The Kite Runner - Journals

Journal One
Khaled Hosseini marvelously captivated me with the opening pages of his international bestseller The Kite Runner. The mystery of what occurred on the “frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975” and the first person narration creates an enticing first chapter. By writing about the past and the present simultaneously, I was instantly included in the thoughts of the narrator.
Based on his description of the past, I sense that Amir is still haunted by events from his childhood. The second chapter tells of Amir’s early years in Kabul. The introduction of an innocent and loving relationship between the narrator and his devoted servant, Hassan, instantly evokes my pathos for the two young boys. Hassan is described as a loyal, caring, and special boy with a beautiful personality but an undesirable appearance. Hosseini’s writing style in describing
Amir’s childhood home is simple yet elegant. By intermingling the narrator’s memories with physical descriptions, I was able to clearly visualize the setting and the lives of the characters.
My immediate admiration for the young boys, particularly Hassan, made the harassment of
Hassan by a group of soldiers increasingly painful to read. Hassan’s father, Ali, is also harassed because of his race and physical disabilities. The themes of hatred and oppression surface in the early pages of The Kite Runner with the treatment of Hassan and Ali, allowing the readers to form ideas of the role of discrimination in the lives of the characters. I believe Khaled Hosseini

created a stunning introduction to his work by including meaningful and surprising content in the first pages of his novel.

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Journal Two
““Tell him I’ll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place,” Baba said.
My mind flashed to that winter day six years ago. Me, peering around the corner in the alley.
Kamal and Wali holding Hassan down. Assef’s buttock muscles clenching and unclenching, his hips thrusting back and forth. Some hero I had been, fretting about the kite. Sometimes, I too wondered if I was really Baba’s son.” (Hosseini 122).
Khaled Hosseini’s brilliant use of parallelism to reveal juxtaposition creates powerful meaning in this quotation. As Amir watches his fearless Baba stand up for what is right, he immediately reflects on the time he did just the opposite. When Amir watched Assef harass rape his servant Hassan many years earlier, he had the opportunity to interfere and save his friend.
However, Amir’s inability to stand up for himself and others resulted in a dramatic event that drastically changes the lives of both Hassan and Amir. When Baba is presented with the opportunity to interfere and save a woman he hardly knows from being raped, he fearlessly confronts the russian soldier. In both circumstances, Baba and Amir would have to empower selflessness in order to stand up for what is right. As a result of their actions, they could be in severe pain or even die to save the life of another. The contrast between Baba and Amir’s actions exemplifies Amir’s cowardice, leaving Amir to question his likeness in character to his brave father. Hosseini’s use of parallelism beautifully shows the difference between Baba and Amir and their morals. The likeness of Baba and Hassan is also implied in the actions of Baba in this

situation. Just as Hassan would help Amir win Baba’s love by fetching the kite “...a thousand times over”, Baba would willingly save the woman from being raped by taking a bullet for her a thousand times over.

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Journal Three
“‘I wish Hassan had been with us today,’ he said. A pair of steel hands closed around my windpipe at the sound of Hassan’s name. I rolled down the window. Waited for the steel hands to loosen their grip.” (Hosseini 141)
The Kite Runner is thematically influenced by the idea of redemption. Through Amir’s life, the past “claws its way out” and directs his choices. Amir’s constant attempts to repress events and emotions from his past lead to paralyzing reactions to any reminders of them, even the mention of a name. The reaction in this quotation is severe and causes Amir to feel physically ill. The severity of his guilt, along with his refusal to confront the past, sends a strong message that the past cannot simply be buried and easily forgotten. The ability to bury the past is considered multiple times in The Kite Runner. When Amir experiences an emotion or situation, he often drift backs to a time where comparable emotions or situations occurred. For this reason, it is clear that the complete burial of the past is impossible. Though Amir is far from the past geographically, now that he has moved from Kabul to America, he is unable to escape events he experienced there. Though Amir is far from the past chronologically, as many years have since passed, he is unable to forget his choices from years ago. In the world today, countless events of the past that many would gladly burry are impossible to forget. If every war is remembered with great terror, why does everyone still reflect on them? Just as Amir realizes in The Kite Runner

that redemption is the only way to concur his past and make the pain of his memories less severe, every effort is made to seek redemption for past actions of war and to learn from the mistakes.
This is the only true “way to be good again.” (Hosseini 2). As Amir learns, the past cannot be buried but with redemption comes forgiveness. And though what can be forgiven cannot be forgotten, the forgiveness allows for the ability concur the past and create goodness from the badness. !
Journal Four
A retelling of the end of The Kite Runner from Sohrab’s perspective.
“Do you want to try?” Amir asked me with surprise. I lift my hand to the string instinctively, as if my hands were meant to hold it. Just like my fathers hands would have held a kite for Amir.
Though my father’s voice is mere a whisper in my head and his smile a faded curve in my memory, his love for me, Amir and kite running is suddenly intensely present. In this moment I feel an immediate reconnection to a man that has been gone for years.
All I want to do is hold this kite, for I fear by letting go the connection will diminish and fade like every memory of my father. This rush of emotions frightens me and I subconsciously extend my arm to Amir. The connection is weakened for a moment, but as I grab the spool instead, I feel another rush of security that my father is indeed present in this moment.
As I look to Amir, I see a very different face. The face of my father. The warmth of his smile embraces me and I feel alive again for my father is alive in Amir. After years of emotional

death, the love of my father has surfaced again and I am awaken. The kites dance beautifully in the sky and I am overwhelmed so I breathe heavily to find some release.
As Amir and I work together, I lose myself in the kites’ movement. They float in the sky, yet are restricted by a sharp cord. 

With swift movements, the green kite is cut free by ours and spins out of control. I feel a rush of release. I have been cut free.
My father’s presence has awoken me and I am free from the chains of my sins and burdens, the memories that haunt me every night and day. I feel my self begin to smile for I am finally free.
“For you, a thousand times over,” I hear Amir’s voice as he begins to run after the kite.
For me, a helpless sinner.
For me, a burden to all.
For me, a thousand times over.