8/13/2019 Kite Runner Essay 1982

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1982

In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake.

Choose a work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-

organi ed essay, ex!lain how the scene or scenes contri"ute to the meaning of the com!lete work. #void !lot

summary.

$haled %osseini&s 'he $ite (unner !ortrays scenes of shocking violence as o!!ortunities for

heroism or cowardice. %assan&s ra!e and later, #mir&s "eating, are "oth moments of crucial decisions that

will im!act the characters& lives. )rom these choices, the characters define who they are and what they

"elieve.

%assan&s ra!e is such an exam!le of a violent, vital moment in the novel. #s he tries to !rotect the

!ri ed kite for #mir, %assan runs into "ullies led "y #sef who *uickly !unish him in a dis!lay ofremarka"le "rutality and racism. #mir, close "y, witnesses this and has two choices+ to defend #mir and

risk losing the kite, or watch his friend "e ra!ed. 'he conflict in the story comes from this moment and

#mir&s choice of the second o!tion. %osseini illustrates that in these crucial moments of crisis, characters

reveal their true !ersonality and !riorities. elfish #mir chose to sacrifice his friend to return the kite to

his father a"a and "e !raised. %owever, #mir *uickly reali es that "ecause he a"andoned his close

friend to the "ullies, he does not deserve a"a&s affection.

'he second life-defining moment #mir faces is in his attem!t for redem!tion. ow an adult, #mir

goes to save %assan&s now or!haned son, ohra", who is now a servant of the same "ully who ra!ed

%assan. #mir&s choices now are to either leave ohra" to #sef&s continued a"use or stand his ground and

fight for /ustice and redem!tion. 'hankfully, this time #mir chooses the latter. 'his moment is crucial in

the novel "ecause it is the first ste! to #mir&s redem!tion and atonement for his !ast mistakes. )rom then,

#mir can "egin to live a life free from the "urden of guilt and "egin "ecoming as great a man as a"a.

#fghanistan itself faces intense !eriods of violence, as (ussia invades the country and later is

driven out and re!laced "y the 'ali"an and haria law. #gain, this time of violence and aggression serve

to !rovide two alternative !aths to the country, which ultimately takes the !ath of Islam and *uickly fallsunder the rule of Islamic radicals. 0ike many of #mir&s decisions, the country was faced to choose the

lesser of two evils, "ut suffers regardless.

8/13/2019 Kite Runner Essay 1982

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#mir&s choices in the violent situations !rove his character and esta"lish the !ath he will lead in

the future. %osseini !erfectly executes the violent scenarios to create !lot defining moments and times of

intense inner struggle "etween the right !ath and the easy one.