Guilty Desperation at its Finest: The Kite Runner

The themes of Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner are tremendously devastating. Amid political crisis, betrayal, redemption and guilt, so many gray areas of the human soul are beautifully presented. These themes not only amplify the protagonist, Amir’s, character throughout but also highlight the common emotion of fear and guilt. This is such an amazing strategy used by Hosseini to build the symbols and themes throughout his story. Amir’s cowardice haunts him endlessly and as a result his only redemption is to face this reality. The guilt he tries to suppress ends up coming back to him in full circle. What he avoids eventually drops right in front of his face. Ultimately, guilt is inescapable. Amir returns to Afghanistan years after, the country under war is nothing like the land Amir remembered before. Bloodshed and war have destroyed the country, and the devastating experiences Amir undergoes are painful to read. In several moments, one feels empathy and hate at the same time towards Amir. It’s hard to decide whether Amir is guilty or not. It’s almost like the answer is yes and no. That gray area of indecisiveness, eternal guilt poking at Amir’s life prevents him from moving on from his past. The whole state of Afghanistan is a symbol itself of Amir’s soul. His inner turmoil or battle is such an artistic piece, it reflects how one trauma can affect an individual for the rest of his life. The book is such a great example of good vs evil, morality. Not only does Hosseini dive into the sensitivity of friendship and loyalty, he also explores important topics like ethnic cleansing, prejudice, mental health and morality in challenging circumstances of survival. This novel is a perfect depiction of desperation in time of need. The beauty of Hosseini’s approach to the story lies in the human nature of Amir. By the end it becomes clear how forgiving himself is the first step to moving on from the past. It’s Amir’s redemption: to forgive and do good to pay for the sins.

The protagonist always wanting to aspire to satisfy his father loses his own worth in the process. He becomes so hard on himself; he punishes himself for the rest of his life. Even as an innocent child Amir realizes how he must be a moral man of courage like his father. That expectation pressures him to continuously act in cowardice as he’s never able to reconcile his own identity with what his father wants. In simple terms, Amir is too hard on himself. His thirst for affection from his father illustrates the missing compassion in his life. In the pursuit of love and fear of abandonment, Amir punishes himself for a crime he committed as a child. This is such a magnificent approach to the human nature: desire for endless love. It’s what everyone is constantly looking for in their life. Humans are social creatures; they can’t bear to be alone and Hosseini misses no chance to present that in his novel.

This artistic approach of Amir’s development throughout the story reminds me of mandalas, how everything comes full circle, of how Amir only finds relief when he expresses himself, of how he goes on a journey of self-discovery, of how he comes to finally accept himself. What I found most intriguing about the book was the theme of sacrifice. “For you a thousand times over” is an illustration of the endless love between two friends, two companions. It paints the concept of giving back, of sacrificing one’s self for another only for the sake of love. The strength of friendship is vividly expressed throughout Amir’s journey – it decides his fate.

The mandala in Amir’s life illustrates his inner struggles to be a blueprint of his father’s expectations. That is both the source of his strength and demise.