"The Kite Runner"- personal

"'Tell him he's wrong. War doesn't negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace" (page 115).

While reading, this excerpt jumped out at me. Not only does this episode characterize Baba, but it is also inspiring. This is the passage when Baba risks his own life for that of a woman he barely knows. He helps to save this woman from being raped by a soldier. It shows how Baba is really all about tradition and standing up for what he knows is right. He is courageous and sometimes reckless, but no matter what, he won't let such evils happen in his presence. The quote itself stuck out to me because Baba is pointing out that even in war, people deserve respect and he forces the Russian soldier to give it. He truly is a good man.

This section also causes more guilt to resonate within Amir. He sees Baba standing up to prevent a rape of a woman he barely knows, while Amir could not even stand up for Hassan who was his friend and like a brother. He questions his own worth once again and this highlights the differences between Baba and Amir once again. This whole section was inspiring to me and gave me a better outlook on Baba.

"The Kite Runner"- Symbolism

"I thought about Hassan's dream... I was that monster" (page 86).

This single symbol of Amir being the monster that drug Hassan down to the murky bottom of the lake is perfect to describe how he viewed himself after the rape. He knew that what he has done was wrong, but even so, he did not change his ways or tell anyone the truth about what had happened. Amir believed for all of his young adult and adult life that he was the thing that had ruined Hassan. He realized that if he had stepped in, Hassan could have been spared, but he was too much of a coward to do what was right. This symbol of Amir being the monster explains much of his young life. It explains the guilt and regret he feels for not helping Hassan. It also explains why he felt like he needed a clean slate and why America was the perfect place for him. This symbol shows that Amir honestly believed that the rape was completely his fault. While he could have stopped it or done something to redeem himself afterward, he was not solely responsible for the rape, as Assef and his friends were the perpetrators of the rape and therefore the most responsible.

"The Kite Runner"- Internal conflict

"I'd betrayed Hassan, lied, driven him out, and destroyed a forty-year relationship between Baba and Ali... I suspected there were many ways in which Soraya Taheri was a better person than me. Courage was just one of them" (page 165).

Throughout the novel, there is much internal conflict which is pulling Amir different ways. Most of this conflict is brought about by his regret for not stoping Hassan's rape. His internal conflict begins when he has to decide if he will make up lies to convince Baba to fire Ali as his servant. In the end, his coward side wins and he ends up making up lies which lead to Ali and Hassan quitting the job. He also faces conflict during this excerpt when he isn't sure if he can tell Soraya about his past with Hassan. In the end, he is once again a coward by his standards and is unable to tell Soraya exactly what happened between him and Hassan in the winter of 1975. He realizes that because of his past of sins, he has no right to judge Soraya for her past with another man. He sees his sins of being worse than anything Soraya could have possibly done. The original conflict of his unwillingness to rescue Hassan branches out into all aspects of Amir's life and even in his adult life, this one situation still greatly affects his everyday life.

"The Kite Runner"- Protagonist and Antagonist

"I wanted that, to move on, to forget, to start with a clean slate. I wanted to be able to breath again" (page 105).

While reading, I found the protagonist to be Amir. While he is not exactly a "hero," he is the one who drives the action. It is from him that most of the conflict arises. He creates the action and keeps it going through his cowardice during the rape of Hassan, his regret afterward, and his search for redemption. Although his hubris has not been revealed yet, I see it as being a lack of ability to forgive himself and to ask for forgiveness as well. He holds in his problems from his childhood and this leads to many conflicts in his life with Baba, Ali, Rahim Khan, Soraya, and Hassan.
I found the antagonist to be Hassan throughout the book. It is because of Hassan that Amir faces many problems in his life. The excerpt is evidence of this. It shows that because of Hassan, Amir feels he needs a "clean slate." It begins with internal conflict because of his regret for not helping to save Hassan when he had the chance to stop his rape. This internal conflict progresses into problems with Baba and even holds Amir back in his adult life. Hassan and the guilt Amir feels because of him that he cannot be completely honest with his wife and other friends and family members.

"The Kite Runner"- Point Of View

"I knew it wasn't just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins" (page 1).

This excerpt from the very beginning of the novel sets the tone and the point of view for the entire story. It shows the reader that the story is going to be told from the point of view of Amir, so it will be his opinions and memories which will be shown throughout the story. It sets the POV as first person. Also, it establishes the tone which Amir expresses throughout the majority of the novel. By speaking of his "unatoned sins," he shows that he has something in his past which he regrets. This single sentence causes suspense for the rest of the novel by suggesting that he had a bad past, but by keeping it vague. Also, is establishes his nostalgic tone and shows that the majority of the novel is going to be him looking back at his past. By establishing the point of view and tone at the very beginning, the narrator can give hints to the reader about what is to come without giving away too much. Along with this, he also shows his attitude toward what happened in his past.