Undergone Traumatic Childhood Experiences â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Undergone Traumatic Childhood Experiences? Answer: Introduction The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is a novel that narrates the life of Amir, a Sunni Muslim. In the story, Khaled gives a vivid illustration of how Amir tries to rediscover himself and fit in the world after having undergone traumatic childhood experiences. A grown-up Amir opens his story in the modern America with an unclear allusion to one of his childhood experiences, and later the novel recaptures the full details of Amirs early life in Afghanistan. In addition to his early life events, Amir tries hard to falsify a healthy relationship with Baba, his father; with ascertaining the exact relationship he shares with his Shias Muslim helper; and finally find a means to redress his pre-adolescent mistakes that had long lasting repercussions (Malik, Shah and Mahmood, 2013, pp 161). Throughout the novel, readers are taken through a series of Amirs experiences in a single-parent household. His situation was quite similar to numerous contemporary homes. This essay will, therefore, take a look at the different elements of symbolism used by Khaled Hosseini to bring out some key ideas and illuminate the themes of betrayal, loyalty, and redemption. The Kite The kite is used in the novel to symbolize Amirs guilt and also his happiness. As a child, Amir enjoyed flying kites. Moreover, it was one of the unusual ways he connected wholly with Baba, a once kite fighter champion (Pratiwi and Candraningrum, 2017, pp 31). The significance of the kite shifts when Amir permits Hassan to be sexually assaulted because he wanted to redeem the blue kite and take it back to Baba. His reminiscence after the incidence depicts the kite as an indicator of his disloyalty to Hassan. The guilt in him was so intense that he found it difficult to fly a kite again, until at the end of the novel where he eventually redeems himself. At that point, the kite reminds him of his childhood and also helps him to relate with Sohrab, reflecting the role of the kite in Amirs bond with Baba. The Pomegranate Tree During their childhood, Amir and Hassan lived a carefree and close life as twins can be. They would sculpt their names in the Pomegranate tree, and it produces fruits. The tree, therefore, acted as a symbol of their close and tight relationship. After the death of Hassan and Amir suffers great guilt, the tree still stands strong but is no longer productive, just like Amirs recollections (Saraswat, 2014, pp 23). The tree symbolizes the strong bond between Hassam and Amir and also acts as the origin of the division. Amir suggests that Hassan strikes him with a fruit from the pomegranate tree to wreak physical pain and reduce his guilt. Instead, Hassan picks the fruit and breaks it over his skull. The Sacrificial Lamb According to the Islam religion, same as Christianity, the lamb is a symbol of the sacrifice of a guiltless. According to Amir, both Sohrab and Hassan are sacrificial lambs waiting for the slaughter knife. Amir said this when Hassan was being raped, noting Accounting Hassan appeared like the lambs slaughtered during major Muslim occasions such as Eid Al-Adha, which honors and commemorates the incident when Abraham was almost sacrificing his son for God (Parveen, 2015, pp 2500). Similarly, Amir sees Sohrab as a sacrificial lamb when he sets his eyes on Sohrab with Assef for the first time. Amir indicates that the mullah would put mascara on the sacrificial lamb before slaughtering it. Likewise, Amir in the company of others would apply mascara on Sohrabs eyes. Sohrab and Hassan are faultless individuals who are symbolically sacrificed through rape. However, the sacrifices carry distinct meanings. In Sohrabs case, Amir prevents Sohrab from being sexually abused. But in Hassans case, A mir fails to stop the rape of Hassan because he wanted to take the blue kite back to his father (Tak, 2015, pp 50). In the sacrificial lambs context, sacrifice is depicted as the abuse and oppression of the faultless. The myth of Rostam and Sohrab Myths, stories, and literacy, in general, symbolize or portray the differences and similarities between the Sunni and Shia Muslims. The social or economic conditions influence the understanding and literacy levels, but they may not assure heroic attributes, actions, or attitudes (Alamour, 2015, pp 21). The heroes of Middle Eastern and Afghan cultures relate to those people with different socioeconomic conditions and beliefs. Rostam, in his character, shows dishonor to the king by going to bed with his daughter. This action symbolizes Amir. On the other side, Sohrab, who is unaware of who his father is, also Hassans dearest hero, and who comes face-to-face with his ill-timed death, acts as a symbol of Hassan. The slingshot For many years, the slingshot has been predominantly used for punishing the wrong doers. Although it is viewed as a primitive weapon, the slingshot was helpful in shaping the behaviors of Hassan, Sohrab, and Amir. The slingshot acts as a representation of two generations. Both the childhood and the need to advocate for what is ethical are symbolized by the slingshot. The slingshot is used by Sohrab and Hassan to stop Assef. Hassan threatens to use his slingshot while Sohrab inflicts the punishment. Amir uses the slingshot for his personal gains and therefore; Amir does not mature until he is fully grown up (Qiao-yi, 2012, pp 19). At the beginning of the novel, the slingshots primary purpose was to entertain Hassan and Amir. The slingshot serves to save Hassan and Amir from instant pain but eventually ends up harming them. The slingshot extended the time Amir needed to master to stand up for himself and fight his battles. Conclusion Khaled Hosseini comprehensively uses the various symbols explained in this essay to bring out the themes of loyalty, redemption, and betrayal. In the novel, Amir handles his guilt by steering clear of it. By doing this, Amir only keeps himself away from redemption, and hence his guilt persists (Banu, 2016, pp 17). This is the reason why he shrinks when Hassans name is referred. The kites are a significant image in the novel. For Amir, the kites symbolize his betrayal of Hassan and his childhood joy. The kite reminds him of his early days when he used to live a carefree and happy life with Hassan. They used to be the inseparable and loyal friends who would fly the kites together. References Alamour, R., 2015. Searching for Middle Ground: Connecting the East and West through Universal Themes in The Kite Runner (Doctoral dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Asheville). Banu, S.S., 2016. Discrimination, War and Redemption in Khaled Hosseini's The Business Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Language in India, 16(8). Malik, M.A., Shah, S.K. and Mahmood, R., 2013. The role of linguistic devices in representing ethnicity in The Kite Runner. International Journal of Linguistics, 5(1), p.161. Parveen, T.A.R.A.N.A., 2015. The Kite Runner: Role of Multicultural Fiction in Fostering Cultural Competence. Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL), pp.2395-2636. Pratiwi, A. and Candraningrum, P.D., 2017. Single Parenthood Reflected At The Kite Runner Novel By Khaled Hosseini (2003): An Individual Psychological Approach (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta). Qiao-yi, G.U.O., 2012. A Thematic Interpretation of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner from the Perspective of Cognitive Poetics. Journal of Liaoning Normal University (Social Science Edition), 3, p.019. Saraswat, N., 2014. Theme of Identity and Redemption in Khaleed Hossienis The Kite Runner. Tak, C., 2015. Interlacing ThemesIn Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner and And The Management. Motifs: An International Journal of English Studies, 1(1), pp.49-55