Yelda and the Significance that Follows

After finishing The Kite Runner I found the book very entertaining  with a great story and a satisfying ending. Along with the novel following Amir and his entertaining adventures Khaled Hosseini uses it to promote a idea through the meaning of the work. One of the ideas that Hosseini promotes is that a father and a son having a strong relationship is good for both of them. In The Kite Runner Amir does not have the best relationship with his father until they move to America. Before then Amir always crazed his father's recognition of how capable he was and his father, Baba, would not be very proud of him because Baba did not like how Amir did not resemble himself at all. Amir was strong academically and could recite poetry right and left, but he was not very capable in athletics and shied away from confrontation. The only moment Baba was proud of Amir was when he won the kite flying competition and even then Baba's pride did not last that long. However, when Amir and Baba move to America their relationship becomes much stronger. They no longer live in luxury and now have to find ways to survive. They have more time to see each other and have conversations because there are no longer servants in the household and fewer people that Baba wants to invite over. Because of their interactions their relationship strengthens and they are at least happy with the time that they spend with each other. When Baba finally dies Amir is truly remorseful because their relationship has gotten to the point where Amir has forgiven Baba for not being the proudest parent when he was younger.

The other meaning that Hosseini promotes throughout the story is to atone for one's mistakes or sins. The entire story revolves around characters dealing with their inner struggles starting with Amir watching Hassan get raped and doing nothing about to when we learn that Hassan is actually Baba's son and Baba not being able to tell anyone about it. Amir first pushes Hassan out of life after the incident in hopes that his guilt will eventually die down. However, Amir's guilt never actually leaves him and he is left with the thoughts of what if he had intervened even while he is living in America thousands of miles away. Amir eventually atones for his mistake by travelling back to Afghanistan during the time of the Taliban regime to rescue Hassan's orphaned son. After saving Hassan's son, Amir finally feels like he has lost the guilt that plagued him for so many years. This is the opposite of his father's case. Baba never tells anyone that Hassan is his son and takes that secret to the grave with him.Through tales that Rahim Khan tells Amir it is seen that Baba was tormented by his secret and it hurt him to treat Hassan like a servant even though they were family. Amir is seen as in a better place at the end of the novel than Baba when he dies. Hosseini's trying to get across the point that atoning for one's sins is better.

Hosseini not only writes an entertaining novel, but he portrays meaning in his work, all starting with that winter when Hassan is raped after Yelda, or the first night of winter.