Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… in Kabul, Afghanistan. His mother died when he was born, so Amir lives with his father, their servant Ali, and Ali's son, Hassan, who is also Amir's best friend. They're well-off and Amir has a comfortable life, but he craves approval from his father, who seems to like Hassan more than Amir.
Living… in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods of Kabul. Amir is a Pashtun, one of the largest ethnic groups of Afghanistan. By contrast, Hassan is a member of the Hazara, who are often discriminated against. Regardless of these differences, both boys are subject to bullying because of their ethnic identities.
Profession… student and writer. He does well in school and hopes to be a writer someday. Both Hassan and his mentor, Rahim Khan, encourage him in this dream.
Interests… writing and kite-flying. Amir loves flying kites, and when he competes in kite-fighting contests, Hassan is his “kite-runner," chasing after the kite when it comes down and bringing it back.
Relationship Status… single. The most important people to him are his friend Hassan, his father, and Rahim Khan.
Challenge… becoming a better person. Amir has always been jealous of his father’s love for Hassan, and he tends to be weak and cowardly. Still, he wants to do the right thing and overcome his flaws – the only question is if he has the strength to do it.
Personality… creative, but cowardly. Amir prefers to focus on fun things, like writing or kites, and when the going gets tough, he’s not necessarily reliable. Young Amir tries to impress his father, dreaming that one day, “Baba would even read one of my stories. I'd write him a hundred if I thought he'd read one." And yet despite all his efforts, it is still Hassan that Baba prefers.
Get to Know him in...
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The Kite Runner is a 2007 American drama film directed by Marc Forster based on the novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini. It tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is tormented by the guilt of abandoning his friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet military intervention, the mass exodus of Afghan refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime. Though most of the film is set in Afghanistan, these parts were mostly shot in Kashgar, China, due to the dangers of filming in Afghanistan at the time. Most of the film's dialogue is in Dari, the Afghan dialect of Persian, with the remainder spoken in English. (from Wikipedia)
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Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy through the horrific rule of the Taliban, The Kite Runner is the heartbreaking story of the unlikely and inseparable friendship between a wealthy Afghan boy and the son of his father's servant, both of whom are caught in the tragic sweep of history. Published in the aftermath of America's invasion of Afghanistan, Khaled Hosseini's haunting writing brought a part of the world to vivid life that was previously unknown.
