Khaled Hosseini’s seminal literary work, The Kite Runner, has been able to reach out to the readers and critics alike owing to its quintessence. Set in the backdrop of a tumultuous Afghanistan where humanity and love is hard to find in the milieu of violence and extremism, the novel delves deep into the life of this individual, Amir. The book documents an emotional tale of his self-discovery and how his life transforms with age.
The story meanders through the journey of life of the protagonist and raises philosophical questions of conscience along with the choice and consequence of man’s actions. The novel is one of the best works of contemporary literature and brings out the subtle essence of life with all the intricacies. The socio-political ambiance escalates the novel to paramount relevance.
The personal struggle of Amir which goes beyond geographical boundaries and culture perturbs him for life until he embarks on the mission to redeem himself from the hallowed dungeon of his conscience. His guilt consciousness and memories of Hassan never seem to leave him in all the years. He returns to his motherland from abroad to rescue Hassan’s son. Amir’s actions seem to counterpoise the burnt which Hassan had faced in life, for which he blames himself actively or passively. Hassan’s ill-fate of sexual abuse, false indictment and death are all related to Amir in some way. It was while dwelling in his ancestral house that Hassan and his wife were assassinated by the Taliban.
The novel upholds the message of hope in juxtaposition to the baleful events of life. Amir succeeds in bringing a smile on the face of Sohrab, Hassan’s son by the end of the novel. Life gives everyone another chance among all the failures, shortcomings and acts of cowardice. Amir is a protagonist too close to reality. His tale makes one get absorbed in the realm of fiction weaved by the stalwart author.
Works Cited
Chan, Stephen. “The Bitterness of the Islamic Hero in Three Recent Western Works of Fiction.”
Third World Quarterly 31.5 (2010): 829-832. Print.
