will happen next. Regardless of the fact that Amir is married, his betrayal towards Hassan continues to haunt him. He realizes that Hassan’s loyalty was one to be appreciated, not ridiculed, which can be clearly seen when he says: “[I] dreamed of Hassan running in the snow, the hem of his green chapan dragging behind him, snow crunching under his black boots. He was yelling over his shoulder, ‘For you, a thousand times over.’” (193)Amir’s feelings of regret elicit a negative response from the reader, because, not only did Amir betray Hassan, but he would also ridicule him for his lack of understanding of the English language. When his wife tells him of the story when she taught one of her slaves how to read, he automatically “thought of how [he] used his literacy to ridicule Hassan.” In a way, he feels embarrassed because of the fact that his wife did so much to help her slave while Amir simply ridiculed his.
Because of the immutable effect that Amir’s betrayal has on his life, it becomes the subject in the story that keeps the reader connected and curious. The fact that Amir, conniving and secretive, has to deal with the situation alone, also adds to the story itself. It causes one to wonder whether he ever confesses what he has done or simply assumes that it is already known. Also, it enhances the view of trust between him and his wife, because she has told him her deep, dark secrets while he keeps his to himself. The question I ask myself is “does Hassan ever come back?” Khaled has kept us guessing, and only time can tell whether he does or does not.
Jessica Herrera
Short Essay
When reading a story, one must be intrigued by an interesting and emotional situation that causes them to either love or hate the story. In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, he uses the disparity between two different cultures and two types of personalities between father and son to create drama and emotion within the novel. He uses imagery and personification to make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the situation themselves. Because of the lucid flaws and transgressions that Amir faces throughout the novel, it contributes to the story, thus eliciting an intriguing plot, causing one to want to continue reading.
The usage of imagery when describing Amir’s feelings towards the situation that he has put himself in causes the story to become entertaining. Although the emotions are sadness and anger from the audience, it causes the reader’s attention to be captured by the curiosity of what will happen next. Regardless of the fact that Amir is married, his betrayal towards Hassan continues to haunt him. He realizes that Hassan’s loyalty was one to be appreciated, not ridiculed, which can be clearly seen when he says: “[I] dreamed of Hassan running in the snow, the hem of his green chapan dragging behind him, snow crunching under his black boots. He was yelling over his shoulder, ‘For you, a thousand times over.’” (193)Amir’s feelings of regret elicit a negative response from the reader, because, not only did Amir betray Hassan, but he would also ridicule him for his lack of understanding of the English language. When his wife tells him of the story when she taught one of her slaves how to read, he automatically “thought of how [he] used his literacy to ridicule Hassan.” In a way, he feels embarrassed because of the fact that his wife did so much to help her slave while Amir simply ridiculed his.
Because of the immutable effect that Amir’s betrayal has on his life, it becomes the subject in the story that keeps the reader connected and curious. The fact that Amir, conniving and secretive, has to deal with the situation alone, also adds to the story itself. It causes one to wonder whether he ever confesses what he has done or simply assumes that it is already known. Also, it enhances the view of trust between him and his wife, because she has told him her deep, dark secrets while he keeps his to himself. The question I ask myself is “does Hassan ever come back?” Khaled has kept us guessing, and only time can tell whether he does or does not.
Jessica Herrera
Short Essay
When reading a story, one must be intrigued by an interesting and emotional situation that causes them to either love or hate the story. In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, he uses the disparity between two different cultures and two types of personalities between father and son to create drama and emotion within the novel. He uses imagery and personification to make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the situation themselves. Because of the lucid flaws and transgressions that Amir faces throughout the novel, it contributes to the story, thus eliciting an intriguing plot, causing one to want to continue reading.
The usage of imagery when describing Amir’s feelings towards the situation that he has put himself in causes the story to become entertaining. Although the emotions are sadness and anger from the audience, it causes the reader’s attention to be captured by the curiosity of what will happen next. Regardless of the fact that Amir is married, his betrayal towards Hassan continues to haunt him. He realizes that Hassan’s loyalty was one to be appreciated, not ridiculed, which can be clearly seen when he says: “[I] dreamed of Hassan running in the snow, the hem of his green chapan dragging behind him, snow crunching under his black boots. He was yelling over his shoulder, ‘For you, a thousand times over.’” (193)Amir’s feelings of regret elicit a negative response from the reader, because, not only did Amir betray Hassan, but he would also ridicule him for his lack of understanding of the English language. When his wife tells him of the story when she taught one of her slaves how to read, he automatically “thought of how [he] used his literacy to ridicule Hassan.” In a way, he feels embarrassed because of the fact that his wife did so much to help her slave while Amir simply ridiculed his.
Because of the immutable effect that Amir’s betrayal has on his life, it becomes the subject in the story that keeps the reader connected and curious. The fact that Amir, conniving and secretive, has to deal with the situation alone, also adds to the story itself. It causes one to wonder whether he ever confesses what he has done or simply assumes that it is already known. Also, it enhances the view of trust between him and his wife, because she has told him her deep, dark secrets while he keeps his to himself. The question I ask myself is “does Hassan ever come back?” Khaled has kept us guessing, and only time can tell whether he does or does not.
Jessica Herrera
An interesting method which illuminates the inner feelings and deeper problems and struggles of the narrator, Hosseini’s style of writing his novel The Kite Runner is done in that of a flawed narration of the main character Amir. Rather than an omniscient narrator with a wide understanding of all of the characters and their feelings and actions, the only point of view given to the reader is that of a troubled man throughout his life, a point of view which allows the reader to build up a very specific perspective in terms of that one character alone rather than allowing the reader to understand specifically other character’s feelings and thoughts without specific insight and pondering. By using this style of writing, Hosseini creates reactions to this character’s often disturbing thoughts that will surprise and likely shock the reader of the novel.
Some of the most notable transgressions made by the main character, Amir, are the inner thoughts and the disturbing things he admits shamefully to doing to the reader. Among these things are his recurrent thoughts about Hazaras and his position of superiority over them. Most notable in this character’s storytelling style is how he never holds back his thoughts about how he should not have to listen to Hassan or how he should be able to push around a dirty Hazara due to his superior status as a Pashtun. Another noticeable troublesome quality of Amir is his willingness to make fun of Hassan for his inabilities in reading and writing, which is further exemplified by his realization of his injustices after hearing Soraya’s teachings of her servant.
Amir’s actions and thoughts are ones which really make the reader really hate Amir. Willing to
The Kite Runner, Hosseini’s use of an unreliable narrator, Amir, causes the reader to make the assumption that he is biased. The reader must infer different point views from other characters involved. It leaves the interpretation of the story ambiguous for different readers to create various theories. Some of the influential people in Amir’s life: Hassan, Baba, the Taheris, and Rahim Khan, are portrayed through Amir’s thoughts to the reader. Using the dialogue Amir offers from conversations is the only way one can characterize the other people in the story. The way Khaled Hosseini writes the The Kite Runner is intentional, adding to the perplexity of the general idea the story is built around.
In The Kite Runner, Hosseini’s use of an unreliable narrator, Amir, causes the reader to make the assumption that he is biased. The reader must infer different point views from other characters involved. It leaves the interpretation of the story ambiguous for different readers to create various theories. Some of the influential people in Amir’s life: Hassan, Baba, the Taheris, and Rahim Khan, are portrayed through Amir’s thoughts to the reader. Using the dialogue Amir offers from conversations is the only way one can characterize the other people in the story. The way Khaled Hosseini writes the The Kite Runner is intentional, adding to the perplexity of the general idea the story is built around.
A narrator is an essential part to a novel because it shows the point of view of someone from the story. In The Kite Runner, Hosseini creates the character of Amir to be the narrator. Throughout the story, Amir faces the challenges of racism in his home country of Afghanistan. Having an unreliable narrator contributes to the delivery of the story.
Throughout the story, Amir is faced with challenges in life, one being the hate between the pashtuns and the hazaras. While growing up, Amir lived with hazaras who did work around the house for Amir and his father, Baba. Therefore, Amir became “friends” with Hassan, the hazara. One day Amir and Hassan were being bullied by Assef, who was like the town bully. After Hassan had threatened him and his friends they said that they would be back and that left Amir and Hassan in trepidation for the next few weeks. Later on when Amir had won the kite fighting contest, Hassan could not be found so Amir went looking for him. When he went down an alley he saw a tragic accident happen to Hassan right before his eyes. Amir did not do anything to help Hassan even though he had helped Amir many times in the past. A few days later Amir had the thought that “Hassan knew. He knew [Amir had] seen everything in that alley, that [he’d] stood there and done nothing. He knew that [Amir] had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing [him] once again” (page 105). For the rest of his life Amir lived with the guilt and the flaw of not helping Hassan that night in the alley.
Having a flawed character helps define the purpose of the theme of guilt in the story. Throughout the story, the reader is able to know about Amir and how he grows as a person as he gets older. The violence in Afghanistan engendered to many people to leave to Pakistan, including Amir and Baba. They then decided to move to America which provided an insuperable barrier between Amir and his past in Afghanistan. Even after thirty years, Amir still feels the guilt of Hassan’s tragedy in the alley. However, this makes to a good novel and story because it is known to the reader that not everyone is perfect and there are many flaws. It almost teaches the reader a lesson to be true to one’s friends and those that they care about. Amir’s flaws deliver the in a way to enhance the story.
--Vanessa Ferreira
Khalid Hosseini’s creation of Amir as an unreliable and flawed narrator contributes to the delivery of the story as a whole. Through Amir’s flaws, the reader becomes engaged with the development of the narrative; the reader recognizes Amir’s imperfections and is encouraged to respond with both sympathy and disapproval. Amir, growing up with the conception that Hazaras exist as humans worthy of sympathy and compassion, faces opposition from proponents to his long held beliefs. He is placed into tough moral decisions at a young age forced into tough decisions. Through these circumstances, Amir’s character flaws become evident and highly humanized. Amir’s character flaws highlight him as a typical and natural person that the reader may come to understand.
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My brain is working a little slow today..
Every human being is flawed in some way. Authors use this knowledge to make their stories more believable. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, he uses the main character, Amir, to show the reality that everyone is flawed. Some might say that it makes the storyline worse, however, I believe that it makes the storyline more better. Hosseini gains a more believable and realistic plot with his flawed narrorator that generates emotions and reactions from readers.
Amir witnesses is friend and servant, Hassan, getting raped and chooses to not step in to help him. His choice proves his validity of a realistic character. Not everyone always makes the right choice every time. Sometimes one makes the wrong decision that in the end, they regret, but they must move on with their life in attempts to redeem themselves for their mistakes. Amir greatly regrets his decision to not help his friend and takes the blame for the loss of friendship with Hassan. Amir choice was the anitithesis of what Hassan would have done. Hassan was loyal and would do anything for his best friend, Amir. The last thing Hassan tells Amir before he gets raped is, “For you a thousand timees over!” (67). His statement proves Hassans’s loyalty and contrasts from what Amir chose to do.
Jaron Cote
E Block
Through the beginning of The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini depicts a flawed narrator who is relatable to many readers. His decision to write about an imperfect character contributes to the delivery of the story, yet creates an illusion that the other and older characters actions are more justifiable. This novel creates and elicit response from readers by delivering topics that a relatable to the common person.
Hosseini gains the ability to draw emotion out of the reader by creating Amir, a flawed narrator. Amir stood by watched Hassan, a boy whom he grew up with yet never considered his friend, get raped by powerful boys of higher stature than Hassan. Because of his low position in society, Hassan is treated with less respect; this causes Amir to feel shame in being seen with him. Amir quickly learned “it's wrong what they say about the past, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. (1)” The anger and frustration Amir felt for Hassan engendered the violent pomegranate attack, even after that Hassan still felt loyal towards Amir. His flaws help readers to relate and therefore enjoy the novel. The novel proves that nobody is perfect and one must expect the unexpected outcomes of events, such as the emotional results of Hassan’s rape. Rahim Khan points out that “in the end, the world always wins. That's just the way of things. (99)” Although the world may always win, Hosseini’s decision to portray Amir as a flawed narrator contributes to the delivery of the story. His writing style allows readers to experience emotions that they would not feel if they were not introduced to the imperfect characters. These imperfect characters are proof that the world always wins because perfection is almost impossible to achieve. The flaws trigger an emotional response from readers that is not negative, but one they can relate to. The immutable events that have forever changed Amir and Hassan’s friendship allow readers to realize that everyone is flawed and nothing lasts forever.
The Kite Runner has its unpredictable twists and turns that prove that even the most flawed-being can can overcome various situations, even though the thought of depression lurks. Amir may be flawed but his imperfection is relatable, which causes him to contribute to the delivery of the story.
Kristin Murray
In the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini the main character Amir, the narrator, goes through an assortment of changes throughout the novel. His transgressions in the story change the outlook of who the person he is portrayed as when he was a child. In his youth years, Amir was a well rounded boy that had a conscious that sometimes resulted in negative experiences in his life. Hosseini creates Amir’s unreliable, flawed characteristics to contribute to a plot that gives the novel and reader an everlasting continuity. Were it not for Amir’s childhood, Amir would not have been deeply impacted by the trials of his life.
Khaled Hosseini uses a first person diction that gives the reader non-transient questions of what is to come next. By creating the narrator to be as flawed as Amir’s personality is, Hosseini gains an outlook on the book that further interests the reader. Guilty and regretful, Amir lives with a guilty conscious throughout the novel. More often than not, Amir looked to benefit himself through pretentious actions for the respect of his father. For example, when Amir won the kite flying competition and wanted to bring the winning kite home to Baba, he witnessed Hassan get raped by Assef and does nothing about it because he is a “coward.” Later in the story, Amir asks Baba if he has ever thought about getting new servants despite Hassan and Ali being a part of their family since their baby years. Later on the result of this event is clarified and it affects and shines Amir’s true colors.
Hosseini created a novel worthy of many people’s respect. Through his interesting and captive plot the narrator becomes a character many are displeased with. Amir was once a wonderful, happy boy who lived out his childhood dreams and desires who turned into a person that even his father would not be appreciative of. The Kite Runner leaves readers guessing of what is to come next in the upcomi9ng pages due to the narrators unreliable conscious and personality.
Cassie Iagatta
E English
11/19/10
In literature, authors often create dynamic and multifaceted characters. Sometimes these characters are difficult to understand; however, sometimes these characters help better portray the story. In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Hosseini’s main character is an inconsistent and conflicted character that has made a life- shattering mistake in his childhood. Khaled Hosseini creates a flawed and unreliable character, Amir, to help the reader relate and identify with Amir, in order to deliver the story in a more realistic and understandable way.
Amir’s recollection of his childhood is where the reader first encounters Amir’s conflicting personality. When Amir finds his best friend, Hassan, being raped by the bully, Assef, in an alleyway, Amir “ran because [he] was a coward.” (Hosseini 77). Instead of being a hero, and standing up to Assef, Amir turns and runs. Instead of even apologizing to Hassan, Amir “pretended [he] hadn’t seen the dark stain on the seat of his pants. Or those tiny drops that fell from between his legs and stained the snow black.” (78). Presumably, this terrible act should outrage the reader. However, Amir’s flaws show the reader that he is not perfect. Nobody can relate to a perfect character. Then afterwards, Amir even connives a plan to frame Hassan. Amir’s reverence for his father seems to blind him and influences his actions. The readers can relate to Amir, though, because every child wants to hold their parent’s attention. They can understand how a child might make a selfish mistake in order to gain their father’s love. Amir’s flaws are unique; however, they are familiar to readers who can relate to Amir’s emotions.
Hosseini’s character Amir is an inconsistent and imperfect character. He makes many mistakes that haunt him. These mistakes make his more human, though. By clearly making a human and realistic character, Hosseini achieves his purpose of delivering his unique story in a believable and effective way.
Hosseini includes a narrator that is utterly flawed instead of writing in the third-person and simply including him as any other character. Amir, the flawed narrator, proves himself to be an intellectual; however, this engenders numerous character flaws. Amir is jealous of Hassan, while Hassan is completely obsequious to Amir. By making Amir the narrator, the reader’s animosity towards Amir is emphasized as well as the appreciation for Hassan.
For example, when Amir was reading to Hassan, Hassan came across a word that he was not familiar with, “imbecile”. Conceitedly, Amir makes fun of Hassan by manipulating his knowledge when he says, “When it comes to words, Hassan is an imbecile.” (Hosseini 29) After reading the story that he wrote to Hassan, Amir expresses agitation towards Hassan’s posed question when he thinks, “What does he know, that illiterate Hazzara? He’ll never be anything but a cook. How dare he criticize you?” (34) Here, it is shown that Amir is a less likeable character and Hassan is more likeable.
-Justin Glass
In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, a one-sided friendship is depicted between two Afghani children whom struggle to overcome an insuperable diversion. Amir's shameful past causes him to forever live in regret. Hosseini's characterization of a flawed narrator causes the reader to be able to relate to, and at the same time, despise Amir for his past.
Amir's honesty helps the reader to be able to connect with him even if his past is negative. When Amir retrieves the blue kite from Hassan after witnessing him being raped, he is ultimately happy that he could bring it back to Baba, while being shamed at the same time. Amir says, “I finally had what I'd wanted all those years. Except now that I had it, I felt as empty as this unkempt pool I was dangling my legs into.”(p85) Amir gets the recognition from his father that he always wanted, but loses the rights of a friendship with Hassan. Amir's actions cause the reader to be upset and angry with him, but also to feel joy in that his relationship with his father is fixed.
The girl that is dropping out.....
Hosseini gains a lot from using a flawed and unreliable narrator, Amir; his decision contributes to the delivery of his story. Amir is only a juvenile boy, and as a story teller, he may not be the most reliable narrator. As Hosseini becomes Amir, it changes the whole reading experience. He does not just write the story in third person, he creates a character Amir, and puts himself in Amir’s place. Through Amir, Hosseini creates a new identity, in which he can illustrate, not tell, his story through Amir’s flawed, unreliable eyes and not his own.
Amir is not the most reliable narrator, but he makes the story more fascinating. His story telling is unreliable because he is only a young boy; it’s quite possible that stories have been exaggerated. Also, he, along with all people, is flawed. He makes mistakes, but they add on to the overall scheme of the story. The language that the story is written, through a young boy, adds on to the level of interest. He uses Amir in a way most authors would not think to do. Amir’s transgressions do extract a response from the reader because the reader normally likes the narrator. If they do not like him, they typically have respect for him, but that is not the case. The reader becomes upset when he or she sees Amir make his mistakes, and eventually, the reader loses hope. Amir is not auspicious; the reader starts do lose all respect for him after his problems with Hassan as Amir becomes haughty towards Hassan although Hassan is reverent towards Amir. The reader first sees flaw in Amir when Hassan says "For you, a thousand times over," (2) but the reader learns Amir will not do anything for Hassan.
Hosseini uses Amir as a narrator to enrapture the reader into the story, by Amir’s flaws and capriciousness. The idea of first person as opposed to third person makes the reader feel as if they are in the story, and Amir’s blemishes add to the overall scheme of the story. Although he is not the most reliable narrator, he is the most qualified narrator for The Kite Runner.
-Colin Ahern
John Eckart
Often times in literature, authors frequently construct their main characters a certain way in order to demonstrate a point to the reader. In The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, the author does just that. The novel is about a boy named Amir and his life of adversity growing up in Afghanistan. As a child he experiences discrimination against a fellow boy he knew named Hessian whos father is a servant in his home. Hessian is discriminated against because he is of a different race than the majority of the Afghanistan natives and is called various names and physically abused. By narrating from Amir’s perspective, the reader is able to see firsthand how unfair discrimination truly is and learn that people try to satisfy those they view important.
The reader sees Amir as a very flawed and troubled narrator. He is not kind to Hessian and does not give him the revere that Hessian gives Amir. Amir, a haughty character, and often times thinks he is superior to Hessian and plays various, mean tricks on him. Hessian would do anything for Amir and would help Amir out with anything regardless of the situation. In response to this Amir blames Hessian for various things that are not his fault and treats him very poorly. This may be seen as bad moral behavior from a disrespectful kid or it can be seen as the theme of the novel. Amir feels that since Hessian is a Hazara he cannot be his friend or even his equal. This ties into the themes of the novel of discrimination and dwelling in the past. Amir is always trying to please his father and try to look good in the eyes of other people but he cannot be kind to the ones he treat him the best. If Amir was not flawed and if he did not treat Hessian as a non-equal than it would not be as clear that Amir only wants to please those who he thinks are important. Amir lives his whole life trying to please his father who he sees as a successful important person, “I kept stealing glances at Baba sitting with Rahim Khan on the roof, wondering what he was thinking” (63). If the author did not decide to become Amir than the reader would see the discrimination on a broad scale and not see the define reasons for Amir not treating Hessian as well as he deserves.
The fact that Khaled Hosseini decided to become Amir and create his character very flawed helped the reader become elusive and understand the theme of the novel. The reoccurring theme is unfair discrimination and trying to delight the ones who individuals view as significant. In conclusion, if Hosseini did not choose to become Amir, the ideals of the novel would be much more difficult to understand.
The story of the Kite Runner displays the relationship of two young afgan boys and their journeys. Although Hosseini told the story through the eyes of Amir, he could’ve written it in third person as a complete outsider. It is easy to blame Amir for all the wrong throughout the novel because he is the easiest target. If the story was told through the eyes of Hassan or Baba the reader could find fault in either of them for events that occur. The narrating only adds to the story because even though the reader tends to disapprove of Amir, it strengthens the interest of the storyline itself.
The hatred that readers bestow on Amir could be considered immutable; nothing will change their mind. So soon these readers forget of Hassan’s best friend that ran through pomegranate fields together. The fact that “[these] two fed from the same breast” is frustrating to the audience because he should do the right thing and stand by his brother no matter what. Rudely, harshly, Amir drifted away from the good side of the reader. Amir’s turning point was allowing Ali and Hassan to go away forever. “[Amir] was sorry, but [he] didn’t cry and [he] didn’t chase the car.” With the hatred of Amir underway, it invites the reader to pay attention to the other details and aspects of the story which allows them to form various views of events.
No one can take away the amazing deliverance of the Kite Runner. The narrating of Amir only makes us want to continue reading in hopes that things will turn around. In these regards, the unreliable character adds to the story. The novel is a story of hardships and sadness and this further defends Amir’s actions. The novel engenders emotions, whether happy, sad or angry, and the narration is one of those evoking characteristics.
-Kayla B
John Eckart
Often times in literature, authors frequently construct their main characters a certain way in order to demonstrate a point to the reader. In The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, the author does just that. The novel is about a boy named Amir and his life of adversity growing up in Afghanistan. As a child he experiences discrimination against a fellow boy he knew named Hessian whos father is a servant in his home. Hessian is discriminated against because he is of a different race than the majority of the Afghanistan natives and is called various names and physically abused. By narrating from Amir’s perspective, the reader is able to see firsthand how unfair discrimination truly is and learn that people try to satisfy those they view important.
The reader sees Amir as a very flawed and troubled narrator. He is not kind to Hessian and does not give him the revere that Hessian gives Amir. Amir, a haughty character, and often times thinks he is superior to Hessian and plays various, mean tricks on him. Hessian would do anything for Amir and would help Amir out with anything regardless of the situation. In response to this Amir blames Hessian for various things that are not his fault and treats him very poorly. This may be seen as bad moral behavior from a disrespectful kid or it can be seen as the theme of the novel. Amir feels that since Hessian is a Hazara he cannot be his friend or even his equal. This ties into the themes of the novel of discrimination and dwelling in the past. Amir is always trying to please his father and try to look good in the eyes of other people but he cannot be kind to the ones he treat him the best. If Amir was not flawed and if he did not treat Hessian as a non-equal than it would not be as clear that Amir only wants to please those who he thinks are important. Amir lives his whole life trying to please his father who he sees as a successful important person, “I kept stealing glances at Baba sitting with Rahim Khan on the roof, wondering what he was thinking” (63). If the author did not decide to become Amir than the reader would see the discrimination on a broad scale and not see the define reasons for Amir not treating Hessian as well as he deserves.
The fact that Khaled Hosseini decided to become Amir and create his character very flawed helped the reader become elusive and understand the theme of the novel. The reoccurring theme is unfair discrimination and trying to delight the ones who individuals view as significant. In conclusion, if Hosseini did not choose to become Amir, the ideals of the novel would be much more difficult to understand.
Daniel Sugar
English IV-G
Mr. Kefor
Short essay assignment
Hosseini gains a lot from creating an unreliable/flawed narrator, which contributes greatly to the delivery of the story. Amir’s transgressions elicit a strong response from the reader because he becomes his narrator, which gives a very in-depth view on Amir and his life.
Hosseini, as Amir, begins the story by saying, “I became what I am today at the age of 12, on a frigid day in the winter of 1975” (Hosseini 1); this introduction implies that some significant aberration happened on that day which altered the course of his life forever. The novel elaborates on the rift of between the Pashtun and the Hazara ethnic groups. The Pashtuns view themselves as ultimately superior to the Hazaras, as Assef states, “‘Afghanistan is the land of the Pashtuns. It always has been, and it always will be. We are the true Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here [referring to Hassan, who was Amir’s servant]. His people pollute our homeland…”” (Hosseini 40). Assef is a Pashtun supremacist who does not like how Amir seems to be a friend with Hassan. During chapter seven, a major kite tournament took place in Kabul. Amir won the even out of hundreds of other kites. Beforehand, he felt that Baba, his father, neither liked nor understood him very much. After the tournament, it seemed like they, “’…were finally friends’” (Hosseini 85). This implies the quickness of how one’s feelings towards another can change because before the tournament, Baba seemed to dislike Amir, but thereafter, they had a profusion of friendship.
Khaled Hosseini’s novel, the Kite Runner, tells the story of people growing up in an Afghanistan wrecked with conflict and distrust. By becoming the main character, Amir, the reader sees the first hand view of this world. It cannot be said how different the reading experience would be with a less personal narrative of his life.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is an amazing story of a young boy living in Kabul. He has a best friend Hassan who becomes more distant as time goes on. Khaled Hosseini’s action of making the character Amir tell the story from his point of view contributes to the delivery of the story and helps evoke emotion from the reader.
Amir narrating the story of the Kite Runner leads the reader to believe the story is true because it has such a profusion of detail that it only seems to be true. Being the center of all the experiences, Amir tells the story with great knowledge. Silently, cowardly, Amir watched his best friend Hassan get raped in one of the most dramatic scenes in the book. Most people were against them being friends because there was such a disparity in the racial classes, especially Assef who is the neighborhood bully. Clearly, being the one to experience all the events, it’s only right that Amir tells the story from his point of view.
Amir’s narration of the novel makes this book what it is. This is truly an amazing book due to the first person point of view.
-Michael Edward Kelly
Often times in literature the author may chose an unreliable narrator. In the novel “the Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseni, the main character Amir, a former Afghan citizen, is picked to tell his story. Amir takes the audience back in time and through his life, taking his experiences and expressing his views. By choosing Amir as the narrator, Hosseni changes up the point of view from a regular novel to portray emotion through the eyes of a relatable person.
With having Amir tell his story the audience is given more of a connection to the characters. It is almost like the readers are listening to story, as if Amir is reading it to them. When Amir watches his servant/best friend get raped by another boy, we have a sense of the numbness he went through, and the way he froze in time, made us freeze right along with him. As he attempted to make a decision the audience kept reading because they want to know the emotion Amir felt. Despite the choices Amir made, it gave the viewer a sense of what a person goes through when making a challenging decision.
Another experience Amir takes us through is when is friend Hassan leaves him. Because Amir cannot handle what he saw, he is conniving and frames Hassan by leaving his own money in Hassan’s mattress. We follow Amir to Hassan’s room, assume what he is doing, and watch Hassan have to take the blame; though we are not told the entire story we trust through Amir’s inner dialogue the way he is feeling, “he knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time”(105). It tore Amir apart to watch his friend away but it gave him relief. As he watched his friend drive away Amir revealed new emotions that the audience had yet to see; a hopeful emotion, where he had lost someone but would hopefully gain more. Though he and Hassan were from different social classes, their friendship is immutable, for it will never change the way they feel about each other.
In conclusion, by picking an unreliable narrator is a risky way to write a novel. In “the Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseni, the narrator Amir tells his story in a vivid way. By having him take the audience through his experiences more emotion is portrayed and the audience is given a connection to the different scenarios. This is unlike a normal novel, the change of point of view creates a relationship between the story and its audience.
Phil Rizzo
11/19/10
English G
ESSAY
The fact that the narrator is flawed is overall a great concept to have in the novel and only helps the story. In reality everybody is flawed in one way or another so the fact that the main character is more human helps the reader connect to the book. For a book to be good the reader has to be able to connect, and problems that are relatable to the readers own life helps the reading experience to be an insuperable one. The reader and the characters in the book cannot have disparity or else the reader will not be able to relate and get into the novel. Amir’s life is easily relatable to the reader’s life because he has flaws that everyone has and problems that everyone has.
One of Amir’s flaws is that he cannot get over something that he should and look at the big picture. That’s a problem that a lot of people have; that they do something bad and think that they can fix it or ignore it. The fact of the matter is that you cannot fix it because it is in the past. We as people can only look forward and try and do better in the future by learning from a past experience. Another concept of the book is the Amir does not understand forgiveness and that someone can overlook one tragic moment and look at the big picture that Hassan and he are best friends. Hosseini gives these issues to the main character in hopes that the reader can learn from Amir’s mistakes and understand his life. Amir thinks that instead of Hassan just forgiving him that Hassan should get him back which is why he says “Get up! Hit me!” (pg 92) expecting Hassan to get up and hit him with a fruit after he had hit Hassan with a fruit. With this act, again Hassan shows his ability to forgive.
The narrator having flaws is ultimately a positive aspect that the author places into the book that allows the reader to connect to the book by relating it to his or her own life. Amir’s flaws are ones that are very common in the real world. Perhaps the realism of the novel is because it could be a non-fiction novel as it is very close to the story of the author Hosseini who is originally from Afghanistan. Relating the story to the readers own life is more exciting and enjoyable for the reader. The characters seem so real because they go through everyday problems that the readers go through.
Hosseini gains some and loses in creating an unreliable narrator in The Kite Runner. Khaled could have very easily written his book in third person if he wanted to; the time it took him would have been much less. Instead it took him a plethora of thought to write the book in first person because he had to think like and almost turn into Amir's innocuous self. In this sense he has lost in creating an unreliable narrator. The reader also does not know weather to believe every thing he or she hears because it is almost identical to reading a story with a drunken narrator; the story can also become confusing at times. Talking in first person is one of Khaled's tactics in writing this story.
Although there are a few loses by creating am unreliable narrator, there is also many gains in it. Khaled forces the reader to focus and comprehend what he is writing at every second. Sometimes it forces the reader to reread a section to comprehend it because it is so different from a third person story. Since Amir has sinned so badly and feels horrible about what he had done, you do not know weather he has been truthful in writing or he is covering for his own salvation. This makes the reader have to put there own theories to the test and see which one makes the most sense. Wondering about what Amir has or hasn't been truthful about, the narrator can make the reader have to infer about his book. Intellectually stimulating the reader is a definite gain to Khaled's book.
Amir's transgressions elicit a very detailed response from the reader. The characterization of these violations would be almost and anger from the reader. Maybe mixed in regret and hope for redemption about Amir. This is because Amir does not know how to stand up for himself and this enrages the reader. When the incident happens with Hassan, Amir doe not stick up for him and this really gets the readers emotions going in a very negative way towards Amir. There reader also has to remember the Amir is only 13 and his brain has not totally matured and grown. The transgressions by Amir evoke much emotion in the reader.
Brian Fox
11/19/10
English G
Kite Runner Blog Essay
By creating a flawed narrator Housseini loses a great amount of credibility and leads the reader to have harsh feelings towards the narrator. The fact that Housseini chose to write the novel from Amir’s point of view it contributes to the delivery of the story. As the novel progresses the reader begins to question the narrator’s personal integrity. But with the story from the point of view of Amir the reader feels the need of reading on because it is obvious that Amir feels so guilty and wants to tell the truth and get it all off his chest, and the reader wants to see if Amir will redeem himself by coming clean. By choosing to write the novel from the point of view of a flawed narrator Housseini draws in the reader by creating the feelings of pity and hatred.
Amir’s transgressions bring about a feeling of hatred. But at the beginning of the novel the when Amir says, “I always felt like Baba hated me a little..” the reader feels bad for Amir. But as the novel progresses the reader begins to have feelings of hatred towards Amir because of his relationship with Hassan. And the things that he does to Hassan make the reader really question Amir’s integrity.
Keegan Schleicher
Block: G
November 19, 2010
Essay
Essay
While writing a 1st person novel, developing the narrator is an important role to the context of the plot. The narrator can be the antagonist or protagonist, but their character must flow with the meaning and theme of the novel. In Hosseini’s novel, the narrator, Amir, is flawed and his transgressions help Hosseini develop the plot through a dramatic and emotional character. No one in this world is perfect, and the character of Amir engenders hatred and emotion from the readers. His flaws and transgressions elicit emotional responses, and even though he is clearly flawed, Amir is given the chance of redemption and salvation.
Hosseini’s development of a flawed narrator gains more connections from the readers. Many people one way or another have experience tough times in their lives, just as Amir has. Physical and emotional tragedies are a constant in the world we live in, and Amir’s life helps readers feel more connected to the book. If Amir had been a perfect child, there would be life in the novel and it would lack a positive response from the reader. Amir lacks clear rectitude and does not know how to handle predicaments life has placed him in. In order to gain acceptance from his father, Amir sacrificed friendships and moral virtues in his life. When Amir’s best friend Hassan is brutally raped, Amir watches and does not stand up for his friend, even though Hassan numerous times has shown loyalty to Amir. Amir selfishly “forgot what I’d done. And that was good” (78) when he returned home to Baba with the kite. Amir’s selfish attitude elicits a negative response from the reader but that is a positive outcome for Hosseini because he is connecting with his readers. The characterization of a narrator, who makes many mistakes in his life, develops a plot that may allow him to redeem himself. Amir is seen as a flawed character right now at this story, but he may change later in the novel.
Fear, hatred, anger, jealousy, resentment-this is how Amir is characterized in the beginning of the novel. He is a naïve, immature boy who is just trying to gain acceptance. Amir fighting for Baba’s acceptance is a microcosm of the Hazaras trying to gain acceptance in Afghanistan. Amir is a pashturn, but he is no better than his Hazara servants. Redemption, embrace, vindication, salvation, and closure- the novel develops a chance for Amir to obtain these virtues in the ending of the novel. The developing of the narrator allows Hosseini to create a chance of redemption in Amir, and leave his readers ready to see the ending of his novel. He gains by showing the human side of a story based on tragedy. In the end “there is no monster, just a beautiful day” (61).
Keegan Schleicher
Block: G
November 19, 2010
Essay
Essay
While writing a 1st person novel, developing the narrator is an important role to the context of the plot. The narrator can be the antagonist or protagonist, but their character must flow with the meaning and theme of the novel. In Hosseini’s novel, the narrator, Amir, is flawed and his transgressions help Hosseini develop the plot through a dramatic and emotional character. No one in this world is perfect, and the character of Amir engenders hatred and emotion from the readers. His flaws and transgressions elicit emotional responses, and even though he is clearly flawed, Amir is given the chance of redemption and salvation.
Hosseini’s development of a flawed narrator gains more connections from the readers. Many people one way or another have experience tough times in their lives, just as Amir has. Physical and emotional tragedies are a constant in the world we live in, and Amir’s life helps readers feel more connected to the book. If Amir had been a perfect child, there would be life in the novel and it would lack a positive response from the reader. Amir lacks clear rectitude and does not know how to handle predicaments life has placed him in. In order to gain acceptance from his father, Amir sacrificed friendships and moral virtues in his life. When Amir’s best friend Hassan is brutally raped, Amir watches and does not stand up for his friend, even though Hassan numerous times has shown loyalty to Amir. Amir selfishly “forgot what I’d done. And that was good” (78) when he returned home to Baba with the kite. Amir’s selfish attitude elicits a negative response from the reader but that is a positive outcome for Hosseini because he is connecting with his readers. The characterization of a narrator, who makes many mistakes in his life, develops a plot that may allow him to redeem himself. Amir is seen as a flawed character right now at this story, but he may change later in the novel.
Fear, hatred, anger, jealousy, resentment-this is how Amir is characterized in the beginning of the novel. He is a naïve, immature boy who is just trying to gain acceptance. Amir fighting for Baba’s acceptance is a microcosm of the Hazaras trying to gain acceptance in Afghanistan. Amir is a pashturn, but he is no better than his Hazara servants. Redemption, embrace, vindication, salvation, and closure- the novel develops a chance for Amir to obtain these virtues in the ending of the novel. The developing of the narrator allows Hosseini to create a chance of redemption in Amir, and leave his readers ready to see the ending of his novel. He gains by showing the human side of a story based on tragedy. In the end “there is no monster, just a beautiful day” (61).
Although Amir is only a young boy, he can be considered an unreliable narrator due to his age. It can change the respect of how the novel is produced. This helps the novel as a whole because many are able to relate. Such as the narrator being flawed, shows that no one is perfect and everyone has their problems or issues one time or another.
Being an unreliable narrator engenders a correlation between the narrator and the reader. There may be diatribe towards the narrator because of the unintelligent things he does: “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba”. (77) Amir uses Hassan to win his father over.
Usually when you hear a story from and unreliable source it detracts from the story, but not in The Kite Runner. Khaled Hosseini, the creator of The Kite Runner, uses Amir’s unreliability as a way of letting Amir express himself. The story is truly told better by this unreliable source because it brings out the true story telling and personality of Amir. Khaled Hosseini uses an unreliable source in The Kite Runner because it helps bring out the real personality of Amir and it makes the reader truly think about what is happening.
As the story progresses Amir’s point of view seems to be apocryphal because you can never tell when he tells the truth and give precise and direct details. Usually by trusting the narrator, you get a truthful, easy read story, but since Amir and Hosseini are unreliable it makes the story a complex, interesting read. Throughout the novel the reader starts to question the validity of the story and draws a response from the reader. As the reader reads on they seem to overcome the conciliatory of Amir which further draws a response from the reader. To continue with the story you need to overcome the unreliability of the narrator and ask the questions that need to be solved. The questions that the narrator leaves unanswered provoke a big reader response.
At the end of the response it is clear that the unreliability of the narrator helps the reader understand the complexity of the book. So when Amir becomes unreliable it brings out the smaller aspects of the story because you tend to focus on smaller details. Even though everyone seems to hate Amir his unreliability helps understand the complexity because it brings out the smaller details of the story helping you understand the novel.
Keegan Campbell
Emma Jackson
November 19, 2010
English G
In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, he chooses to use a conniving narrator in order to earn a reaction from his readers. In the beginning of the book, Amir and Hassan are thought out to be good friends. After awhile us readers begin to learn that Amir, the narrator, is a selfish boy who only truly cares about earning acceptance from his father, Baba. Amir is the antithesis of what we’d expect a narrator to be. When Hassan was being raped by another young boy named Assef, Amir didn’t do anything to help him “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt.” (77) Any true friend would at least try to help their friend out, but Amir was only thinking about himself in this situation and what would happen to him in the end. By Hosseini picking a deceiving narrator, I think it delivers to the story. It causes controversy and makes us readers want to put ourselves in his position and hope we would do better than he has.
From the discussions we have had in class, I think that by Amir being a “flawed” character it transacts a strong response from us readers. As much as we don’t like to admit it, we Americans love to read about tragedy. We might not like what Amir is doing but it stirs up discussion and we try to put ourselves in his shoes. In some ways Husseini has us feeling bad for Amir because his father doesn’t really accept him, but in other ways we despise him for his actions. For example: “I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife his beautiful princes. Hadn’t I?” (19) It’s sad that Amir feels like his father blames him for just being born, and we begin to feel bad for him. But Amir’s horrific actions are a lot stronger than his good, and overall we learn to not like him. All in all Amirs’ transgressions do elicit a response from us readers, and it’s not a good response overall.
It was smart of Hosseini to portray his narrator in the way that he did. Controversy makes for a good book, and The Kite Runner has a lot of it just because of the character, Amir.
Sarah Tenglin
In the face of eminent danger, one might react in a variety of ways; it is the way people handle each situation that determines everyone else’s perception of them. Through multiple flaws and errors, Amir is presented to the reader as a scared little boy who has poor judgment. Had he been the vision of perfection, the reader would not be able to connect with his situation. The more that Amir appears to be flawed, the more that the reader becomes frustrated with his actions. This frustration aids the reader to imagine themselves in his situation and engender sympathy toward him. Even through detestable acts, Hosseini creates a character that one can relate to on many levels.
By placing a climactic scene with immutable and unchangeable consequences in the beginning of the novel, Hosseini makes Amir become the antagonist in the eyes of the reader. But if one looks deeper into the life of this little, innocent boy, one will notice a flawed relationship with the only substantial figure in his life. He tries to please his father through everything that he does because he thinks that “all fathers in their secret hearts harbor[ed] a desire to kill their sons” (29). He knew that if he helped out his friend, it could be jeopardizing his relationship with his father and inevitably it would end his life literally and metaphorically. He also knew that the way to Baba’s heart was through the kites (49). In creating a more realistic, more relatable, and more significant character, Hosseini raps the reader into the story through his blemished and imperfect character.
Finally, the reader becomes aware of something that changes their view on Amir altogether: He is just a boy. This does not give him the right or the excuse to blow off his actions as an effect of youth, but it makes him more down-to-earth in the eyes of the reader. As the book progresses, the reader witnesses him evolve into an ordinary person. Through his physical growth, he becomes more knowledgeable and worldly and therefore, he shows that every person can change. Amir provokes a variety of emotions out of the reader and helps them to become connect their situations with his own. Amir is the epitome of youthful ignorance and the growth that can take place with time.
Jason Oliva
November 19th
Period G
English IV
In life, people tend to make mistakes. Some mistakes are better left untold, although fear and guilt begins to tear it’s holder apart. In Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner Amir, a flawed character, holds a terrible secret which burdens him with fear and guilt. This fear and guilt stirs different emotions in different readers, but ultimately brings readers and characters together.
Amir, the narrator of the novel is also the protagonist of the novel. Over the course of the story, Amir makes a plethora decisions, such as “[Watching] Hassan get raped.” (86) that are considered bad choices, and these choices characterize Amir as a flawed character. Hosseini’s choice of making Amir a flawed character enables readers to relate to him. Humans are not perfect, and even compared to Amir’s mistakes, a common person has done something of equal or greater consequence. On the other hand, readers begin to get angry with Amir, as observed in class. When someone is angry, they tend to skip over minute details, which can be deadly when attempting to understand the story in one of Hosseini’s books.
The anger and relation to Amir in The Kite Runner enhances the delivery of the story. As Amir grows throughout the story, the angry readers become more compassionate towards him. The pain he feels and the friends he loses places an immutable burden on his everyday life. He is constantly reminded of the terrible things he has done and how he can do nothing to change them. The relation between the readers and Amir also increase as he tries to struggle with his guilt and fear. In this society we live in, guilt and fear constantly show themselves in our lives as well.
Throughout the entire novel, Amir makes decisions, and he pays for them. Much like in life, the burden of his guilt and fear make him close to miserable. Amir believes that he will be angry with if he tells his secrets and he is right, for the readers of his story become angry with him. The choice of a flawed protagonist creates a bridge that lets readers connect with the character and have an overall pleasurable experience.
In the face of eminent danger, one might react in a variety of ways; it is the way people handle each situation that determines everyone else’s perception of them. Through multiple flaws and errors, Amir is presented to the reader as a scared little boy who has poor judgment. Had he been the vision of perfection, the reader would not be able to connect with his situation. The more that Amir appears to be flawed, the more that the reader becomes frustrated with his actions. This frustration aids the reader to imagine themselves in his situation and engender sympathy toward him. Even through detestable acts, Hosseini creates a character that one can relate to on many levels.
By placing a climactic scene with immutable and unchangeable consequences in the beginning of the novel, Hosseini makes Amir become the antagonist in the eyes of the reader. But if one looks deeper into the life of this little, innocent boy, one will notice a flawed relationship with the only substantial figure in his life. He tries to please his father through everything that he does because he thinks that “all fathers in their secret hearts harbor[ed] a desire to kill their sons” (29). He knew that if he helped out his friend, it could be jeopardizing his relationship with his father and inevitably it would end his life literally and metaphorically. He also knew that the way to Baba’s heart was through the kites (49). In creating a more realistic, more relatable, and more significant character, Hosseini raps the reader into the story through his blemished and imperfect character.
Finally, the reader becomes aware of something that changes their view on Amir altogether: He is just a boy. This does not give him the right or the excuse to blow off his actions as an effect of youth, but it makes him more down-to-earth in the eyes of the reader. As the book progresses, the reader witnesses him evolve into an ordinary person. Through his physical growth, he becomes more knowledgeable and worldly and therefore, he shows that every person can change. Amir provokes a variety of emotions out of the reader and helps them to become connect their situations with his own. Amir is the epitome of youthful ignorance and the growth that can take place with time.
Tim Johansmeyer
Having a good narrator is crucial to telling a good story. If the story is not told well, the reader is not able to get the full impact that the author intends. Hosseini creates a flawed narrator, Amir, who’s telling of the story provides insight into Amir’s personality and provides a more complex experience for the reader.
One way in which Amir’s narration is flawed is that he tells things in the way that he sees them and not how they actually happen. He did this when he describes the relationship between him and Hassan. When he and Hassan are in sitting together by the pomegranate trees after Hassan has been raped Amir says that Hassan is “nothing but a goddamn coward!” In reality this is the antithesis of what really happens. Amir is really the coward for not admitting what happened to Hassan, but he calls Amir a coward because he wants to get rid of his quilt. The way that Amir narrates the story helps to provide complexity for the reader because we are able to see who Amir truly is. Had Amir not told the story in this way that he does the reader would not be able to fully understand Amir’s selfish attitude. He really only cares about himself and shows little regard for the well-being of others. An example of this is when he puts the money and watch under Hassan’s mattress. In order to get Hassan out of his life, Amir frames him and gets him kicked out.
The overall impact that the story has on the reader is greatly influenced by Amir’s narration. His method of narrating fits extremely well with the story. Although the story telling is not completely honest, it is a great reflection in regards to Amir’s personality.
Nigel Allard
11/19/10
Period G
Variety is the spice of life and the flaws in every human being give life that extra spice. These flaws improve the quality of life and make everything fascinating and extraordinary. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Hosseini makes the narrator flawed and unreliable. By making Amir undependable as a narrator, Hosseini improves the reading experience and is able to engender a response of anger and frustration for the reader. By using an unreliable narrator to tell his story, Hosseini is able to turn the book into a powerful and unforgettable tale.
Amir, the flawed narrator, adds an extra element to the novel and contributes to the story. Hosseini is able to capture the reader’s emotions and manipulate them for his benefit. By making Amir the very antithesis of trustworthy, he is able to create a highly emotional response of frustration and anger from the reader. Amir witnesses his best friend get beat up and raped and does nothing to help him. Amir runs away from the scene of the crime and tries to comfort himself “as [he] turned [his] back to the alley, to Hassan” (77). Amir shows that he is flawed and is a coward which elicits a response of frustration from the reader. Amir frames his best friend after the incident because he can’t stand to see him anymore. He doesn’t realize until after “the depth of the pain [he] had caused, the blackness of the grief [he] had brought onto everyone” (107). This makes the reader angry because he just got rid of his best friend. Hosseini is able to produce a response from the reader by making the narrator flawed.
Hosseini is a great author that is able to gain the reader’s attention by making his narrator as an unreliable source. He is able to control the reader’s feelings and make them feel the way he wants them to. Hosseini makes an unforgettable tale and an enjoyable experience for the reader.
The way in which Khaled Hosseini chooses to portray his novel, The Kite Runner, is both meticulously and brazenly selected by his choice of first person. Amir, the unpredictable child who delivers the entire story to the reader from his point of view, encounters debatable and treacherous experiences throughout the novel. This writing style can be seen as advantageous or unfavorable depending on the reader. Ultimately, Hosseini gains a unique and suspenseful story from his audacious point of view.
Reading a story that is entirely narrated by a child, a mere thirteen years of age at the start, can easily be automatically seen as apocryphal. Quickly, a reader’s interest and realism can be lost because of this. It is not as easy for adult readers to relate to Amir’s experiences, because of the vast age difference at the beginning of the novel. Despite his increase in age as the story progresses, the seemingly most important scenes occur while he is still a child. Thus, it takes a lot of time to gain the reader’s trust in Amir, which is a risk Hosseini endures.
Regardless of the many things Hosseini potentially loses from his viewers, he also gains just as much. With his distinctiveness in narration, he creates a remarkably suspenseful story line without fail. The constant change and transformations in Amir’s personality as he ages keeps the readers intrigued, and hoping to see maturity emerge. He is displayed as always relying on his father to help him get through things; he never was forced to make mature decisions on his own. Essentially, he is forced to mature when Baba passes away, “Baba couldn’t show me the way anymore; I’d have to find it on my own” (pg 174). As Amir grows up, the readers follow his changes and improvements, which encourage the readers to keep faith in him.
Hosseini takes a risk which not many authors choose to employ. This serves as a major advantage to his writing skill, demonstrating his ability to take on the role of a different person, and personality. He effortlessly adds a profusion of characterization to Amir, just by presenting his constant changing thoughts and attitude. While it may simply be seen as a negative thing, his unique and bold writing style adds a great amount of depth and distinctiveness to his novel.
Andrea Giglio
The way in which Khaled Hosseini chooses to portray his novel, The Kite Runner, is both meticulously and brazenly selected by his choice of first person. Amir, the unpredictable child who delivers the entire story to the reader from his point of view, encounters debatable and treacherous experiences throughout the novel. This writing style can be seen as advantageous or unfavorable depending on the reader. Ultimately, Hosseini gains a unique and suspenseful story from his audacious point of view.
Reading a story that is entirely narrated by a child, a mere thirteen years of age at the start, can easily be automatically seen as apocryphal. Quickly, a reader’s interest and realism can be lost because of this. It is not as easy for adult readers to relate to Amir’s experiences, because of the vast age difference at the beginning of the novel. Despite his increase in age as the story progresses, the seemingly most important scenes occur while he is still a child. Thus, it takes a lot of time to gain the reader’s trust in Amir, which is a risk Hosseini endures.
Regardless of the many things Hosseini potentially loses from his viewers, he also gains just as much. With his distinctiveness in narration, he creates a remarkably suspenseful story line without fail. The constant change and transformations in Amir’s personality as he ages keeps the readers intrigued, and hoping to see maturity emerge. He is displayed as always relying on his father to help him get through things; he never was forced to make mature decisions on his own. Essentially, he is forced to mature when Baba passes away, “Baba couldn’t show me the way anymore; I’d have to find it on my own” (pg 174). As Amir grows up, the readers follow his changes and improvements, which encourage the readers to keep faith in him.
Hosseini takes a risk which not many authors choose to employ. This serves as a major advantage to his writing skill, demonstrating his ability to take on the role of a different person, and personality. He effortlessly adds a profusion of characterization to Amir, just by presenting his constant changing thoughts and attitude. While it may simply be seen as a negative thing, his unique and bold writing style adds a great amount of depth and distinctiveness to his novel.
Andrea Giglio
Khaled Hosseini decides to tell the story of The Kite Runner from the perspective of Amir. This way of writing was interesting because it provides the reader with a different view, contrary to the normal way of writing a story. Amir could be considered as a flawed narrator due to his bias for his own situation. The question of whether he meets the readers’ expectations is asked. It is evident that Amir as a narrator proves somewhat of a positive gain for Khaled because it provides the reader with an alternate form of delivery for the story line.
Khaled’s decision to make Amir the narrator is a step forward as compared to the antiquated way of telling stories from the perspective of the protagonist or third person. This can give the reader a sort of inside look at some of the events that happened, while other narrators may have given a less detailed or completely different recollection. Amir contributes what he can for each event, whether or not it is 100% accurate is another question raised.
Amir’s transgressions can elicit a negative response from some readers and a positive response from others. Some readers view Amir as a terrible person for what he has done to Hassan and characterize him negatively. Others may admire his honesty and forgive him for the wrongs in his life. In my own personal opinion I can characterize Amir as selfish yet truthful. One cannot blame him for telling the truth, but they can blame him for committing the actions in the first place.
Most readers have either very strong feelings of hatred or admiration towards Amir. Therefore Hosseini’s decision to make Amir the narrator contributes to the story. The point of books is to evoke emotion out of the reader and Hosseini’s decision did just that.
Chris Bukowski
November 19th, 2010
Class G
Short Essay
Hosseini’s The Kite Runner offers a unique and brazing story, told in an obscure way. The Kite Runner is told through the eyes of Amir, an Afghan boy whom encounters various predicaments throughout his life. It becomes apparent to the reader that many of the decisions Amir makes while in these predicaments are somewhat “flawed”. Although he is a young boy, these decisions come off as neglectful and wrong. These horrors haunt Amir throughout his life as he struggles to find “a way to be good again” (Hosseini 2). Although Hosseini focuses his novel around the perspective of this faulty character, using him as the narrator, this technique offers an interesting twist to the story. Hosseini’s novel tells a story through an unreliable narrator’s eyes, offering an uncommon storyline and an enhanced grip on the reader’s attention; an exception to literal normalcy.
In fact, Amir’s transgressions elicit a strong response from the reader. This response often has a negative connotation when reading this story. These failure decisions which Amir often chooses embroils a sense of anger or disappointment toward Amir’s character. Although this is a negative impact on the reader, it will often further immerse the reader in the text. In the story, the repetitive disappointment Amir gives the reader results in increased interest for the story’s outcome. This technique of having an unreliable narrator is in fact more successful than a traditional story narrated by a seemingly perfect narrator. The redundant sense of flawed action in this story is an incredibly interesting difference from traditional writing.
The uniqueness of this story’s structure ultimately enhances the content of the story. An exception to the mundane literature read every day, this offers a completely different reading experience and emotional ordeal.
Most times the narrator in a story is the protagonist and is a positive addition to the story. Hosseini chooses to weave his story, in The Kite Runner, using a morally questionable narrator who is an aberration from the normal protagonist in other stories. During the latter part of his early life, Amir struggles with trying to find a “way to be good again” (Hosseini 2). Amir makes a few bad decisions regarding his relationship with Hassan. Khaled Hosseini breaks through the normal structure of most novels by making the narrator a flawed and imperfect person.
Amir makes many questionable decisions when his friend Hassan gets raped. Most of the character flaws arise and are spurred from this incident. Amir sits by and watches while Hassan is being assaulted. Amir’s lack of courage comes out in this scene and comes out as an insuperable character flaw. Amir then wrongs his friend a second time by framing him just to get him kicked out of his house. The fact that Amir cannot even deal with the guilt of not standing up for his friend shows his lack of courage and serious flaws as a person. These flaws make for an interesting experience as a reader. It gives the feel of suspense because of not knowing what Amir will do next. Amir turns into a unpredictable character and an interesting person.
Most of Amir’s character flaws are not entirely his fault. He is a product of his environment and his father. All he looks to do is please his father, so in the alleyway when he did not stand up for Hassan he was influenced by his constant need to be liked by Baba. The way Hosseini characterizes Amir makes him a flawed but interestingly unpredictable narrator.
By creating a flawed narrator, Khaled Hosseini’s book The Kite Runner contains an interesting perspective on how the narrator tells the story of Amir, and the methods on which he does so. Amir, a character who encounters some hardships in his life, is expressed by the narrator in the first-person, which when spoken in this style, allows the reader to have a better understanding of his transgressions revealed from his perspective. While this perspective is partially flawed because it does not allow the full understanding of the other characters’ points of view, it remains useful because it allows the reader to understand the meticulous details of one’s mind.
Khaled Hosseini’s use of speaking from Amir’s perspective allows the reader to understand his own perspective, but its lack of being omniscient prevents it from giving the reader the perspective of other major characters. Amir comments on his transgressions by recalling what had become of him, and explains his own perspective of his surroundings by stating: “I didn’t remember what month that was, or what year even. I only knew the memory that lived in me, a perfectly encapsulated morsel of a good past, a brushstroke of color on the gray, barren canvas that our lives had become” (Hosseini 123), commenting on his experience stuck in a gasoline truck, escaping from his own home world, and the seemingly insuperable position being stuck in the truck had on him for an indefinite amount of time.
While Hosseini’s perspective used in this book fails to give the perspective of other characters, the ability for him to immerse himself into a single character allows the reader to fully understand his emotions, and is characterized by the way he talks about himself in dire situations. By explaining the situation that Amir is experiencing, the reader can understand exactly what he is going through, whereas it may become complicated if Hosseini had used an omniscient perspective. Despite the lack of an omniscient perspective, the use of using Amir as the main focal point of the story gives it a more human-like perspective, and helps to make it into the work of art that The Kite Runner really is.
In The Kite Runner, Hosseini’s unreliable character gives the book a sense of realism and contributes to the delivery of the story. Amir is a flawed narrator, his actions and thoughts engender hatred from the readers. Amir makes many transgressions in the beginning of the novel but the wrong doings are realistic in the sense that a child would make that mistake or choice. The narrator wants to please his father and gain his attention. On his way, he sacrifices the one he cares about for his own selfish needs. Amir sacrifices Hassan, Hassan’s innocence and his own.
In the beginning of the novel, it is obvious that Hassan is Amir’s obsequious servant and friend. Hassan washes Amir’s clothes and makes his breakfast but they play together, have fun together, and do almost everything together. It is soon obvious that Amir does not carry the same loyalty as Hassan does. Hassan would defend Amir against Assef; he would pull out his sling shot and fire it at Assef if he dared to come at Amir. He would do anything asked of him for Amir and shout, “for you a thousand times over” (Hosseini 67). But Amir does not do the same; in fact he watches as Assef rapes Hassan and could only care about the kite that would have Baba, his father, revering him. He believed Hassan was the price [he] had to pay, the lamb [he] had to slay, to win Baba” (77). That is the day that Amir became a thief and “there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft” (17). In that one day, with the one decision Hassan and Amir’s innocence had been stolen from them.
Hosseini created Amir as a flawed and unreliable character but Amir’s actions and thoughts are most realistic although looked down upon by readers. He is selfish and lacks the hero quality that most novels have for the main character. The feeling generated from the readers is a negative response to Amir. Despite the flawed character and the outrage feeling readers get from the novel, nothing is taken away. In fact the novel is given a sense of reality and readers gain hope for Amir that “there is a way [for him] to be good again” (2).
Derek Schwartz
C block
Short Essay
Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, is the story of a young afghan boys life as he ages into a man. Amir, the main character, is also the narrator of the novel who shows some odd tendencies. He can be seen as unreliable and often flawed as he tells his story. However, this type of flawed storytelling can lead to a better connection to the novel. Using an unreliable narrator to tell a story can give people either a beneficial or negative view on his novel. Amir’s unreliableness as a narrator gives the point of view that he wants to see which is often skewed. This is the opposite of a normal novel when the author often chooses the narrator to be a goodhearted hero. Amir is the opposite of this type of character. He watched his best friend get raped and he continued to say, “In the end, I ran. I ran because I’m a coward”(77). Now many may have been disgusted with hassan in this scene which is what I believe Hosseini wanted. He wanted a dynamic angle of storytelling that I believe aids to the story. If this scene doesn’t gain a response from the reader I don’t know what will. When Amir cant stand hassan after the rape because of his guilt and he spews, “I want you to stop harrassing me. I want you to go away”(88). Even though Hassan is the victim Amir makes it about himself which again deffinetly shows how elusive amir is of being a relaible narrator.The disparity between Hassan and Amir can only be charaterized as a slave and master relationship. Mean and cruel, Amir often comes off as an insuffcient as a friend. Had Hosseini being more perceptive, he has realized that this type of narration is succsessful in writing a novel.
By using a flawed or unreliable narrator, Hosseini gains the edge of being a real person and not someone who has unrealistic characteristics. This helps the reader relate to the narrator in emotion and in context. Amir is challenged at many times with being a friend and stepping up to be a man. The narrator connects with the reader early on in the story by feeling for his friend who was being raped in an ally: “Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” (Chap 1) The author is showing a past experience and how it has affected his own life. In the novel The Kite Runner, the narrator includes personal emotions and true feelings that help make for a more realistic story being told.
Throughout the story, Amir is trying to ingratiate himself to his father. He even tries to do this by doing things that are not right and that hurt his family and friends. This shows a sign of weakness and shows the author struggling to be happy with himself. The author also tries to connive his friend into doing things that will make himself look better. Amir, who is struggling with family and friends shows he is flawed and realistic.
I think the decision to make the author flawed actually made the novel better and it contributed to it in a greater effect. If the narrator was perfect or well liked, the storyline would not be very interesting and character ideas would not be as developed. Also, the reactions shown by Amir, and the way he treats Hassan, can get the reader into the book by being angry or disagreeing with Amir. At one point Amir says: “With me as the glaring exception, my father molded the world around him to his liking.” (Chap 3) This tells that Amir was often trying to impress his dad by doing what his dad wanted. His father however, saw that Amir didn’t fit into this mold he was looking at. Amir as the narrator stirs up emotions in the reader due to his lack of thought for others.
Amir’s attitude toward other and his willingness to do anything in order to be in the good graces of his father, led to people being angry at his character. People have to deal with others like this every day and the reader can relate to this. Amir is a perfect narrator for the story in my opinion because he causes conflict with others and within his own family. The way he strikes emotion in readers is key to having a great novel. By including a flawed or unreliable narrator, The Kite Runner, becomes a novel that has interest and a more complex story line.
Connor O'Sullivan C Period
By using a flawed or unreliable narrator, Hosseini gains the edge of being a real person and not someone who has unrealistic characteristics. This helps the reader relate to the narrator in emotion and in context. Amir is challenged at many times with being a friend and stepping up to be a man. The narrator connects with the reader early on in the story by feeling for his friend who was being raped in an ally: “Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” (Chap 1) The author is showing a past experience and how it has affected his own life. In the novel The Kite Runner, the narrator includes personal emotions and true feelings that help make for a more realistic story being told.
Throughout the story, Amir is trying to ingratiate himself to his father. He even tries to do this by doing things that are not right and that hurt his family and friends. This shows a sign of weakness and shows the author struggling to be happy with himself. The author also tries to connive his friend into doing things that will make himself look better. Amir, who is struggling with family and friends shows he is flawed and realistic.
I think the decision to make the author flawed actually made the novel better and it contributed to it in a greater effect. If the narrator was perfect or well liked, the storyline would not be very interesting and character ideas would not be as developed. Also, the reactions shown by Amir, and the way he treats Hassan, can get the reader into the book by being angry or disagreeing with Amir. At one point Amir says: “With me as the glaring exception, my father molded the world around him to his liking.” (Chap 3) This tells that Amir was often trying to impress his dad by doing what his dad wanted. His father however, saw that Amir didn’t fit into this mold he was looking at. Amir as the narrator stirs up emotions in the reader due to his lack of thought for others.
Amir’s attitude toward other and his willingness to do anything in order to be in the good graces of his father, led to people being angry at his character. People have to deal with others like this every day and the reader can relate to this. Amir is a perfect narrator for the story in my opinion because he causes conflict with others and within his own family. The way he strikes emotion in readers is key to having a great novel. By including a flawed or unreliable narrator, The Kite Runner, becomes a novel that has interest and a more complex story line.
Connor O'Sullivan C period
Emily Hastings
English E
Short Essay
In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini chooses to use a first person narrative throughout his book. Amir, the narrator, is a flawed character who has several traumatic moments in his life. This character contributes to how the story is portrayed in the eyes of a specific character. Although flawed and unreliable, the character of Amir connects to the reader through his struggles.
Throughout the novel, the reader is given insight to how Amir reacts to his problems and how his character is tested in tough situations. After explaining the horrific incident that happened to Hassan, Amir admits that he “ran because he was a coward” (Hosseini 77). Without Amir contributing as the narrator, his feelings would be elusive to grasp and understand.
However twisted Amir’s thoughts may be, this character would not have been shown if the book was written in a third person perspective. After struggling to deal with the fact that he had not done the right thing with Hassan, Amir “forgot what he had done. And that was good” (78). At times, Amir treats the incident with nonchalance and carelessness. Regardless, Amir’s character is truly shown by his narrative role in The Kite Runner.
Aj Bashaw
When facing an uncomfortable or dangerous situation, one may respond in either ration or irrational behavior. Through these reactions and responses people produce a character and reputation that outsiders will judge them on. It is only through these countless flaws, that Hosseini paints to us this picture of a scared little boy who, by trying to impress both his father and peers, has a poor decision making process due to the selfishness of his actions. If Hosseini had made him be the dream child, the reader would not be able to sympathize with his lifelong dilemma. The more information we learn about Amir’s imperfect and flawed life, the more that the reader becomes antagonized with his actions. This disappointment helps the reader take the proverbial “walk a mile in his shoes” thus giving the reader a deeper sense of understanding for the pain Amir goes through.
Hosseini holds nothing back as to how the reader should feel about Amir. This is clear in clear in Hosseini’s delivery of Amir’s secret. By having this one action go throughout the entire novel, it serves as an insuperable reminder for Amir’s troubled ways. Amir even refers to himself in derogatory ways, “in the end, I ran. I ran because I was a coward” (77), because he realizes he is imperfect and he wants to fill the void he created by running. And he does this by spending the rest of his life searching for a “way to be good again” (Hosseini 2). And by Hosseini having a such a vivid focus on one certain aspect, makes him both easily relatiable to one’s life, and gives the reader an overwhelming sense of compassion for Amir due to his constant failures and setbacks to which he faces in finding his fill for the void created by his secret.
By creating an unreliable and flawed narrator, Amir, Hosseini gains a uniqueness that most novels lack and a more desirable read. Amir is the son of a wealthy man who believes in honesty and protecting his beliefs. Amir strives for Baba’s, his father, approval. He proves himself to be selfish and flawed in many ways which adds suspense and questions as to what Amir will do.
Amir’s flaws and characteristics turn the readers against him. While reading, we start to focus more on Hassan and his loyalty and his way of life. The readers start to easily despise Amir when they get to know him. It also makes the readers become more attracted to Hassan for being the antithesis of Amir. Hassan and him were great friends until Amir’s true personality shines through. Amir’s personality allows the readers to feel emotion and begin to enjoy the book even more. His character brings reality to the story. While Hassan was in a diatribe of being harassed and raped, Amir simply stood there and “turn[ed] away from the alley” (Hosseini 77). The reader instantly feels emotion and begins to gain a stronger opinion on Amir. Amir constantly reflects on this moment with strong thoughts and decisions but only disappoints the readers when he does nothing about it.
Amir is a strong character that brings a lot to the novel. His imperfections and his personality make this a good novel. He brings realism and affection to the characters and story line.
SHANNONHANSEN
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