The above post correctly places the kite as a motif in The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books, it tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, fro…
What do the kites symbolize in the Kite Runner?
After Hassan’s rape, however, kites become a reminder of Amir’s betrayal and guilt. In the novel’s political theme, kites represent Afghanistan’s “glory days” of the monarchy, as kite-flying is later banned by the Taliban. At the end of the book Amir flies a kite with Sohrab, symbolizing hope for redemption for both Amir’s sins and Afghanistan’s.
What is Kite running?
Kite running. Kite runners at the Utarayana Kite Festival in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. One girl has cut her lip with manja. Kite running is the practice of running after drifting kites in the sky that have been cut loose in kite fighting.
What does Khaled Hosseini write about in the Kite Runner?
In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini writes about the culture of Afghanistan. Kite Running and Kite Fighting are both part of that culture. To better understand The Kite Runner,readers should get to know more about kite fighting and kite running.
How do kite runners endanger their lives?
Kite runners endanger their lives by running into the path of oncoming traffic and trains without looking down or fall from trees and buildings which they were trying to scale to get at kites that landed on top while gazing up and running after kites.
Who is the kite runner in Amir?
Fortunately for Amir, his kite-runner, Hassan, wants nothing more than to win the coveted final kite for Amir. He will pursue the blue kite no matter what it costs him (and we discover it costs him a lot), and Amir will finally get his father's approval, something he covets beyond measure.
Who is the narrator of the Kite Runner?
Amir is the protagonist and narrator who tells his story of growing up in Afghanistan and then America in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Amir tells the story from the perspective of time, but his story really begins when he is a young boy living with his father. His mother died after giving birth, so all Amir has for family (at least as far as he knows) is his father, whom he calls Baba.
What is Amir's primary concern for the kite after the rape of his friend?
Amir's primary concern for the kite after the rape of his friend symbolizes Amir's selfish nature. Bridge Between Sohrab and Amir. Many years later, Hassan is killed by the Taliban and Amir adopts Hassan's orphaned son, Sohrab.
What does Amir's narrating of the kite mean?
Amir narrates, '…I can't lie now and say my eyes didn't scan it for any rips.'. Hassan's unwillingness to give up the kite that meant so much to Amir symbolizes Hassan's willingness to sacrifice himself for his friend. Amir's primary concern for the kite after the rape of his friend symbolizes Amir's selfish nature.
Why does Amir look forward to the winter kite season?
Amir looks forward to the winter kite season 'mostly because, as the trees froze and ice-sheathed the roads, the chill between Baba and me thawed a little. And the reason for that was the kites. Baba and I lived in the same house, but in different spheres of existence.
Why does Amir want to win the kite fighting tournament?
The main reason Amir wants to win the kite fighting tournament is because in his estimation, the kite is 'my key to Baba's heart.'. Amir's desperation for his father's acceptance is so profound that Amir prioritizes the kite over his loyal friend, Hassan's, safety and well-being.
What does the kite fight symbolize?
In some ways, the kites used for kite-fighting symbolize Amir's dualistic character. He seems innocent and harmless enough, but there is a viciousness to him that causes damage to others. Further, the roles of Amir and Hassan during the fight are a metaphor for their stations in life.
What is the bridge between Amir and Baba?
Bridge Between Amir and Baba. As a child, Amir has a distant relationship with his father, Baba. Amir assumes that the reason is that Amir enjoys books and writing while Baba hoped for a son who would play sports. One thing they have in common is that they both love kite fighting.
What does the kite represent in the book The Kite Runner?
In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, kites symbolize, or represent, some of the aspects of the most significant relationships. The novel begins with Amir, the narrator, in San Francisco as an adult thinking about the day that Rahim Khan called from Pakistan.
Why is kite fighting banned?
Because kite fighting can cause "injuries and deaths," new "restrictions or bans" have been created that "outlawed the use of certain materials or required motorcycle riders to employ certain safety devices during kite festivals" "(Kite Fighting"). Even though "Kite Running" in Afghanistan is really mostly about "Kite Fighting," kite fights always ...
Why did Khaled Hosseini play kite fighting?
Having learned a little bit about the culture of kite fighting and kite running, it should now be clear that Khaled Hosseini had his characters play the games of kite fighting and kite running because these games are a very important part of Afghanistan's culture.
How to become a kite fighter?
To become a kite fighter, a person needs a kite and a very sharp string. Kite fighters make their strings sharp, so the string from their kite can cut their opponent's kite string and cause it to fall from the sky. Not very long ago, kite fighters would make their lines "from hemp or cotton" and make their lines shape by coating them "with rice glue and finely crushed class" ("Kite Fighting"). Today, "factories in other more-developed kite-flying nations like Pakistan, India, Thailand, Malaysia and China now churn out tens of thousands of spools of machine-made nylon fighting string that swamp the Afghan market" (Semple). In Afghanistan, competitors attach "synthetic lines coated with stronger glue and various abrasives" to their "fighter kites" ("Kite Fighting").
Is kite fighting dangerous?
Even though people from Afghanistan love the sport of kite fighting, this sport can be dangerous.
Is kite fighting allowed in Afghanistan?
Not everyone likes kite fighting, and not everyone is allowed to play. "In 1996, the Taliban government in Afghanistan banned kite fighting and kite flying and declared it un-Islamic" (Kite Flying"). After the Taliban government fell, the ban against kite fighting went away, but still, not everyone can compete in a kite fight. Even after the fall of the Taliban, kite fighting "remains largely off-limits to girls and women" (Semple). Still, kite fighting is so popular among men and boys that everybody who can play does play. Everyone from "schoolchildren" to "ministerial officials," "doctors,"and "day laborers" will compete at kite fighting (Semple).
Do you need two guys to fight in kite fighting?
People who enter kite fighting competitions "need two guys to fight — one takes the string and the other steers" (Duncan). Zabi Rahime says, "You have to be careful when you are in charge of the spool. You have to keep feeding string once a fight starts.
Who wrote the book The Kite Runner?
Kite Running. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini writes about the culture of Afghanistan. Kite Running and Kite Fighting are both part of that culture. To better understand The Kite Runner,readers should get to know more about kite fighting and kite running.
What is the symbolism of kites in The Kite Runner?
Kites. Kites are obviously an important image in The Kite Runner, and for Amir they act as symbols of both his childhood happiness and his betrayal of Hassan. When he tries to remember something happy in the fuel truck, Amir immediately thinks of his carefree days flying kites with Hassan.
What is the highlight of the winter?
The highlight of the winter is the annual kite -fighting tournament, where boys go to war with their kite s by covering the kite strings in... (full context) Amir says that Hassan is the best kite runner in Kabul – he always seems to know exactly where a kite will fall... (full context) ...Amir is ashamed.
What does the kites represent in the book?
In the novel’s political theme, kites represent Afghanistan’s “glory days” of the monarchy, as kite-flying is later banned by ...
When did the Taliban take over kite fighting?
In the winter Hassan took Sohrab kite running, though there were not as many tournaments as the old days. Sohrab was just... (full context) In 1996, however, the Taliban took over, and they banned kite fighting.
Who holds the blue kite in Baba's heart?
Amir searches everywhere and finally finds Hassan in an alleyway, holding the blue kite – which Amir thinks of as the “key to Baba’s heart” – and facing off... (full context) Assef tells Hassan that they will let him go if he hands over the blue kite. Hassan refuses, as he ran the kite fairly and must deliver it to Amir.
Who interrupts Amir's conversation?
Soraya interrupts Amir’s conversation and points out some kite s flying in the sky over the park. Amir finds an Afghan kite seller and buys... (full context)
How do kite runners endanger their lives?
Kite runners endanger their lives by running into the path of oncoming traffic and trains without looking down or fall from trees and buildings which they were trying to scale to get at kites that landed on top while gazing up and running after kites. They may walk around in the middle of congested towns and cities, and while gazing up may be dangerously unaware of what is happening on the ground in their immediate surroundings, causing injuries and collisions with traffic.
Who wrote the book The Kite Runner?
Kite running has featured in a few books, including The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini. In the book, the scars left by the manja while flying the kites are described as trophies by the schoolchildren who receive them.
What happens when a kite is cut?
When the loser's kite string is cut, the kite drifts free with the wind until it falls to the ground. Kite running is the practice of running after these cut kites to try to capture them when they come down. Typically the custom is that the person who captures a cut kite can keep it.
Where do kite fights take place?
Kite fighting is a popular pastime in the Indian subcontinent throughout the year and during kite flying festivals, and also in Afghanistan, Iran, in Chile and Brazil, and many other places throughout the world.
Can you keep a cut kite?
Typically the custom is that the person who captures a cut kite can keep it, so the bigger and more expensive looking the kite, the more people can usually be seen running after it to try to capture it.
Can you cut glass coated kite strings?
There have also been incidents with glass-coated kite strings causing injuries or damage where other people, birds, or electricity cables become entangled with the string. In particular, it is liable to slit the throats of children participating in the Market Sankranti festival, where a popular challenge is to cut other kite strings with your own. This has led to a blanket ban on glass-coated strings in Mumbai, issued on December 14, 2016.
What do kites symbolize in the book?
Thus, kites also symbolize the thematic topics and interrelationship between betrayal and redemption.
What does the slingshot symbolize?
Slingshot. Representing two generations, the slingshot symbolizes both childhood as well as the need to stand up for what is right. Both Hassan and Sohrab use a slingshot to stop Assef, although Hassan only has to threaten to use his, and Sohrab actually inflicts pain. Previous Themes in The Kite Runner. Next Quiz.
Why do Hassan and Amir carve their names in the tree?
While Amir and Hassan are young and carefree and as close as a servant and master can be , they carve their names in the tree, and it bears fruit. Thus, the tree symbolizes their relationship. Years later, after Hassan is dead and Amir is wracked with guilt, the tree — just like Amir's memories — still exists but no longer bears fruit.
What does the scar on Amir's face mean?
The scar Amir has after being beaten by Assef symbolizes his brotherhood with Hassan.
Why does Hassan break the fruit over his head?
Amir wants Hassan to hit him with the pomegranate fruit in order to inflict a physical punishment and lessen his guilt ; instead, Hassan breaks the fruit over his own head. Amir's Scar.
What is the most important symbol in the novel?
The Kite Runner . Kites and everything associated with them (kite flying and kite fighting) are the most important symbols in the novel.
What does the myth of legendary heroes symbolize?
Myths and stories about legendary heroes as well as stories and literacy in general symbolize both the similarities and differences between the Shi'a Muslims and the Sunni Muslims. Socioeconomic conditions may determine levels of literacy and understanding, but they do not guarantee heroic attitudes and actions.
