the kite runner读书报告读后感

Brother or Betrayer? -the Kite Runner

I have spent half a month reading The Kite Runner, on the bestseller list as a paperback for 101 weeks. It is the first novel by Khaled Hosseini, who is an Afghan-born American novelist and physician. After graduating from college, he worked as a doctor in California. He has published three novels, most notably his 2003 debut The Kite Runner, all of which are at least partially set in Afghanistan and feature an Afghan as the protagonist. Following the success of The Kite Runner, he decided to stop practicing medicine and became a full-time writer.

It tells a story between two boys. A rich boy Amir at the age of 12 and his servant Hasan are brotherly loved. Nevertheless, after a kite game, something miserable happens. Amir feels grievous and guilty for his cowardice and he cannot confront Hassan, using something contemptible to let Hassan and his father leave his home. Not long, Afghanistan breaks out a war, Amir and his father have to flee to America. After his grown-up, he cannot forgive what he had done to Hassan before. And to atone for himself, he returns his hometown, which is destroyed badly by the war. When he comes back, he is astonished by the information that Hassan is his brother and he and his wife have already died. Rahim requests him to rescue Sohrab, the son of Hassan. This time he fights for Sohrab and finally get Sohrab back and takes him to America. Because of many unexpected matters, Sohrab becomes silent and never smiled. Amir regards him as his own son and does everything for him.

There are two conflicts roles in this novel, Amir and Hassan, Amir’s father and Ali. The relationship between Amir’s father and Ali is of great similarity with that of Amir and Hassan. Amir’s father is brother and betrayer for Ali while Amir is the same for Hassan. Ali was adopted by Amir’s grandfather the year Amir’s father was born. Naturally, the two boys become childhood playmates just like Amir and Hassan. Amir and Hassan are always told the mischief that his father and Ali used to play. Then after they grow up, Ali becomes the primary servant in the house, spending all his life on serving Amir’s father, until Amir betrays Hassan and they leave. By that time, they have been fully participated in each other’s life for more than forty years. They grow

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up together, have children at the same year, and then they watch their children grow up together. Even with all the racial and social status differences, they care about each other very much. Their relationship is far beyond that between a master and a servant. They are friends, life-mates, and brothers. That’s why when Ali asks to leave with Hassan, Amir’s father feels desperate. He keeps begging Ali to stay, tells him that he is the brother he never has, and he cried, which terrifies Amir because he has never seen his Baba cry for his whole life. From all these it can be seen that he really values his relationship with Ali, regarding his as a brother. Meanwhile, Amir has an intricate relationship with Hassan. He practically spends all his time together with Hassan in their childhood, doing all stuff with him that two best childhood friends would do, like fooling the neighbors, watching movies, playing chess etc. Amir specifically illustrates his special bond with Hassan: ‘Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name.’ Hassan has claimed his loyalty to Amir with that first word and with his exclusive line for Amir ‘For you, a thousand times over’. And through all his life, he has never gone back on his words. They are somewhat like brothers and biologically brothers.

However, there is no saint in the world. Everybody makes mistakes, so does Amir and his father. They all betray their brothers. There is no doubt that Amir’s father is a righteous man. He is not just a successful businessman; he also has a good heart and a sense of justice. However, such a man of justice has made a serious mistake, one that he cannot compensate with anything. He had sexual intercourse with Sanauber, the wife of his ‘brother’ Ali, and had a child with her. This mistake endows him another role, a role of detestable cheater. He has betrayed Ali like Amir betrays Hassan.

When Hassan is beaten severely and raped by Assef, Amir witnesses the act but is too scared to intervene. He chooses to betray Hassan. He knows that if he fails to bring home the kite, Baba would be less proud of him. He feels incredibly guilty but knows his cowardice would destroy any hopes for Baba's affections. Afterwards, Amir keeps

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distant from Hassan; his feelings of guilt prevent him from interacting with the boy. He plants a watch and some money under Hassan's mattress in hopes that Baba will make him leave; Hassan falsely confesses when confronted by Baba. Although Baba believes \is no act more wretched than stealing\he forgives him. To Baba's sorrow, Hassan and Ali leave anyway. Amir totally betrays his brother.

Both of Amir and his father are tormented by their betrayal. They both feel guilty for what they have done to their brother. Even 20 years later when Amir and his father are in America, his father still aches for separating with them. At the same time, Amir chooses to stay away from Amir and have to lead a life with regret and suffered endless sleepless nights. The only difference between is that finally Amir faces his betrayal. His going back to Afghanistan is not only a journey physically but a journey to atonement. Hassan’s son, his nephew saved, Amir’s sin was finally washed. Like the life of circle, Amir ran kite for his miserable nephew. As Hassan did to him, he said “for you, a thousand times over” to Sohrab. Though the book doesn’t give us an accurate ending whether Sohrab came into life again. I am sure love can cure everything. Only when Sohrab lives a happy life as Hassan hoped can Amir’s sin washed up.

When I finish reading this book, I also watched the movie. It’s a good movie, but the book is far more majestic than the movie. You will be touched many times just like I do if you read this novel.

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