The Quadrangle

Issue date: 4/27/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Khaled Hosseini´s novel is on sale now

Think about your childhood and all the memories that are in your mind. With passing age and time the memories fade away and leave their footprints on one's mind and soul. Any immigrant will understand the loss of leaving one's country behind and moving to an estranged land. Even though we try our best to adapt to the new country, sometimes we are still constantly being chased by our culture and our past.
?The Kite Runner is a story of young Amir living in Afghanistan before the country was invaded by the Taliban. It is a before and after portrayal of Afghanistan. It is a moving tale of Amir growing up with all the comforts of life, a wealthy father, a mansion, a loyal servant friend, and the luxury of childhood innocence.
?The novel revolves around Amir and his life story of growing up with a childhood friend, Hassan.  The story continues how Amir betrayed his only friend and never really forgave himself for the pain his actions caused the family and his friend. Even after he immigrated to the Unites States, his memory of his childhood never diminished and he kept reminiscing. This is until the one day he decides to return to his country after almost two decades. Amir states, "Returning to Kabul was like running into an old, forgotten friend and seeing that life hadn't been good to him, that he would become homeless and?destitute."
?No doubt things change as we grow older, but do we really have a sense of where we are and how we got there? The book teaches us how our past determines at times where we end up or how events shape our future. That is how Amir's life revolved around his past sins, guilt and how he finally receives redemption by facing his worst fears.
?The interesting thing about the novel is that Amir is not the epitome of a hero or even a role model. He is an ordinary man who is not brave, or noble and even admits to his flaws. Hosseini says, "Nothing wrong with cowardice as long as it comes with prudence. But when a coward stops remembering who he is "God help him". This states it all. Amir is coward and for the first time in his life he is going to do something unlike him. He makes a decision to go back to his country and undo all the things he has done in the past.
?The novel also gives a startling account of Afghanistan after the Taliban entered the country. Settling down in a different country for Taliban was a crime as big as committing treason. "Abandoning watan (country) when it needs you the most is the same as treason". The Kite Runner can be anyone's life story.?

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