Gabe's 2nd Reaction to the Kite Runner

So far I have really enjoyed the Kite Runner. Reading about how important Kite Running is for Amir and Hassan was interesting because it shows how ingrained it is in afghan culture. Amir's descriptions of his day to day life in Kabul are extremely vivid and make reading about a childhood so different from my own exciting and fresh. Throughout the 40 pages I read Amir shows time and time again how selfish he is. Most of his selfishness stems from his relationship with his father and how he cannot seem to please him. It kills me to read some parts of the Kite Runner, mostly because it strikes me as ridiculous that his father finds his son to be at the very least a disappointment when the fact of the matter is that Amir is just a different person from his father. Amir’s father, despite his shortcomings, seems to be an incredible person in other ways. The fact that he paid for a surgery of Hassan’s cleft lip was truly heartwarming considering that it is really a gift that lasts forever. Although Amir’s problems with his father are regrettable, it does not justify him being such a selfish person on occasion. I found his need to constantly point out Hassan’s lack of education and flaws disgusting. Instead of realizing that Hassan’s friendship is one in a million, he constantly snaps at Hassan for being the great friend that he is. The eventual conclusion of chapter 7 was truly shocking. Even though Hosseini drives toward the pivotal winter day from the beginning of the novel, reading about Hassan getting raped by the sociopath Assef was really painful to read. In retrospect , as I was reading the novel I started thinking that maybe what Amir did was overblown and it could not possibly have been such an awful thing that he has to “attone for his sins”. Now that I finally discovered what Amir did it changes everything. Hassan’s loyalty was unwavering and he betrayed him by being a coward. I am very interested to see what happens next in the novel and where Hosseini will take the story after such a traumatic event is both Amir and Hassan’s lives.