The Kite Runner - book summary

Recently, I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Now, whenever someone mentions Afghanistan, I only remember Hassan.

The Kite Runner is a story about two young boys, Amir and Hassan, who grew up together in Afghanistan. Amir was born to a wealthy man, whereas Hassan was the servant's son. “Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. Under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name.” These lines foreshadow the tragic lives of Amir and Hassan. Amir’s lifelong desire was to gain his father’s approval, while Hassan’s only desire was to gain Amir’s friendship. For Amir, his father was everything. For Hassan, Amir was everything. “For you, a thousand times over,” was Hassan’s famous line to Amir, which shows how Hassan would choose Amir over and over again in any situation.

The two opposite characters, Hassan and Amir, contrast each other perfectly. Amir hides secrets he can’t say aloud, while Hassan means everything he says. Amir is a coward who offers his friendship only in private, whereas Hassan is brave and protects Amir, even at the risk of his own life. Amir’s weaknesses and lack of recognition from his father lead him to commit injustices toward Hassan. Despite being betrayed, Hassan puts Amir first and takes the blame to save him. While Hassan’s character is white, pure, and inherently good, Amir keeps us guessing whether he is white or black, good or bad. Amir’s actions and inactions were not due to a lack of love for Hassan but rather because he was guilty and fearful. Amir’s line, “I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I’d ever loved anyone,” solidifies his love for Hassan.

We must remember that even though Amir committed an evil act, he was only a child at the time, so there is still a possibility for redemption. “True redemption is when guilt leads to good.” “A man with no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer.” The fact that Amir suffers from his guilty past shows that there is still a way for him to be good again. Amir’s journey toward redemption is equally painful, as his past opens old wounds and creates new ones. Hassan had already forgiven Amir, even if the readers do not. “Hassan had loved me once, loved me in a way that no one ever had or ever would again.”

Through Amir and Hassan, the novel showcases the plight of children in Afghanistan. “There are a lot of children in Afghanistan but little childhood.” Many think of Afghanistan as a hopeless place, but Khaled Hosseini, using kites as a symbol, shows that all hope is not lost. Amir and Hassan grew up flying kites. Amir was great at flying kites, while Hassan was great at running after the last fallen kite. Kite fighting and kites represent the novel’s key themes of betrayal, redemption, and hope. The cutting of kites by Amir signifies his betrayal, and the running after the fallen kite represents his redemption. The flying kites give Amir hope that he, too, might achieve the redemption he desperately needs. Thus, the novel, which is filled with suffering, ends with one small moment of hope and the possibility of redemption.