Prompt One: Symbol

Task: Read the following prompt and answer to the best of your ability! Choose a symbol used in a novel or play of your choice and discuss its function in the world of the work. Be sure to give the title of the work and its author in the Introduction paragraph. You should strive for 4 - 5 paragraphs. Good Luck! After posting, read and comment on 4 other postings. Your comments should be helpful to the writer and may be things you noticed, something for them to think about, and some words of encouragement. You must complete your essay and your comments by Tuesday, January 12th!


The epic story of the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini takes place between the 1930’s and 1990’s, in both countries of America and Afghanistan. It follows the growing up of a young Afghan boy named Amir. During his childhood Amir lived with his father and their trusted servants, Ali and Hassan. Although Hassan was his servant he was also his best friend. For years, Amir was longing for the acceptance of his heroic father, Baba, but he does not receive it until he wins a Kite Flying Contest in his hometown of Kabul, Afghanistan. And even then, he did not feel worthy of this approval because on the night of the competition he stood by and watched his best friend get brutally raped by another town boy, Assef. The guilt racked him and 5 years later he and his father migrated to America because the Soviets began invading their country.

Here in the land of freedom, the relationship between Amir and his father change. Simply because Baba’s status is lower which reveals a sense of weakness; which is a different side Amir has never seen before. Also because he finds out that Baba is also Hassan’s father and Amir is hit with the ultimate betrayal because he has always considered himself better than a slave, especially Hassan. In California, Amir meets another Afghan refugee named Soraya. They get married and Amir becomes a successful writer, and they are told that they are unable to conceive children. Amir’s father dies, and he is told that a local gang called the Taliban’s eject the Soviets out of Afghanistan causing even more turmoil and poverty throughout the country. Two Taliban officials kill Amir and his wife, and enslaved their son, Sohrab. When word travels back to Amir, he immediately takes action, and heads home to Kabul to redeem himself with Hassan, by freeing his son and giving him a better life in America.

The symbol of the story is in the title itself is a kite. An ordinary definition of the word kite would be something along the lines of a frame covered with thin material to be flown in the wind attached to the end of a long string. In this heroic tale, that is not the case, it symbolizes so much more. In Afghanistan, flying kites is a sport. The object of the game is to be the last kite flyer in the sky. Many contestants dip there string in molten glass to be break the other strings if they get caught or intertwined. In the game boys retrieve the kites and fly them around the earth. And that is exactly what Amir did in the book Kite Runner. He started off in Kabul, Afghanistan and traveled to America for a better life, and then he back to his home to retrieve Sohrab. And in time of his return everything was different; life was different, than he remembered it to be. In his fight to find and protect Hassan’s son, he had to dodge many things, including the new ways of the Taliban. Just like the in the game of Kite flying, he ran around the globe from one end to the other.

Another symbol of the kite is FREEDOM! When the soviets first invaded the home of the Afghan’s they lost their rights to freedom, speech, and religion all because of the want of territorial power and control. Many locals lost their homes, because they lost their jobs. And the situation got even worse when the Taliban’s fought for the land, and gained control of it. They killed anyone at anytime they felt, for any reason. Everyone in the town had lost all their money, by force. Many men could not afford to feed their families food other than, rice, bread, and soup, sometimes even nothing at all. The Talib children were taught to beat women for fun, as their husbands watched in torment, because if they fought back they would be shot. Sohrab, Hassan’s son grew up in this kind of world not knowing anything besides a life of poverty. Amir travels back and brings him to a life of opportunities in America. Sohrab is now free to have a life of his own including having dreams, dreams he can one day make a reality.

The last symbol of the kite is Friendship. In their childhood, Amir and Hassan both believed that they were each other’s best friends. But they knew that Hassan was a Hazara, lesser in status also as a servant, and that out of the two of them Amir would be eligible for a better life. Although Amir was angry and upset when he found out that he and Hassan were bothers, I think it just made the friendship even more significant because of all the things Hassan had down for Amir were so outrageously kind. When flying a kite it is always much more fun when you are doing it with someone, but in the end there is only one winner. In the story Kite Runner, Hassan does die, but Amir will carry him on in his heart forever. While alive Hassan pushed Amir to always find happiness and grab the chance of a better life the second it came around. He has also made Amir a man by returning to Afghanistan to save his son, Sohrab. This also provided him a family. Hassan has always been Amir’s kite runner.