Name : Istiana Hakma
Class : Ag 4
Student’s ID : 40300116104
REVIEW THE KITE RUNNER
The Kite Runner is a novel written by the Afghan-born author, Khaled
Hoseeini. Hosseini who now lives in America is a son of a diplomat who was born
in Kabul in 1965. When his father was assigned to Paris in 1976, he left Afghanistan
and could not return to his homeland because in 1980 Russia had occupied
Afghanistan. The Hossseini family finally got political asylum from the government
of the United States and until now he lived in California and became a doctor. The
Kite Runner's novel is his first work and also the first Afghan novel written in
English. This novel describes the atmosphere of Afghanistan before Russia invaded
this country (1979) until the fall of power of the Taliban regime. The story itself
tells the character of Amir who in this novel acts as a narrator. In his childhood,
Amir-whose mother left her dead when she gave birth-lived with the father whom
she called Baba, and her servant Ali and Ali's son, Hasan, who also became his best
friend.
Baba, Amir's father is a figure of a mighty Afghan man, a successful
businessman, a moralist whose kindness makes him respected by his friends. Baba
wants Amir to grow up to be a tough man, likes activities like boys his age like ball,
kite, martial arts, etc. But Amir prefers to drown in his books, become a weak man
and can not protect himself. Every time he gets into trouble with his friends, Hasan
is always the helper and his defender. This fact makes Baba disappointed and
worried about his son's future, this is what makes the relationship between Amir
and his father sometimes become stiff, Amir is required by his father to do things
he does not like to make him depressed and feelings toward his father to be jumbled
between hate and love.
Hasan is a child of the Hazaras, a pariah in the strata of Aghanistan. His
father, Ali, had served the Baba family since Amir's grandfather had raised him as
a maid in his home. Like his father, Hasan always served his master. Although Amir
and Hasan had established a friendship, Hasan still regarded him as an employer
and continued to serve him with unlimited devotion and fidelity.
The friendship between Amir and Hasan crashed. When they attend a kite
tournament. It is a tradition in Afghanistan where every winter, all districts in Kabul
hold a kite fighting tournament. This tournament is a long-awaited event in the cold
of winter air. Tournament kite kite early in the morning and only ended when living
a winning kite dancing in the sky, not infrequently this tournament has not ended
even though the sun has sunk. Kites are played by two people, one who is fly and
control, another duty as an assistant who brings the yarn and sticks it out. There are
no complicated rules in this tournament, just fly up the kite and decide on another
kite thread. Another preoccupation in this tournament is to chase a broken kite,
where children enthusiastically race to get the kite. For kite pursuers, the most
prized prize is the most recent fall kite in a winter tournament. An honored trophy
is contested and can be a pride for every child who gets it.
Amir and Hasan certainly did not miss this opportunity, this tournament also
made it a proof to his father that he could be a proud child for his father. When the
tournament ends and the last kite crashes, the friendship between Amir and Hasan
is crushed. A tragedy struck Hasan, in fact Amir had a chance to help him, but his
doubts and fears made him run away from his friend alone, this would later make
Amir haunted by guilt and felt himself betraying his best friend. All the way he did
so that he could be free from his guilt. Instead of escaping his guilt, Amir tries to
distance himself with Hasan. Their friendship becomes stiff and nothing more than
a relationship between the employer and the maid. But the guilt was never out of
his life.
The political situation in Afghanistan is heating up, the Russians invade
Afghanistan, this makes Amir and his father have to flee their country. Hasan and
his father remain in Afghanistan (Hassan is not in Kabul?) While Amir and his
father flee their homeland. The dramatic journey out of Afghanistan they must pass
until they finally make it to Pakistan and continue to evacuate to the United States.
Although Amir is thousands of kilometers from his homeland. He can not run away
from his past. His new life, he married fellow Afghan escapades, but his life was
always haunted by guilt until finally Amir received a call from his father's best
friend who asked him to meet him, it made him see an opportunity to return to
Afghanistan to atone for his sins he had and try buried it for decades. And like a
kite, unable to withstand a storm, Amir must face his memories that manifest again.
Although Amir is thousands of kilometers from his homeland. He can not
run away from his past. His new life, he married fellow Afghan escapades, but his
life was always haunted by guilt to finally Amir received a call from his father's
best friend who wants him to meet him, it made him see an opportunity to return to
Afghanistan to atone for his sins he had and try buried it for decades. And like a
kite, unable to withstand a storm, Amir must face his memories that manifest again.
The novel is written with a memoir style is indeed very touching readers. The story
is strong, the character exploration of characters is presented in a fitting so there is
no useless character in this book. In addition, the stirring phrases of the reader's
emotions and the eternal themes that are raised about human life: love, honor,
betrayal, fear, devotion, and redemption make this book a memorable book, a book
that will always be remembered all the time.
