American Influence On The Kite Runner

The experiences of young children often shape their personalities and preferences later in life. In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, Amir’s childhood affinity for American movies exposed him to a different culture than the one that surrounded him in Kabul and to a new kind of hero. As a child, the action-packed movies were mere entertainment, but they ingrained new ideas in his mind. The portrayal of the deeply flawed, yet ultimately good, protagonists in classic Western movies laid the foundation for his own atonement. Watching these men fill the societal roles expected of them, but also shatter them with their individual complexities connected with Amir and his struggles to do the same. The strong American influences in Amir’s life gave
The Magnificent Seven follows the story of seven men who are hired to protect a small Mexican village from raiders. The men each struggle with their pride and regrets, just as Amir does. Even with all their flaws, the seven are the saviors of the town that they protect. This ability to overcome their failings resonates with Amir. He and Hassan would play “hide-and-seek, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians” proving his affection and idolization of these characters and his attempts to emulate them (Hosseini 25). His desire to become the hero of his own life grows, but as a young child, his passiveness undermines his ability to do so. However, the foundation was laid for his atonement later in life. Amir’s memories of seeing the movies and reenacting them were tied to Hassan, which strengthened the connection in his subconscious that if Amir was to be a hero, he must protect Hassan, or later, Sohrab. In the movie, the villagers are Mexican, and were discriminated by the raiders and other Americans. This parallels to Hassan being a Hazara, an often victimized group, and needing extra protection from Amir. When Baba gave Hassan a cowboy hat for his birthday, he and Amir would “[take] turns wearing the hat… as [they] climbed mounds of snow and shot each other dead” (44). Even though it was Hassan’s present, he allowed Amir to be the hero, foreshadowing the roles that they would fill later in life. The Magnificent Seven offered a new idea of what a good person was which connected with Amir as he grappled with his sense of self. Many of Amir’s desires conflicted with society’s expectations for him, so seeing a movie which plays off of archetypes, but then provides more depth and insight into each character demonstrated how he could be much more than his mistakes. In the movie, the men betray their promise to the