Monday 10 June 2013

Amir: A Boy becoming a Man

When I first started The Kite Runner I strongly disliked Amir. I thought he was a coward who didn't deserve praise from anyone, especially not a boy as sweet as Hassan. Then I got thinking: If I witnessed one of my friends get raped when i was 10 years old what would I have done?  Not only did Amir witness Hassan get raped, HAssan only got raped becasue of the kite he was running for Amir. I think I would have mentally and physically broken down if I witnessed that, I would feel so much guilt and sadness. I probably would have handled it really similar to how Amir did. I would have shut people out and try to go into my own world. I believe Amir was trying to handle it as best as he could, but still had to try and appear to be a put together kid for Baba. I really enjoyed the Kite Runner because I believe it was a great story of showing how people can grow into strong independent people. Amir is always growing as a person throughout the novel. Whether it was when he was helping Baba or going to save Sohrab. I believe in many ways Amir redeemed himself. I realize a lot of the people that read this book dislike Amir and rightfully so, but if you honestly take a second to put yourself in that situation, not as a teenager or an adult, but as a ten year old boy. Think how you would handle that, do you think you're going to want to go talk about it, you probably wouldn't even understand what you just witnessed never mind be able to put it into words. Personally I believe that Amir reacted how any young kid would react: try to forget the situation and move on.

3 comments:

  1. Teslyn, this is a very powerful post and I admire how you were able to be so honest in sharing how you think you would have responded to the violence Amir witnessed. The first couple of times I read the novel, I truly disliked Amir, and didn't think he redeemed himself. Upon further reading and reflection--and considering his perspective--my thoughts about Amir have changed greatly. I see him as an innocent boy, who didn't yet have the capacity to seek help or understand the immense pressure placed on him by Baba.

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  2. I agree, I didn't like many of the choices Amir makes, especially in the early book. However, I know he was a mere boy of ten, and the choices he faced must have been hard to say the least. Although he can't undo these choices, I believe he was able to achieve much redemtion in saving Sohrab, as he was likely the most important thing in Hassan's life.

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  3. I think you're right when you said that Amir was just a child when he witnessed what Assef did to Hassan. When I first read the part where he raped him I began thinking about all the things I would have done if I was in Amirs place. Later I realize he was still a kid when this all happened and was probably just as traumatized by it as Hassan was.

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