Many Meanings

I believe that the final chapters of The Kite Runner perfectly wrapped up a remarkably told story.  The novel did not finish with heroic triumph or a neatly wrapped-up happy ending.  Like Amir said, “…life is not like a Hindi movie.” (pg. 357), there is never a definitively positive or negative conclusion.  But as I was feverishly reading the last chapters, I found myself only hoping that Sohrab would survive and immediately find contentment in the United States, easily assuming the role of loving son to Amir and Soraya.   At that time I only cared if “…was there happiness in the end…”(pg 357).  The author of course included this commentary on Hindi movies to make a point that this story would not have a perfect ending.  Hosseini took the time necessary to properly depict Sohrab’s trauma and eventual healing.  To gloss over his loss and the affects of sexual abuse on a child would be an injustice to his character as well as the children today whom his fictitious situation is their reality.   

 The majority of this book is focused around Amir’s guilt and how he tries to distance himself from these problems.  It is only in the last quarter of the novel that Amir truly begins his quest for redemption, which reveals a major point the author tries to get across to reader.  He feels disgrace for multiple reasons, but the most prevalent being that he allowed Hassan to be raped and then drove him and Ali away out of selfishness.  Escaping to America distanced Amir from the site of his misdeeds, but he continued to carry his grief well into his adult life.  Amir does not return to Kabul and save Sohrab with redemption in mind, but does it because of his love and duty to Hassan.  In Hassan’s letter to Amir we find that even though Amir treated him poorly, Hassan never had anything but love for him saying, “…I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood.  If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you.” (pg. 218).  Amir has the love and support of all those who matter to him: Hassan, Baba, Soraya, and Rahim Khan.  None of them blame him for the mistakes he made as a child, especially after adopting Sohrab, but why was Amir still burdened down by guilt?  The key to him finding peace, and a major theme of the book, was that he finally forgave himself.  Things that once caused him jealousy and shame, like Baba’s adoration for Hassan no longer bother him.  He comes to terms with his mistakes and all that selfish guilt is replaced with concern for Sohrab.  Amir realizes his forgiveness and wonders “if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.” (pg. 359).

 A novel like The Kite Runner is so full of powerful messages that it is impossible to boil down the story to one definite meaning.  These outstanding, messages include the importance of forgiveness, family, or friendship.  The book’s message that was the most crucial to me and what I believe is the most applicable to the problems the world faces today, is to never place someone below you due to their race, religion, social caste, or any other misguided base of prejudice.  The way that Hassan and Ali accepted their subordinate roles in society was due to generations of conditioning making them believe that it was their place to be uneducated servants.  But this caste system is so very insignificant next to the blind inhumanity of the Taliban.  The message in The Kite Runner to value all different groups of people is so important to remember because it seems to be in mankind’s nature to find scapegoats.  Amir has these prejudices in him as a child, but we see how he has overcome them when his father-in-law calls Sohrab the “Hazara boy” and Amir states, “You will never again refer to him as ‘Hazara boy’ in my presence.  He has a name and it’s Sohrab.” (pg. 361).