Apr 20, 2009 10:54 AM
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The Kite Runner is a awesome book to read. The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who betrayed his best friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara Servant, and lives in regret. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.
Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy, and Hassan, a Hazara and the son of Amir's father's servant, Ali, spend their days in a peaceful Kabul, kite fighting, roaming the streets and being boys. Amir’s father (who is generally referred to as Baba, "daddy", throughout the book) loves both the boys, but seems critical of Amir For not being manly enough. Amir also fears his father blames him for his mother’s death during childbirth. However, he has a kind father figure in the form of Rahim Khan, Baba’s friend, who understands Amir Better, and is supportive of his interest in writing stories.
Assef, a notoriously mean and violent older boy with sadistictendencies, blames Amir for socializing with a Hazara, which is, according to Assef, an inferior race that should only live in Hazarajat. He prepares to attack Amir with his brass knuckles, but Hassan bravely stands up to him, threatening to shoot out Assef's left eye with his slingshot. Assef and his henchmen back off, but Assef says he will take revenge.
Hassan is a successful "kite runner" for Amir, knowing where the kite will land without even watching it. One triumphant day, Amir Wins the local tournament, and finally Baba's praise. Hassan goes to run the last cut kite, a great trophy, for Amir saying "For you, a thousand times over." Unfortunately, Hassan runs into Assef and his two friends. Hassan refuses to give up Amir's kite, so Assef exacts his revenge by assaulting and raping him. Wondering why Hassan is taking solong, Amir searches for Hassan and hides when he hears Assef's voice.He witnesses the rape but is too scared to help him. Afterwards, forsome time Hassan and Amir keep a distance from each other. Amir reacts indifferently because he feels ashamed, and is frustrated by Hassan'ssaint-like behavior. Already jealous of Baba's love for Hassan, he worries if Baba knew how bravely Hassan defended Amir's kite, and howcowardly Amir acted, that Baba's love for Hassan would grow even more.
To force Hassan to leave, Amir frames him by planting a watch andsome money under Hassan's mattress;he falsely confesses. Baba forgives him, despite the fact that, as he explained earlier, he believes that "there is no act more wretched than stealing."Hassan and his father Ali, to Baba's extreme sorrow, leave anyway.Hassan's departure frees Amir of the daily reminder of his cowardice and betrayal, but he still lives in their shadow and his guilt.
Five years later, the Russians invade Afghanistan. Amir and Baba escape to Peshawar, Pakistan and then to Fremont, California, where Amir and Baba, who lived in luxury in an expansive mansion inAfghanistan, settle in a run-down apartment and Baba begins work at agas station. Amir eventually takes classes at a local community collegeto develop his writing skills. Every Sunday, Baba and Amir make extramoney selling used goods at a flea market in San Jose.There, Amir meets fellow refugee Soraya Taheri and her family; Soraya'sfather, who was a high-ranking officer in Afghanistan, has contempt ofAmir's literary aspiration. Baba is diagnosed with terminal oat cell carcinomabut is still capable of granting Amir one last favor: he asks Soraya'sfather's permission for Amir to marry her. He agrees and the two marry.Shortly thereafter Baba dies. Amir and Soraya learn that they cannothave children.
Amir embarks on a successful career as a novelist. Fifteen yearsafter his wedding, Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan, who is dyingfrom an illness. Rahim Khan asks Amir to come to Pakistan. Heenigmatically tells Amir "there is a way to be good again." Amir goes.
From Rahim Khan, Amir learns the fates of Ali and Hassan. Ali waskilled by a land mine. Hassan had a wife and a son, named Sohrab, andhad returned to Baba’s house as a caretaker at Rahim Khan’s request.One day the Talibanordered him to give it up and leave, but he refused, and was murdered, along with his wife. Rahim Khan reveals that Ali was not reallyHassan's father. Hassan was actually the son of Baba, therefore Amir'shalf-brother. Finally, Rahim Khan tells Amir that the true reason hehas called Amir to Pakistan is to go to Kabul to rescue Hassan's son, Sohrab, from an orphanage.
At the house, Amir has his meeting with the man in sunglasses whosays the man who does the speeches is not available, due to the factthat he is participating in wrongful acts of adultery. The man insunglasses is eventually revealed to be his childhood nemesis, Assef.Assef is aware of Amir's identity from the very beginning, but Amirdoesn't realize who he's sitting across from until Assef starts askingabout Ali, Baba and Hassan. Sohrab is being kept at the home where heis made to dance dressed in women's clothes, and it seems Assef might have been raping him. (Sohrab later says, "I'mso dirty and full of sin. The bad man and the other two did things tome.") Assef agrees to relinquish him, but only for a price - cruellybeating Amir. However, Amir is saved when Sohrab uses his slingshot toshoot out Assef's left eye, fulfilling the threat his father had mademany years before.
Amir tells Sohrab of his plans to take him back to America andpossibly adopt him, and promises that he will never be sent to anorphanage again. After almost having to break that promise (afterdecades of war, paperwork documenting Sohrab's orphan status, asdemanded by the US authorities, is impossible to get) and Sohrabattempting suicide, Amir manages to take him back to the United Statesand introduces him to his wife. However, Sohrab is emotionally damagedand refuses to speak or even glance at Soraya. This continues until hisfrozen emotions are thawed when Amir reminisces about his father, Hassan, while kite flying. Amir shows off some of Hassan’s tricks, andSohrab begins to interact with Amir again. In the end Sohrab only showsa lopsided smile, but Amir takes to it with all his heart as he runsthe kite for Sohrab, saying, "For you, a thousand times over."
