Essay --

The novel The Kite runner portrays a story of a boy named Amir who emotionally struggles through life and creates and breaks bonds that he never knew he was capable of. The novel helps the reader understand how manhood, political war and friendship influence Amir’s life and his experiences. Amir is faced with a lot of problems where he has to make decisions independently, which have consequences and outcomes that all become a learning experiences for him. Throughout his childhood, he is forced to live in Afghanistan, a country which politically deteriorated as Amir grew older. Amir’s household consisted of Baba, Hassan and Ali. Hassan and his father Ali were Hazara’s who worked for Amir’s Baba as servants but his father never maltreated them instead he treated Hassan and Ali as family. In Afghanistan, Hazara’s were social outcasts in Amir’s society and were considered amongst the lowest in the Afghan caste system. However, within the walls o f Baba’s home, this ridiculous caste and status notion did not exist and Amir was taught to treat them as equals and consider Hassan as his own brother as Baba would also treat him like his own son. Throughout the novel Amir’s struggle to get love and approval from his own father became real as it lead him to become emotionally and physically confused and frustrated. As Amir always wished he made himself a promise for Baba â€Å"Then I'd bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all that his son was worthy† (Hosseini, 60). The trouble of going through manhood had put a lot of stress on Amir as he constantly worried about being â€Å"good enough† for his father. As seen as a failure in the eyes of his father Amir tried day by day to prove to his father that he was capable of doing more t... ...t was too late for Amir to do anything. â€Å"Life struggles that add to the internal strife that Amir feels, due to his guilt, are put in such a fashion that you feel them yourself as you read. By the end of this book you feel as if you have walked along those alleyways, crouched behind that crumbling mud wall, and witnessed the horror that was Amir's and Hassan's.† (cite?) The kite runner is a story about a boy who struggles to find himself within his cultural community. Amir is faced with many political and social barriers that force him to constantly please others rather than himself. The importance the book dictates about baba’s approval goes to show just how desperate a young boy could become for his father’s love and attention. The kite runner is a book that helps explain the importance of familial ties and the values of having a close bond with loved ones.