First Reaction to Kite Runner

            The Kite Runner is the story of a man, who I assume, will take us through his life and along the way teach us lessons and help us to better understand ourselves through his story.  In the first 40 pages, the story centers on his early childhood.  This opens the reader to a completely different culture and set of customs.  I instantly picked up on the racial hatred between the two types of Afghans.  Amir’s close relationship with Hassan is breaking the normal racial hatred at the time, showing that friendship crosses the boundary of physical appearances and differences in culture.  Yet those around him push him to give up his friendship with his closest friend for no reason except for the fact that Hassan is racially different from him, and follows a different sect of Islam.  Amir has also experienced the tragic event of losing a parent.  He has never known his mom, and this has made it difficult for him.  Being more of his mother’s child, loving literature and quiet time, his father is distanced from him.  This adds an unnecessary strain on the relationship between him and his father.  His father’s anger towards his differences comes from the fact that his father doesn't understand him, a problem that could have been solved most likely if his mother was around.  There is also a conflict building into the winter of 1975, in which his life is going to change.  Amir has already told the reader that his friendship with Hassan is going to end, but how this is going to occur is hidden from the reader.