P2+Catherine+and+Kara

**__Literary Devices__** Theme: Through death comes rebirth Key Event: The killing of Hassan Key symbol: Leather Bound Book **__Topic__** "Knowledge Through Death" Theme: Through death comes rebirth Death and rebirth are the key themes in this book because through the guilt and suffering, happiness and hope seem to reappear. Through out Amir's life he had always been a coward; the one that ran away from his problems and the one who ran away from friends when they desperately needed him. In chapter eighteen, however, Amir decides to change his ways as he states, "I remembered Baba saying that my problem was that someone had always done my fighting for me. I was thirty-eight now. I was older, but maybe not yet too old to start doing my own fighting" (Hosseini 227). The key factor that changed who Amir is as a person is the death of his father because he was scared to grow up and be on his own but he finally was able to live his life without support from his father. Later on in his life he starts to become less and less of a coward and more of the hero that Baba had always role modeled for him to be. Miraculously, even when finding about from Rahim Khan that his father had been less of an idol than he had previously thought, Amir still aspired to better himself. It is as he wants the old amir to die and a new Amir to be born within him. He used to want to conceal his past but now wants to redeem himself and do the right thing instead of being that cowardly little boy and running away. The more deaths that Amir encounters, the more that little boy inside him dies, which allows for Amir to grow up into a man that has courage, strength, and heart. Hosseini, Khaled. //The Kite Runner//. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Print - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Key Event: The killing of Hassan A tragedy often sparks a new chapter in one's life and the killing of Hassan is an example of a tragedy that changed Amir's life tremendously. When telling Amir the story about Hassan, Rahim Khan states, "So they took him to the street and ordered him to kneel and shot him in the back of the head" (Hosseini 219). In hearing this, Amir started to feel sick with sadness that was only made worse when Rahim Khan told him another crucial part; that Hassan was Amir's illegitimate half brother. Amir feels immense regret about what happened when they were kids because he pushed away the only person who really loved him. This severed their relationship and yet Hassan still continued to care and love for Amir through out the rest of his life. In order to make himself feel better about his past mistakes and to make himself feel like he is paying Hassan back for everything that he's done for him, he decides to go to Kabul to save Hassan's son, Sohrab, from the orphanage. This action portrays that he has forgiven himself and the tragedy that happened no longer affects him as strongly as before. Hassan's death and the realization that Amir and Hassan were closer than anticipated, both affected Amirs decisions that would alter the rest of his life and ultimately lead to self-forgiveness. Hosseini, Khaled. //The Kite Rinner//. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Print - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Key symbol: Leather Bound Book At Amirs’ thirteenth birthday party, Amir had left the party because of negative emotions that had been brought back to the surface. Rahim Khan found him and gave him a birthday present; a leather-bound book for Amir to write his stories in. Amir felt that this was the only gift that was sentimental and the only gift that didn’t give him a sense of guilt or make him feel like he only received it because he was Baba’s son. Amir cherished the notebook because as a child he always felt as though Rahim Khan was more of a father to him than Baba was. However, years later in America, Amir was coming home from work and caught Soraya reading his book to Baba; he took the book from Soraya and held it. “I gave the notebook back to Soraya and left the room. Baba hated it when I cried”(Hosseini 172). Seeing the book brought up so many emotions because the night he received it was full of contradicting events. Amirs regrets came flooding back from his past when Assef handed him the Hitler book because it reminded him of the night that Hassan got raped. Assef giving Amir the book was Assef’s way of showing Amir that he was in control and that they should have power over the Hazara’s. Rahim Khan giving Amir the leather bound book was the only memory of the night that didn’t make Amir feel ashamed of himself because writing was the one thing that Amir could do well, unlike being a good friend. Hosseini, Khaled. //The Kite Runner//. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Print
 * Kara Grubb and Catherine Stephens**