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Novelist Paulo Coelho once said, “When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change.” Much like this, Amir is influenced by challenges put in front of him by the cultural environment in Khaled Hosseini’s, “The Kite Runner”. This cultural environment, represented by the settings, characters, and the Afghan culture in the novel, influences Amir. Various settings within the novel influence Amir.
One such setting that changes Amir as a person is Soviet-ruled Afghanistan. Amir thinks, “I thought of the way we’d left our house where I’d lived my entire life as if we were going out for a bite” (Hosseini 118). Amir reflects that he has completely abandoned his old life as an Afghan boy and has adopted that of an outcast, a refugee who was forced out of his country by the Soviets, demonstrating his change in quality of life. Amir is also affected by the Afghan flea markets in California. While there, Amir continues a conversation with a girl by saying, “‘Can I ask what you’re reading’ She blinked. [...] Suddenly, I felt the collective eyes of the flea market shift to us” (Hosseini 154). Although nervous, Amir deliberately chooses to break the Afghan norm of single men avoiding talking to single women. This shows that while Amir is still connected to his roots, California has changed his viewpoints and personality. Amir is also affected by Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. This is seen when Amir says “I feel like a tourist in my own country” (Hosseini 244). This illustrates how Amir notices how much Kabul has changed during his time in the U.S. The Taliban-ruled Afghanistan influences Amir because it causes Amir to realize that he does not belong. In these ways, Amir is affected by the different settings of the novel. Amir is also influenced by different characters in the novel. One such character is Baba. Amir says, “There were only two things [...] I couldn’t stop looking at: One was the blue kite [...] the other was Hassan’s brown corduroy pants” (Hosseini 80). Amir only notices two things because of the influence Baba has over him. He notices the kite, the object that will help him please his father, and then he notices the corduroy pants, the symbol of the horrific acts being done to Hassan. Baba would feel proud of Amir if he returned home with the last kite that had been struck down. This is why instead of helping Hassan in this situation, Amir runs away. In this way, Baba influences Amir by causing his internal conflict, which ultimately influences his decisions. Amir’s actions and emotions are also influenced by Hassan. Amir says, “He was gone now, but a little part of him lived on. It was in Kabul. Waiting.” (Hosseini 239).
Amir rescues Hassan’s son, Sohrab, because of the guilt he feels from betraying Hassan’s trust. In this way, Hassan influences Amir’s actions because Amir feels guilty for causing Hassan’s death. Amir is also influenced by Sohrab. Amir states, “‘For you, a thousand times over,’ I heard myself say. Then I turned and ran.” (Hosseini 391). Amir tells Sohrab what Hassan had told him a long time ago. These words spoken by Hassan symbolize unwavering loyalty, meaning that when Amir says them to Sohrab, he means them as a symbol that Sohrab is not just a nephew, but a son. By being the son of Hassan, Sohrab evokes these affectionate emotions from Amir Therefore, Amir is affected by Baba, Hassan, and Sohrab through the novel. Furthermore, Amir is influenced by Afghan culture throughout the novel. A significant part of Afghan culture is the conflict between Pashtuns and Hazaras. Amir accepts this caste system as he says, “In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara [...] and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing.” (Hosseini 27), and thinks, “But he’s not my friend! I almost blurted. He’s my servant!” (Hosseini 44). Amir accepts that Hassan is a Hazara and is afraid to call him a friend or be near him in public because of how people will react. This is due to the cultural environment of the Afghan people. Kite fighting is also an important aspect of Afghan culture. Hassan offers to chase the kite Amir had cut with his own as he says, “Inshallah, we’ll celebrate later. Right now, I’m going to run that blue kite for you,” (Hosseini 71). As the winner of every kite fighting tournament is praised in Afghan culture, Amir aims to achieve this praise from his father as well as from everyone else. This desire to succeed at kite fighting is part of the cultural environment that influences Amir. Additionally, Afghan honor and pride are another big aspect of this culture. Baba displays pride when he refuses money saying, “Thank you very much, Mrs. Dobbins, but I don’t like it free money.” (Hosseini 138) Amir is influenced by everyone around him displaying this pride. So much so, that when wanting to marry Soraya, he does not propose or try to elope, but rather remembers the honor that his father taught him.
This honor and pride that he learned from his culture affect Amir by influencing his actions, as it makes him ask his father to ask for Soraya’s hand in marriage. Therefore, Amir is greatly affected by Afghan culture. In conclusion, Amir is affected by the cultural environment which includes the settings, characters, and the Afghan culture in the novel. Different settings that influence Amir include Soviet-ruled Afghanistan, flea markets in California, and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Moreover, characters such as Baba, Hassan, and Sohrab also significantly affect his actions. Furthermore, Amir is also influenced by different aspects of Afghan culture influencing the conflict between Pashtuns and Hazaras, kite fighting, and Afghan honor. From this, one can learn that while some challenges may seem too difficult, everyone can overcome them.
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