The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

France Wanise Saintil

Ms.McPherson

March 9th, 2015

College English 12th

The Novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini take places both in afghanistan and United states between 1978 throughs 2001.The main character, Amir, is the son of wealthy Afghanistan business man named Baba, and his playmate, Hassan, the son of his father's houseman, Ali. Hassan is a Hazara and Amir is a Pashtun, which makes them from different social classes. Hosseini use symbolism as a specific image that represent some type of an idea. The Kite Runner is a very complex novel that pretty much full with symbolism. The symbol that use in the novel is a very powerful and really related to the book as a whole.The  key symbols in the novel include the Pomegranate Tree, The Kites and Harelip (cleft lip). The Pomegranate tree represent a shelter for Amir and Hassan and observer of the end. The kites represent or symbolizes happiness and innocent. And the Harelip(cleft lip) represent dividing in Afghanistan.

The first symbols of the novel is The Pomegranate Tree. The Pomegranate tree is very significant throughout the novel, it”s symbolize the friendship between Amir and Hassan.  In the beginning of the novel, they were really close, they carve their name into the tree that they are the Sultans of Kabul, meaning that they share the role together, which shows their closeness of the two. .“One summer day, I used one of Ali's kitchen knives to carve our names on it :Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul Those words made it formal the tree was ours”(Hosseini 27).  The tree represent the playground or their friendship house  because they dream, read, talking, laughs and everything.The tree was also full of fruit and so was  friendship it was also full. After Hassan was raped they went to the tree one last time together but thing was not the same. Amir torture hassan when he start throwing pomegrating at Hassan. Amir got frustrated when hassan won't fight back but in another way i see that Hassan won't hold Amir responsible for the rape. Amir can't forgive himself because he didn’t help Hassan in the Alley. Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. “There,” he croaked, red dripping down his face like blood. “Are you satisfied? Do you feel better?” He turned around and started down the hill. (Hosseini Pg. 9). What was once a loving friendship now full with Amir guilt and sorriness. After they were separated for many years Amir come back only to find  out Hassan has die and he was his half brother all along and Hassan have a son. Before hassan has died he left a letter for Amir “"Hassan had said in his letter that the pomegranate tree hadn't borne fruit in years. Looking at the wilted, leafless tree, I doubted it ever would again" (Hosseini pg.264). Although hassan passed away but their friendship still exist and that the tree still exist and what keep their relationship still exist is the son of Hassan's Sohrab. I also feel like the Pomegranate tree represent Afghanistan in a way . The old Afghanistan that  Amir thought he knew was wonderful and alive. Later, when he returns, He see's that it is a completely different place. Everything is dead. When he see's the pomegranate tree he and Hassan used to sit beneath, it is dead as well but exist.