Page 8 - DEC2021

Page 8
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By ToBias eckeRT
Newfound Regional Highschool
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is an incredible work of literature filled with emotion and incredibly powerful themes, as well as dozens of amazing examples of writing techniques. Following a boy as he grows up in 1960’s Afghanistan, it is a story of heartbreak as he ultimately drives his half-brother, Hassan, away forever. The main character, named Amir, spends the rest of the story struggling with the guilt of his actions, until he ultimately redeems himself by rescuing Hassan’s son from the Taliban. The author uses allusions, fore- shadowing, and deeper meanings expertly in the book, some exam- ples so subtle most readers will miss them. One such example of deeper meaning is the use of old western films throughout the book. There are mentions of Rio Bravo, The Magnificent Seven, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Rather than simply being interesting details to make the story feel more immersive and real, their mentions are subtle nods to a hidden meaning missed by most casual readers. The clas- sic, western films are each a rep- resentation of different aspects of the Kite Runner.
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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is not the first time a western is mentioned, but it is certainly the most important and most emotional. As Amir is tell- ing about some of his childhood memories he says “The previous year Baba had surprised Hassan with a leather cowboy hat just like the one Clint Eastwood wore in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, . . . That whole winter, Hassan and I took turns wearing the hat, and belted out the film's famous music.” (Hosseini 26) In the film, the character played by Clint Eastwood, called The Man with No Name, represents “The Good” in the film's title. He is the protagonist, the hero, the one who can do no wrong and the one everybody loves. By having a replica of his iconic hat gifted to Hassan, the author is cleverly showing that Hassan is much like The Man With No Name. Has- san is the true good guy in this story, not Amir. And as an inter- esting sidenote, the mention of both children passing the hat back and forth, each wearing it on their own turn, is showing how as of this point in the book, they could both easily be the hero. Hassan getting the hat is foreshadowing later in the book, while Amir and Hassan wearing it equally is a rep-
resentation of the present point in the story. As of right now, both of these characters are protagonists, and purely good people.
Old westerns are filled with good people. That's the overall theme of almost every classic western, the idea of good versus evil. Light versus dark, one of the most famous concepts out there, with a backdrop of cowboys, lawmen, and bandits. All of the westerns mentioned in this book follow said concept, but none better than Rio Bravo. The first mention of the film comes early in the book, as Amir is telling about the joys of his childhood with Hassan “We saw our first western together, Rio Bravo with John Wayne, at cinema park across the street from my favor- ite bookstore.” (Hosseini 26) This excerpt is focusing heavily on the film and Amir, leaving Hassan mostly out, and represents the relationship between Amir and a western. It is expertly foreshad- owing how, much like the classic, there is a battle of good and evil within Amir that he struggles with throughout the book. It starts that winter day in the alley, when Has- san is cornered by Assef and his thugs. There is an intense, in- ternal battle in Amir, regarding whether to step up and lose the
kite, or act as a bystander and gain his father’s approval. Amir mentions he has one final choice, to step into the alley and protect Hassan as he did for Amir, or to run. (Hosseini 77) This conflict of good and evil continues in Amir's mind throughout most of the story, haunting his memories of Hassan with pain and guilt.
But not all of the story. By the end of the book, Amir returns to Afghanistan and saves Hassan’s son, Sorhab, from the horrors of the Taliban. But Sorhab is filled with trauma, distress, and pain. The boy is silent, barely even existing. Amir mentions the pain of silence, saying the difference between silence and quiet is that quiet is like turning down the vol- ume of life, while silence is like pushing the off button. One is tranquil, the other is like shutting down. (Hosseini 361) Although the book may end hopeful, it is an ending filled with pain. It is not a happy victory, but a solem one. Much like th western The Magnificent Seven Amir saw as a child. “We saw Rio Bravo three times, but we saw our favorite
western, The Magnificent Seven, thirteen times. With each viewing, we cried at the end when Mexi- can kids buried Charles Bronson - who, as it turned out, wasn’t Iranian either.” (Hosseini 26) In the film, the heroes are victori- ous. They win. But they lost so much, had to sacrifice so much to get that victory. To get to the bittersweet ending of The Kite Runner, Amir and his loved ones had endured so much pain and hardship it's difficult to see it as a happy ending.
Happy ending or not, The Kite Runner is a magnificent work of literature filled with hid- den meanings. The book alludes to classic westerns of the fifties and sixties, like Hassan being gifted Clint Eastwood's hat, show- ing he is a hero. Or Amir's inter- nal struggle of the classic conflict of good versus evil. As well as the bittersweet ending filled with sacrifice, like The Magnificent Seven. These are just a few exam- ples of the hidden references, al- lusions, meanings, and themes of this well-written, heartbreakingly hopeful tale.
The Kite Runner
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