THEME

Winn, Kyaw Kyaw. Innocent. 2007. Photograph. N.p.

I stopped watching, turned away from the alley. Something warm was running down my wrist. I blinked, saw I was still biting down on my fist, hard enough to draw blood from the knuckles. I realized something else. I was weeping. From just around the corner, I could hear Assef's quick, rhythmic grunts.

I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan – the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past – and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run.

In the end, I ran. (7.137-139)

Mnj7th. Children Linking Arms. 2009. Photograph. N.p. Comp. Dreamstime Stock Photos.

"I know," he said, breaking our embrace. "Inshallah, we'll celebrate later. Right now, I'm going to run that blue kite for you," he said. He dropped the spool and took off running, the hem of his green chapan dragging in the snow behind him.

"Hassan!" I called. "Come back with it!"

He was already turning the street corner, his rubber boots kicking up snow. He stopped, turned. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "For you a thousand times over!" he said. Then he smiled his Hassan smile and disappeared around the corner. The next time I saw him smile unabashedly like that was twenty-six years later, in a faded Polaroid photograph. (7.52-54)

Tilton, Rachel. Father Son. 2007. Photograph. N.p.

Upstairs was my bedroom, Baba's room, and his study, also known as "the smoking room," which perpetually smelled of tobacco and cinnamon. Baba and his friends reclined on black leather chairs there after Ali had served dinner. They stuffed their pipes – except Baba always called it "fattening the pipe" – and discussed their favorite three topics: politics, business, soccer. Sometimes I asked Baba if I could sit with them, but Baba would stand in the doorway. "Go on, now," he'd say. "This is grown-ups' time. Why don't you go read one of those books of yours?" He'd close the door, leave me to wonder why it was always grown-ups' time with him. I'd sit by the door, knees drawn to my chest. Sometimes I sat there for an hour, sometimes two, listening to their laughter, their chatter.  (2.6)

The Kite Runner has multiple themes running through the story.  The most compelling themes are betrayal, father/son relationships and friendship.

In this novel, betrayal and the subsequent search for atonement play a prominent role throughout the story.  The major betrayal of Hassan by Amir is foreshadowed by smaller events such as when Hassan says he "would rather eat dirt than lie" to Amir.  At that point, Amir almost asks Hassan to eat dirt to test his loyalty but then he would have shown his pettiness and jealousy and Hassan would have found him lacking in integrity. This event is minor compared to Amir's cowardice when Hassan is confronted by Assef and his thugs.   Amir's lack of action in a moment when it would have counted most is the ultimate example of betrayal in the story, as well as being the pivotal point.  Ironically, Amir's earlier concern that Hassan would doubt his integrity if he asked him to eat dirt, pales in comparison with his monumental failure to defend his friend.  Then, Amir compounds his mistakes by framing Hassan for theft in order to avoid the enormous guilt he feels.  Baba confronts and then forgives Hassan for his "theft", however, much to his surprise Ali informs Baba that they must leave.  For the first time in Amir's young life, he sees Baba break down and cry.  In this moment, Amir has not only betrayed Hassan and Ali but also Baba who loses his "brother" and, as we find out later, his biological son.

Another strong theme in the story is friendship and the eternal bond formed at birth.   "Hassan and I fed from the same breasts.  We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard.  And, under the same roof we spoke our first words.  Mine was Baba.  His was Amir.  My name."  This foreshadows the lopsided nature of the friendship between Hassan and Amir, with Amir always taking priority.   Despite Amir's pettiness in playing tricks on Hassan, Hassan's love and admiration for Amir cannot be corrupted.  This demonstrates just how dedicated Hassan was to Amir and in the face of Amir's betrayals,  Hassan steadfastly remains loyal to the end.  When Ali and Hassan are forced to move away, Amir gradually realizes that he has lost his most faithful friend and supporter.  When Rahim Khan calls Amir in San Francisco with an opportunity to atone for his sins, Amir realizes that he needs to do this for his old friend.  "There is a way to be good again."

Relationships between parents and their children are complicated especially when, in this case, there are undercurrents which are not understood by the characters.  Amir longs for Baba's love, attention and approval.  But the harder he tries to obtain these things, the less Baba thinks of him.  Hassan, on the other hand, has all the traits that Baba admires and that Amir lacks.  Hassan is constantly standing up for Amir even though Amir belittles him.  Amir envies Hassan's bravery, loyalty and above all the attention paid to him by Baba.  Until Rahim Khan's revelation, Amir is unsure as to why Baba desired such a stronger relationship with Hassan but when he finds out that they are both Baba's sons it finally becomes clear.

While it may not be clear at first, a number of themes evident in Khaled Hosseini's book are often intertwined.  Amir's desire for a strong and satisfying relationship with his father leads him to sacrifice his friendship with Hassan through several misdeeds, culminating in the betrayal of his one and only true friend.