What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel?

    Throughout this novel, there are many themes portrayed and discussed. Firstly, a strong theme is shown between the relationship of Hassan and Amir, and that is: Brotherhood. Brotherhood is a theme that is strongly portrayed within Hassan and Amir's relationship, from birth to death these two boys show what its like to have a true bond between two people. Although Amir betrays Hassan he redeems himself with love, and that is what a true brotherhood is. Another theme discussed in the novel is betrayal. Stemming off of the theme from brotherhood betrayal is a big factor that plays a big role in this story. If Amir never betrayed Hassan the way he did the story would not of ended and worked out the way it did. This betrayal that happens is able to set the book up for its climax and ending keeping the book as interesting as it was. Through the act of betrayal another theme is brought out with that which is the act of Redemption. Not just Amir needs to get redemption for the hurt he has cause Hassan, there is also we see Baba take his turn on redemption after lying to Hassan and Amir, his two sons, throughout their whole lives. We don't learn till the end that all of Baba's actions towards people in his family is all in a way part of his redemption for these lies he has said to his sons. There is also one more character who we don't realize till towards the end of the novel who may also trying to get redemption, this character is Ali. Baba had Ali's son, he had sex with his wife so he would be able to have a son of his own. This could be the very well reason why Ali is so good and so close with Baba. Lastly a strong theme that is shown through Hassan and his father Ali. This theme is Loyalty. Being Hazara servents to  Amir and Baba had brought out their loyal character and we see throughout the story how their acts of loyalty prove to be a huge theme in the story. 

Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way?

     Throughout the novel, "The Kite Runner" there where some scenes that made me, and probably many other readers feel uncomfortable. Mainly, the scene where Hassan gets sexually abused by kids his own age was able to make me feel very uncomfortable reading. Other scenes that made me feel uncomfortable were;  the fight scene between Amir and Aseef, Aseef throwing rocks at the blind man and the women, and when Amir found Sohrab had attempted suicide in the hotel bath. These scenes were disturbing and very graphic but I do realize that these types of scenes is what captivates and audience and makes them really feel for different characters and people throughout the novel. This book wouldn't have the touching lasting impression on its readers as it did without these scenes. There are many ways that you can captivate and audience and the way the author has done it here was by making people want to know what's going to happen. To foreshadow different events throughout the novel and I believe Khaled Hosseini did this perfectly throughout these scenes and made me not want to put the book down until I knew these characters where safe and out of harms way. So, looking back on the novel and these few scenes that were able to make me uncomfortable while reading, it's certain that the story wouldn't of had such a strong effect on me as it did without these scenes and that the autor portrayed these all situations perfectly.

What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it emphasize or take away from the story?

    Most of this novel takes place in Kabul, Pakistan. This is where the boys grow up, and this is where Amir has to come back to to; make things good again. What was so unique of the setting of the book, is that it worked. The story line and characters fit perfectly with where it was located. The novel being in Afghanistan made the book so much more interesting where you actually learn something more than just reading a story of two boys. The way the war was incorporated and the Taliban and the Bazar and how they had to flee to America, everything made Afghanistan the perfect place for the novel to take place. It enhanced so much about the book and the writing styles and descriptive writing techniques made the setting so much easier to imagine and picture which made reading the book a lot easier and got you more interested. Afghanistan was such a great place to choose because we know that things like this do happen every day, with a servent and their master and it takes us into the minds of these characters and real people that go through some of these same situations. We learn what it's like to be a Hazara servent in Afghanistan and what it truly is like to have to flee your country and be loyal to the ones you are bound to. This story portrays all these ideas and so much more but it enhanced the story in many different ways just because the author choose Afghanistan as it's main setting.

What events trigger such changes in the characters? In what ways do the events in the books reveal evidence of the author's world view?

    In my previous post we learned about the characteristics of the main characters, Amir and Hassan. We learned how they evolved and changed throughout the novel, but we didn't learn how. There was one main event in the story that took place that changed and evolved both characters. This event took place after the Kite Tournament when they had won and Hassan was running the last kite he ever would for Amir. Hassan ran into some bullies, and when Amir was peering from around the alley way corner, he watched his bestfriend get sexually abused. Amir did nothing about this. He was in an inner battle with himself and new either option he chose would hurt him either physically or emotionally. Amir choosing to walk away from that moment changed his relationship with Hassan forever. Amir and Hassan never ran another kite again, they never read under the pomegrante tree, or run to the bazara for naan. Amirs decision to get rid of Hassan by planting a watch and money in Hassans hut to frame him showed his character had seriously changed from the beginning of the novel into something his father had told him never to be. Even based on his poor decisions decades ago, Amir got a chance to redeem him self after being in America for so long, he headed pack to Pakistan. This event began changing Amir into a courageous and self righteous man once and for all. The trip Amir took to Pakistan finally made up for the decision he made many years ago and karma had finally come around and gave him what he had realized he had deserved. 

How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story?

Amir:
   When we are introduced to Amir at the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to a boy of a rich father who has everything he wants but the love of his father, which is one thing every boy wants and needs. We see the type of person he is through his relation to his Hazara servent boy, Hassan. The way he acts towards Hassan shows two perspectives in Amirs character. Firstly, that he does mean well and he does love his best friend Hassan like a brother. The other side of his character that we see in his character is that he knows he is above Hassan and doesn't forget to remind him throughout the novel. He uses his higher power to some what poke fun of Hassan, because of his inability to read, or to stand up to himself even though he knows Hassan would do anything for him.
    The change we see in Amir turns him into a boy with few words.  As his relationship with Hassan changes, he himself changes aswell. He turns into a liar, a thief, a framer and many things that his father would not be proud of, only if he knew. As Amir grows up he tries to forget his old ways and when he goes to America he tries to return back to him old self and forget what made him so bitter for so long. All Amir wanted was a new beginning. In the end, Amirs true character shines through and we see him how we saw him at the beginning of the story and how his father wanted him to be. He turned out to be courageous, and loyal to his family. 

Amir Agha

Hassan:

    Hassan was Amir Agha's  Hazara servants son. Being raised as a Hazara his character was already planned for him, and this was to be as loyal as he could. This characteristic was the most to shine through with Hassan and proved him to be the most loyal and protective character in the whole novel. We see his character shine through mostly with his friendship with Amir. Throughout the whole novel from cover to cover, Hassan stays true to Amir and his family. He stands up for Amir when he can and takes the fall also for Amir whenever he needs to. After a significant change in the story, Hassan also becomes a man of few words, he isn't as eager to play and run around as he was before, and him and Amirs whole relationship takes a new route.
    Even based on these changes to their relationship, Hassan proves himself to be true to his loyal character and takes the blame one last time for Amir before he leaves his side forever. Even when the Hazara boy grows old and has a family of his own he is true to them and as loyal as he can be. His protective side comes out one more time for Amir before he is shot and killed by the Taliban trying to protect Amir even though he is thousands of miles away in America.

Hazara Hassan

Do the characters seem real and believable?

The Kite Runner introduces us to many different characters. These characters all have different characteristics, they act in different ways and they were each their own person. These characters were portrayed in such a way that they were perceived to be very believable. The characters in this novel go through very real situations and very real changes and the way these scenarios are wrote out in the book make the reader really feel for these characters and take them as real people going through real horrible situations that were depicted in the story. The two main characters in this book are pictured below, Amir and Hassan. Amir and Hassan went through the whole book together and both went through very different situations. We see Amir, the son of a very rich man who gets mostly what he wants except for his fathers love. This is a characteristic that many people would be able to relate to and be able to really get into character. Next, we have Hassan, he is a slave boy who is happy as he can be just being friends with such a man as Amir.  There friendship is seen as one forbidden to their culture but we see there relationship grow and fall in many different ways throughout the novel. These changes to their friendship are very harsh at times and sometimes graphic, the situations they go through are horrible and really gets the reader attached to these kids and want nothing but good things for the both of them. The story portrays what growing up in Afghanistan and Pakistan was really like and the characters actions and mind set really made them seem real and believable characters. 

   

                                   

Amir and Hassan, the Sultans of Kabul.