Jane Austen Does It Again

"Like pride in your people, your customs, your language. Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage." This quote from Assef in chapter 22 also hits on a prevalent theme in the work. Prejudice is the root of a lot of the problems that arise in the book. Similarly, when Amir meets unintentionally with Assef, it is clear that Assef is following in his hero, Hitler's footsteps. By the same token, Baba didn't take Hassan as his son because he didn't want people associating his "pure" blood with that of a Hazara. Pride and prejudice (pun intended) assist Baba in the decision to disown Hassan and pass him off as Alli's. The custom in the Afghan countries was to have Hazaras working for the rest of society because they were seen as being below everyone else. It was Baba's knowledge of the ridicule the harelip would bring to Hassan that led to his paying for the surgery to smooth it out. Time and time again, Alli is verbally and physically abused because of his status as Hazara and cripple.

Pride: The Deadliest of Sins

"Please think, Amir Jan. It was a shameful situation. People would talk. All that a man had back then, all that he was, was his honor, his name, and if people talked...We couldn't tell anyone, surely you can see that." This quote from chapter 17 is an example of one of the main themes of the entire novel. Throughout, it seems as though the Afghani people are genuinely more concerned with society's perception of them than the lives of those closest to them. While this is a terrible generalization, this quote loosely supports this. The theme is pride. No one is willing to let their name be blemished in any form, even if it means keeping a boy from his father and another from his brother. Also, had Amir known that Hassan was his brother all along, he would not have felt quite so abandoned by his father every time he showed Hassan attention. It is Amir's intense need to please his unforgiving father that leads to his standing by as Hassan gets violently raped. While the people in the novel see pride as the only thing they truly have, they do not seem to realize that it is that pride that keeps them from truly enjoying all they actually have.

......Cliffhanger....

"Some day, Inshallah, you will be a great writer... and people all over the world will read your stories." Hosseini is a strong believer in the use of foreshadowing. Chapter end after chapter end, there is a cliffhanger. While these do make the reading a bit more enjoyable, I find them to be a little tiresome after the thirteenth go-round. Considering the fast-paced nature of the story, the foreshadowing does play a significant role. It serves to set up the next segment of the story. The narrator led the reader down a suspicious path when he or she alluded to the last time he would ever see Hassan truly smile. Clearly, this lets the reader know that the next part will not be a positive experience for the young Hassan. That does seem to be the theme of the first quarter of the book, though, so the narrator could really just say, "And then Amir did it again. Get the tissues."

Probably A Daddy Issue

"Hassan never denied me anything." Throughout the first fourteen chapters of the novel, it is clear that Amir's relationship with Hassan is anything but rosy. Until Ali and Hasan leave, Amir treats Hassan like a servant. Really, he is his servant, but he is also his brother, in a non-strict sense of the word. They suckled from the same breast, as is mentioned many times. As bad as a brother might treat his brother, Amir takes this to a whole new level. He tries to get Hassan and his father fired, which is horrible because they are quite poor. While they leave on their own, it is not a pretty departure. Still, time after time, even in the last seconds of Hassan's time in the house, he looks out for Amir. He lies to Baba to protect Amir. Would Amir ever do this for Hassan. Clearly not. Amir watched Hassan get raped, all the while very concerned about his kite. Because of his bad relationship with his father growing up, it is clear that Amir has great trouble relating to others and caring for another person.

Women: Here and There

" Every woman needed a husband. Even if he did silence the song in her." One aspect of the book that really shocked me was the women's roles in the culture. Essentially, it is as if the woman's role is to play sidekick for the man. I don't know about other women, but I am no one's sidekick, so reading this is somewhat upsetting. In this modern age, with men and women attending the same schools and being treated nearly equally, the book's culture seems like it must take place light years away. This is not the case, but it is nearly impossible to relate to the plight of these women. Also, the humble way in which the women accept their place is unsettling. When Soraya speaks about wanting to live her own life of being a teacher regardless of how that would make her father feel, the first hint of independence is there, but the overall feel of the book is oppresive towards women. The stark contrast of the two cultures' norms makes it difficult to relate to every aspect of the novel, but it is very informative.

Antagonizing With Love

“A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.” This quote from Baba is one that attributed to the common view of Baba. People say he is a terrible father and he expects too much from Amir, but that viewpoint is making his character far too one-dimensional. Baba, the antagonist in many parts of the novel, has many sides to his personality. He grew up with the view that a man was supposed to be a man from an early age. Weakness was simply unacceptable. Because he was raised in this way, he came to raise his son in the same way. It just so happens that Amir has a far from typical childhood full of things that forced him to grow up far before he should have. Once the duo reaches America, it is clear that all Baba wants for Amir is the best, and he is more than willing to sacrifice himself for Amir to have it.

Regret

“That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” One theme of this book that seems extremely apparent is regret. In many ways, regret runs Amir's life. Even while he did many of the acts he would one day regret, he was regretting having to do it. In his mind, there was no other plausible option. Many try to blame his mistakes on his father's behavior earlier in Amir's life. While this could be a factor in his terrible behavior, it cannot be the main reason. As Amir knows quite well, he is responsible for the things he did. He realizes that everyday. Every time something good happens to him, he wonders if Hassan had experienced it or if he was having a good life. Amir's guilt gnaws at his ability to live in the present.