Paper 3

General Description of Amir's Character

Amir, the main character, is analyzed as a round and static character. He has several traits:

Caring: His caring nature is shown when he comforts Hassan.

Inferior: Amir feels ashamed of his love for poetry, believing it disappoints Baba.

Coward: He admits to being too afraid to protect Hassan during the assault.

Optimistic: He believes that winning the kite-fighting tournament will earn Baba’s approval.

Selfish and Sly: He allows Hassan to be hurt and plants his watch and money to send Hassan away.

Patient: He tries to maintain communication with Sohrab, even after Sohrab becomes silent .

Conflicts Experienced by Amir

1. Internal Conflict

Amir’s internal conflict revolves around his guilt for betraying Hassan and his struggles with his
conscience. His body’s reaction to seeing Hassan being assaulted highlights his emotional turmoil. He
also experiences inner conflict when he discovers Hassan is his half-brother .

2. External Conflict

Amir experiences numerous external conflicts:

1. Conflict with Hassan: Amir feels stressed when Hassan is around, due to the guilt of betrayal.
2. Conflict with Baba: Baba becomes angry when Amir suggests replacing Hassan and his father
with new servants.
3. Conflict with Rahim Khan: Amir expresses anger when he learns Rahim kept the secret of
Hassan’s parentage.
4. Conflict with Assef: Amir fights Assef to rescue Sohrab, leading to physical confrontation.
5. Conflict with Raymond Andrew: Amir disagrees with Raymond's suggestion to give up adopting
Sohrab.
6. Conflict with Omar Faisal: Amir rejects the suggestion of sending Sohrab to an orphanage,
breaking his promise to the boy .

Setting

1. Setting of Time

The events in The Kite Runner occur between 1975 and 2001, with key moments including:

 Winter 1975: The kite-fighting tournament and Amir’s betrayal of Hassan.

 March 1981: Amir and Baba flee to America due to the political situation in Kabul.
 June 2001: Amir visits Pakistan, learns about Hassan’s identity, and decides to rescue Sohrab.
 August 2001: Amir and Sohrab return to America, where Amir works to regain Sohrab’s trust .
2. Setting of Social

The novel highlights the social differences between the Pashtun (upper-class) and Hazara (lower-class)
communities. Amir and Hassan, though raised together, belong to different social classes: Amir lives in a
mansion, while Hassan lives in a mud shack. The societal tension between these groups is emphasized,
along with religious distinctions between the Sunni Pashtuns and the Shia Hazaras .

3. Setting of Place

Key places in the novel include:

 Kabul, Afghanistan: Amir’s childhood home and the setting for the kite-fighting tournament.
 Wazir Akhbar Khan: The district where Amir’s family lives.
 Alley: The place where Amir witnesses Hassan’s assault.
 Hassan’s Home: Where Amir plants his watch and money to frame Hassan.
 Pakistan: Where Amir meets Rahim Khan and learns about Hassan’s parentage.
 Sarak-e-Mehmana: The Taliban’s house, where Amir confronts Assef.
 American Embassy: Where Amir argues with Raymond Andrew about adopting Sohrab.

Anxiety Experienced by Amir

Amir experiences three types of anxiety throughout the novel: realistic, neurotic, and moral. Each type
reflects the different emotional struggles he faces due to his actions and the consequences of his
decisions.

1. Realistic Anxiety

Realistic anxiety arises when Amir feels threatened by external forces or real-life dangers. His most
significant source of realistic anxiety is Assef, who represents a physical and emotional danger. One
prominent example occurs during Hassan’s assault. Amir feels immense fear when he sees Assef and his
gang trapping Hassan in the alley. His body’s reaction—clenching up and experiencing a cold ripple up
his spine—shows his deep sense of helplessness and fear of Assef. This fear paralyzes Amir, and instead
of intervening to help Hassan, he chooses to run away. This moment becomes a critical point in Amir’s
emotional journey, as his inability to confront Assef fuels his later feelings of guilt and regret(.).

2. Neurotic Anxiety

Neurotic anxiety is linked to Amir’s internal fear of punishment or retribution if he acts against societal
or personal expectations. Amir’s neurotic anxiety is rooted in his fear of what might happen to him if he
intervenes during Hassan’s assault. He is afraid of the potential harm Assef could inflict on him, and this
fear overwhelms his sense of morality. As a result, Amir convinces himself that saving Hassan would lead
to personal suffering, so he chooses not to act. His fear of physical harm leads him to prioritize self-
preservation over loyalty to his friend. This type of anxiety highlights Amir’s internal struggle between
his desire to be brave and his overwhelming fear of the consequences.
3. Moral Anxiety

Moral anxiety comes from Amir’s feelings of guilt and shame for violating his own moral code. After
witnessing Hassan’s assault and failing to help him, Amir experiences intense moral anxiety, which
manifests in various ways, such as insomnia. He cannot sleep because his conscience constantly reminds
him of his betrayal. Amir wishes someone would discover his secret, hoping that external
acknowledgment would relieve him of the burden of guilt. However, his inability to confess only
deepens his inner turmoil, causing him to live with a lie that haunts him for years. This anxiety drives
many of Amir’s actions later in the novel, including his decision to redeem himself by rescuing Sohrab.

Motives Experienced by Amir

Amir’s motives throughout the story revolve around three key needs: safety and security, belongingness
and love, and self-esteem. These motives guide his actions and contribute to his complex character
development.

1. Safety and Security Need

Amir’s primary motivation early in the novel is self-preservation. His need for safety and security
becomes evident when he chooses to run away from the scene of Hassan’s assault instead of
intervening. His fear of Assef and the potential harm he might suffer makes him prioritize his own safety
over Hassan’s well-being. This need for security also drives his decision to push Hassan and his father,
Ali, out of his life by framing Hassan for theft. Amir believes that removing Hassan from his life will help
him escape the guilt and anxiety he feels. However, this decision only deepens his internal conflict and
guilt.

2. Belongingness and Love Need

Amir’s need for belongingness and love is central to his relationship with Baba and later with Sohrab.
Throughout his childhood, Amir craves his father’s approval and affection. He participates in the kite-
fighting tournament, hoping that winning will make him worthy of Baba’s love. This desire for validation
drives many of Amir’s actions, including his betrayal of Hassan, whom he sees as a competitor for Baba’s
attention. Later in the novel, Amir’s need for love shifts toward Sohrab, Hassan’s son. Amir tries to
rescue Sohrab from the Taliban and offer him a new life in America, hoping to make amends for his past
mistakes and build a loving relationship with the boy .

3. Self-Esteem Need

Amir’s self-esteem is tied to his need for both self-respect and the respect of others, particularly Baba.
Amir’s participation in the kite-fighting tournament is motivated by his desire to prove his worth to
Baba, who views him as weak and unmanly. Amir believes that winning the tournament will earn him
Baba’s respect and elevate his status in his father’s eyes. This need for self-esteem also influences Amir’s
later actions as he tries to atone for his betrayal of Hassan. By rescuing Sohrab and providing him with a
better life, Amir seeks not only redemption but also to restore his sense of self-worth .
Plot
The plot of The Kite Runner is structured into five stages, reflecting Amir’s journey from guilt and
betrayal to redemption.

1. Exposition
Amir’s desire to win Baba’s recognition drives him to enter the kite-fighting tournament. He believes
that winning will prove his worth to Baba.

2. Inciting Force
Amir betrays Hassan by planting money and his watch under Hassan’s mattress to send him away. This
decision stems from Amir’s anxiety and guilt after Hassan’s assault .

3. Rising Action
Amir learns the truth about Hassan being his half-brother and accepts Rahim Khan’s request to rescue
Sohrab, Hassan’s son, from Kabul.

4. Climax
Amir confronts Assef, now a Taliban leader, to rescue Sohrab. Later, Amir is devastated when Sohrab
attempts suicide after Amir breaks his promise not to send him to an orphanage.

5. Resolution
Amir returns to America with Sohrab and works to regain his trust, culminating in a moment of
connection through kite running.

Conclusion
Amir’s journey in The Kite Runner is shaped by his internal struggles with anxiety, guilt, and a deep need
for redemption. His actions are driven by his complex motives, including the need for safety, love, and
self-esteem. Ultimately, the novel explores themes of betrayal, forgiveness, and the possibility of
redemption
Paper 4
Introduction
The novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini depicts a heartbreaking story set in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The protagonist, Amir, aims to win his father’s approval through a kite-running competition. His loyal
friend, Hassan, who is revealed to be his half-brother, supports him throughout the process. Hassan,
despite his loyalty, suffers abuse and humiliation, including being raped by Assef while retrieving a kite
for Amir. Amir, haunted by guilt and cowardice for not defending Hassan, forces him and his father to
leave. Later, after fleeing to America due to the war, Amir learns the truth about Hassan's parentage. He
returns to war-torn Afghanistan to rescue Hassan’s son, Sohrab, fulfilling his personal redemption .

A Deformed Family Ethic Order

Hassan’s tragic fate is deeply connected to his family dynamics. Born with a cleft lip, Hassan was
abandoned by his biological parents: his mother left for her happiness, and his father, out of shame.
Although raised by Ali, Hassan’s biological father was actually Amir’s father. The Pashtun community’s
social norms prevented Amir’s father from acknowledging Hassan as his son, leading to Hassan's lifelong
experience of ridicule due to his lower-class status as a Hazara. Amir’s father favored Hassan for his
bravery and resilience, which caused jealousy in Amir, who was weaker in character. This complicated
relationship led Amir to betray Hassan, unaware that they were half-brothers.

Ethnic and Ethical Order of Inequality

The novel also explores the deep-seated ethnic discrimination between the dominant Pashtun group
and the marginalized Hazara community in Afghanistan. Pashtuns like Amir and his father enjoyed
higher social and economic status, while the Hazaras, such as Hassan and Ali, were relegated to the
lowest social strata. This unequal ethnic order is a key factor in Hassan's tragic fate. Characters like
Assef, a nationalist, believed that Afghanistan belonged solely to the Pashtuns and that the Hazaras
were "aliens" who should be expelled. This ingrained racial discrimination influenced Amir's betrayal of
Hassan, treating him as an expendable "other" due to his Hazara identity.

A Narrow Religious and Ethical Order

The novel also portrays religious tensions in Afghanistan, where Sunni Muslims, primarily Pashtuns, held
power, while Shia Muslims, like the Hazaras, were subjugated. This religious hierarchy further
exacerbated the discrimination against Hassan and his community. Throughout his life, Hassan
internalized his inferior social position, never questioning the unjust treatment he received. Amir,
influenced by this hierarchy, could never fully accept Hassan as an equal. This subliminal religious
hierarchy played a significant role in Hassan's tragic fate, illustrating how deeply embedded social and
religious divides influenced individual lives in Afghanistan(paper 4).

These themes of family ethics, ethnic hierarchy, and religious discrimination combine to create a layered
narrative about the complexities of identity, loyalty, and betrayal in The Kite Runner.