Words: 1912
It will no doubt have “lasting rower”, and will be found on the shelves of bookstores and classrooms for years to come. It’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury It. Because the past claws Its way out” (1). This quote, said by the mall character, Emir, Introduced a universal theme which would play a very Important role throughout the rest of the novel; the theme of sin and redemption. As Irony Nor says. It Is a novel of sin and redemption, a son trying to redeem his father’s sin” (148).
It seemed as though every memory told by Emir was in some way haunted and tainted by the ins of his past. Emir lived much of his life throughout the novel trying to gain redemption and peace for his sin of betraying his best friend Hosannas. We later discover that Emir is not the only character who is in need of redemption. Emir was told that Baby, the person who he had striver to impress and looked up to his whole life, had committed a sin of his own and had been lying to Emir about it his whole life. This brought Emir too realization that he and Baby were very much alike. And with that came this realization: that Ihram Khan had summoned me here to atone tot just for my sins but for Baby’s too” (226). By the end of the novel, Emir found a way to forgive both him and his father’s sins. He found redemption by erasing the lines of discrimination that has been holding him back all of his life, and adopting Hessian’s son so that he will have an equal chance at success and happiness. Sorry and Ihram Khan also looked to Emir for forgiveness and redemption from sins they committed in their pasts. Before they got married, Sorry told Emir about her sinful past with another man.
Emir, however stunned and hurt by this truth, realized that e had to forgive her and look beyond her past. “How could l, of all people, chastise someone for their past” (1 65)? By redeeming Sorry from her sins, Emir almost envied her for her courage to speak the truth, however painful It was. Sorry helped Emir one step closer to realizing that If he was ever going to be redeemed for his sins, he had to gain the courage to speak of It ask Sorry had. Ihram Khan also wanted Malls forgiveness for keeping Baby’s secret before he dies. He told Emir, “l know that In the end, God will forgive.
He will forgive your father, me, and you too Forgive your father If you can. Forgive me If you wish. But most Important, forgive yourself’ (302). Ihram Khan, In many ways, also helped lead Emir to being able to forgive himself and find redemption. Just as he once said, “There is a way to be good again” (1 This statement, repeated over and over, is the universal truth which makes this novel a classic, that it’s possible to find redemption and forgiveness from sin. The uses of literary elements in this novel are also those of a classic.
Flashback and Treasonable were uses very Truculently Dye Household. I en story Deigns In 2 ands in 2002, but the whole novel is a flashback that brings the reader from Emir’s childhood through his manhood. This also makes it so the reader is provided with information about what happened outside of the action that had taken place in the novel as the story unfolds. Foreshadowing sometimes also appeared to signal the coming of a life changing event. One example occurs on page 275, when Emir is nervously eating a grape in the house of a Taliban official. Emir foreshadows, “The grape was sweet.
I popped another one in my mouth, unaware that it would be the sat bit of solid food I would eat for a long time. ” This prepares the reader for the violence that unfolded soon after, between Emir and Safes. The dialogue and the narration in this novel used a variety of modes which affected and contributed to the meaning of the work, making it a classic. Both detailed descriptions and casual conversations were used. One feature of the novel is the use of the Fairs language. This helps provide the reader with knowledge about the Afghan culture and traditions. The words are almost always translated, and set apart by commas. L loudest lie to her and say that my pride, my fiftieth, wasn’t stung at all” (165). By the end of the novel the reader is familiarized with several expressions such as this one. Imagery and symbolism is also introduced in the beginning of the novel and is mirrored by those at the end. The book began and ended with kite flying contests. The imagery of kite-fighting in the beginning portrayed the last happy moments of Hosannas and Emir. At the end, there was a smaller but similar contest between Emir and Hessian’s son, Sahara, suggesting the redemption and final self-forgiveness of
Emir. The flying of kites brought the characters together. For a moment, they were part of a team. The characters enjoyed flying the kites in both the beginning and end of the novel, and it allowed them to momentarily escape their differences and be somewhat mutual. The kites symbolized a momentary sense of freedom. The complexity and growth in Emir is one which demonstrates that The Kite Runner is a classic novel. Maria Elena Caballero-Rob explains that the novel “sketches the maturation of its protagonist from a callow beguiled by mythical stories of heroes” (99).
Emir Khan began as an UN-athletic, shy, and innocent twelve year old boy. He spent most of the time playing with his servant, Hosannas. Both of the boys got picked on; Emir because he was friends with his servant, and Hosannas because he was a Hazard. Emir was always too afraid to stick up for himself, and it was always Hosannas who ended up taking the hits for the both of them. Emir was constantly trying to impress his father, to no avail. Baby very often voiced his concern for the kind of man Emir would turn out to be. He often compared Emir to Hosannas, wondering why his on couldn’t be more like Hosannas.
His father saw Emir’s lack of courage and inability to speak up as a weakness, which was proven to be true. “Emir, confused, embittered, and convinced of his servant’s elevated status in Baby’s affections, sets about severing ties of a different kind” (O’Brien 102). Emir’s flaw was truly shown when he watched as Hosannas got beaten and raped by a bully named Safes after trying to retrieve Emir’s winning kite. Emir stood watching in horror, but didn’t say a word in defense of his friend. After encountering this horrible event and feeling uncomfortable about it, Emir selfishly finds a way to get rid of Hosannas and his father.
This flaw, hiding, is one that readers can identify with, even if in a negative way. Emir struggles Witt ten memory AT Nils cowardice to act Tort access rater . I en entire novel is Emir’s Journey to find ways to cope with himself and with his guilt. The way that Emir tried to ignore his past is a manner of living in which the reader can recognize. He and Baby eventually moved from Afghanistan to America. America, Emir thought, was to be a new beginning. It was be a place where he could forget bout his past, hide away from it. But Emir eventually found that he could not hide from his own guilty conscious.
When his future wife, Sorry, spoke of her sinful past, he was reminded of his own, and also his lack of courage. He returned to Afghanistan after hearing that Ihram Khan, an old family friend, had fallen ill. There, Emir was finally forced to face everything that had been lingering with him for decades. He was informed that Emir and his wife was shot and killed by a Taliban after having a child. Emir had haunting dreams in which he was the Taliban man standing in front of Hosannas with a gun pointing at his head. Ihram told Emir that he should go find Hessian’s son, who was put in an orphanage after the death of his father.
There, Emir was faced with much more than he expected. He came in contact with Safes, now a child molesting Taliban killer, with Hessian’s son. Emir finally overcame his weakness, and stood up to try and get the boy from Safes. “… When a coward stops remembering who he is… God help him” (275). For probably the first time in his life, Emir didn’t hide and watch. He fought for this boy. The growth from Emir’s shy scared boy to a rosaceous and brave man definitely demonstrated the complexity of human nature. It shows yet another reason why The Kite Runner is a classic.
This novel had both an interesting and suspenseful plot which will leave every reader stimulated and moved in some way. It contains both political issues and a personal tale about how choices later affect our lives. It provides interesting information about Afghanistan, and the reader learns some of events of both America and the Middle East. Readers can explore a new culture of a previously obscure and peaceful nation that is now a big part of global politics. The Journey of Emir from an insecure boy to a man more at peace is a very relatable plot.
Startling, unexpected plot twists provide constant suspense and wonder for the reader throughout the novel. This is the plot of a classic. Now used as summer reading books in multiple high schools, and found on many lists for book clubs, this novel seems as though it will be here to stay. It provides such a vivid glimpse of the life in Afghanistan over the past quarter of a century, and is both enlightening and informational. It is one of the first novels to be written about Afghan after September 1 1, which had for been ignored by writers for a long time.
Hopefully it will inspire many writers in the future that this issue is not one to be ignored. #1 New York Times bestseller, this novel will be passed on to future generations for years to come, and will no doubt have the “lasting power” of a classic novel. The Kite Runner fit every quality in which a classic novel should. It contained a journey with Emir in order to discover the universal truths of sin and redemption. The protagonist, like in all classic novels, was developed and enlightened about these Ruth by the end.
This novel also contained many literary elements which greatly enhanced the meaning and feel of the work. The use of sarcasm, foreshadowing, flashbacks, and language were styles used by Hussein to enhance the novel. A classic’s protagonist, Like Emir, demonstrates growth Ana change, wanly snows ten complexity of human nature. Emir changed tremendously throughout his Journey, and both of his flaws and enlightenment are easy to identify with. The plot was complex, ever changing, and interesting. It is one that will keep readers turning the pages.