Book Club Discussion on "Kite Runner" - Khaled Hosseini

[gemkeeper]

Lolagranola, thanks for those comments on my earlier post. You have much the same feelings as most of our group of readers on this point of Amir's sad decision on the day of the kite contest.

I can't help but think that had Hassan and Amir known that they were brothers, would Amir had acted differently on that day? If Amir knew that his flesh and blood brother was being tormented so that day, do the readers believe that he would have made a different decision?

Personally, I believe that he would have. Amir was obviously in pain over what he was witnessing in that alley on what should have been a wonderfully victorious day for Amir and Hassan. He tells us that as he turned away "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."

Amir next realized that he had one last "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."

What a disappointment for all of us, which pales in comparison to the devastation it created for Hassan and Amir.

Amir obviously, at least to me, loved Hassan. Just the day before the contest Amir expressed his concern that he, himself, lived so well in his big house, while Hassan and Ali shared their mud hut. The same day Amir promised Hassan when they were grown, and Amir had some money, he was going to buy Hassan a television set. If he had no feelings for Hassan, he might have told Hassan that he would be buying a TV for himself and never concerned himself with how Hassan lived. But, Amir did feel affection, which lead to his life-long guilt over not just this day, but all of the days that he did not give Hassan the best of himself.

Consider Hassan's loving heart that all of us admired so. He was a Hazara who received much more love and attention than his station in society would ever have promised him. He had the love of Ali, Rahim Khan, and Baba - all demonstrated openly in front of both boys. Hassan had so much more than he could have expected.

Now, consider Amir and his jealous, selfish attitudes. He possessed a birthright to his father's name and station in life and deserved as a son to receive his father's love and attention. Yet, this "right" (as all children have from their parents) was denied him. Was his personality a result of being raised by an indifferent father who couldn't show him tender love and affection? Amir had so much less than he could have expected.

Had Baba raised Amir to know that Hassan was his brother, would Amir have been so jealous that Hassan was receiving Baba's love? I don't think so. Siblings expect to share their parents' love and attention, Without this knowledge, it is only natural that Amir felt that Hassan, a mere servant's son in his mind, received what Amir was entitled to, but denied.

Again, I do not defend Amir's decision, but understand it. And, my heart would break for both boys had I known them.

I think that this is one aspect of a wonderful author as opposed to a good storyteller. Hosseini leaves us with an abundance of "ifs" as he creates for us a morality tale with so many possible outcomes. His insight into the boys' minds, hearts and motives seems to come from one with experiences in his own life that might mirror the ones he lays out for us to query.

[lolagranola]

When it was revealed that they were brothers, I felt I shoulda known! It was obvious then!

BUT,

As the story with Sohrab progressed....I was just a bit irritated. Would Amir have been so determined to bring Sohrab with him had he NOT of been his nephew? Wouldn't it be better to know that Amir would have done the same? But we don't know! Yes, he was absolved through Sohrab, but wouldn't it have been more nobel if there wasn't that relation? Just a bit too neat this way.

(huh, I didn't realize I had a complaint about this story!)

[gemkeeper]

I think that the part of the story that I found the hardest to digest was when Amir wrestled with himself and Rahid Khan about Sohran's rescue, as well, lolagranola.

I felt at this point with all that Amir had gone through as a result of his lack of strong character in dealing with Hassan that there should have been no question in his mind that he would take Sohrab. I agree that their kinship should have not made the decision easier - there should have been no question.

I think that this was the one part of the story line where Hosseini over-dramatized Amir's weakness. He was a man now, he knew the consequences of his terrible betrayal, he had finally won his father's respect. It bordered on a soap opera scenario at this point. Oh, well. I enjoyed the rest so much that I try to overlook this section's flaws, in my opinion.

The one redeeming grace of this chain of events was the pure justice of the ending when Amir became the humble kite runner for Sohrab. I felt that he finally found some peace and redemption.

(Huh? I hope I didn't give the impression that I thought that you had a complaint about the book. It seemed to me that you had enjoyed it as much as I did. Sorry, if I stated something that was misconstrued! I try not to put words in other people's mouth. I have so few left to pass around!)

[Chava61]

The Kite Runner is a great book and I recommend it to those that haven't read it.