The Kite Runner Characters & Character Analysis

The Kite Runner Characters

Amir

The protagonist of the story, Amir, tells it from a first personal point of view. After a phone call from a friend of his father's Amir recalls his childhood in Kabul, Afghanistan. There, he grew up as the only son of an affluent widower. He shares much of his childhood with the servant's son, Hassan, though Amir never refers to Hassan as a friend, due to their differing social backgrounds.

Throughout boyhood, Amir seeks the elusive respect of his father, Baba. Finally, he feels that if he wins the local kite-fighting tournament and presents his father with the kite of the second place boy, he will insure his father's respect and love. However, when Hassan runs to recover the kite, a neighborhood bully rapes him in the alley. Amir witnesses this from a distance and carries the guilt the rest of his life. His guilt for not aiding Hassan...
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