Hero Journey in the Kite Runner

Once in a while, people cannot help but throw a quick glance over their shoulder, checking for something they know is not there. Their past actions taunt them; they wish they could be “someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins” (Hosseini 136). The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini details the narrative of two friends—Amir, a young Pashtun boy, and Hassan, his friend—whose lives change drastically. Amir encounters Hassan’s rape and emotionally pays for his inaction. As he grows older, he is able to find a way to atone for his mistake. The Kite Runner delves into the journey of Amir to depict the theme of how his actions contribute to his growth, ultimately revealing that everyone’s course of actions shapes their growth from youth to adulthood.

Hosseini starts by setting the story in Kabul because it sets the backdrop for Amir’s childhood. One of the main issues Amir faces in Kabul is his desire to please his father. Baba does not believe praising his son is the solution to making him a man. Because of Baba’s belief, Amir’s childhood consists of him turning a blind eye to every other issue he encounters to acquire his father’s approval. However, Baba overlooks Amir’s attempts: “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything” (Hosseini 22). Baba’s words illustrate Amir’s signature characteristic during his childhood: cowardice. Amir allows his father and his Pashtun title to dictate his decisions. Amir’s negligence to see beyond his own desperation to appeal to Baba forces him to hurt others at the expense of his own desires. To further depict Amir’s childish behavior, Hosseini describes Amir agonizing over the mechanics of his friendship with Hassan.

Amir reveals his perspective on his friendship with Hassan, noting, “Because history isn't easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he [Hassan] was a Hazara, I was a Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing. But we were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either” (Hosseini 25). He acknowledges that ethnicity and religion will always be the white elephant in their relationship; however, nothing can interfere with the fact that they were born and raised together. Amir allows his inherited characteristics to make him believe that his history with Hassan both does and does not surpass his love for the boy. Amir’s ambivalent feelings to distinguish Hassan’s worth speak towards his close-minded mentality as a child. Amir’s childhood proves to be an ambiguous time as he attempts to please his father and decide what he wants from Hassan. As a result, his abrupt transition from Kabul to America for a blank slate is easier said than done.

Despite his unshakeable past, Amir’s decision to escape to America contributes to his maturity. Amir’s distance from his mistakes provides him room to learn who he can become. Amir compares America to his own rebirth; it is a place of hope and freedom. However, Amir still has a hard time forgetting his past with Hassan, recalling, “A city of harelipped ghosts [Kabul]…America was different. America was a river, roaring along, unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the water carry me someplace far” (Hosseini 136). His past is a ghost city with one ghost following him everywhere: “harelipped” Hassan. This is a significant event because Amir finally acknowledges his error of inaction instead of avoiding the truth. Eventually, he learns that his love for America grows from the lack of signs or memories of Hasan and a chance to move on. Following Baba’s death not long after, Amir admits that “My whole life, I had been ‘Baba’s son.’ Now he was gone. Baba couldn't show me the way anymore; I’d have to find it on my own” (Hosseini 174). As Amir truly enters adulthood and makes decisions without his father, he realizes that he had made selfish decisions in hopes that his father would shower him with love and attention; this had unwittingly made him dependent on his father. Amir has hit rock bottom without a father figure, but it is about time he learns to think for himself. Amir’s maturity is evident when he accepts Rahim Khan’s invitation to do what he knows is right.

Even so, Wahid’s comment still makes him uncomfortable, admitting, “Wahid rested his thick hand on my shoulder. ‘You are an honorable man, Amir agha. A true Afghan.’ I cringed inside' (Hosseini 238). Wahid’s praise causes Amir to grasp how his guilt has controlled his life. In that same manner, Amir finally seeks redemption after living in shame of a sin he committed so many years ago. At this stage, Amir has come to not only acknowledge his mistake, but he also reflects on his younger self. Rahim Khan continues to help prove Amir’s growth by asserting that “I know that in the end, God will forgive. He will forgive your father, me, and you too. Forgive your father if you can. Forgive me if you wish. But most important, forgive yourself” (Hosseini 302). Rahim Khan offered Amir a chance see how he has become a better man, but he had taken it upon himself to accept the challenge. “God will forgive” signifies that God shows compassion to pardon mistakes, but it is people who hold onto things that need to be absolved. Truly atoning for his sins would require Amir to reflect on his own actions and finding it in his heart to forgive himself. Subsequently, Amir makes amends with his past upon seeing the personal progression he’s accomplished since his childhood.

Each stage of Amir’s life demonstrates how he shows growth from the consequences of his actions. Amir goes from committing a sin and repenting for his actions to maturing to confront and fix his mistakes. Using Amir, the author displays that the theme “coming of age” includes personal growth, motivation, the desire to improve, and the willingness to strive for the change. Hosseini starts the novel by illuminating Amir’s troubled childhood and concludes with a buoyancy of hope that Amir deserves. Although the trek Amir endures depicts him as the antagonist and protagonist, that is the truest portrayal anyone can find of themselves on the journey to coming of age.  

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