Kite Runner Final Post

Finally, after reading the book, everything seems to connect, and make sense; everything ties together, and is wrapped up into a perfect, bitter sweet conclusion.  The relationship between Baba and Hassan finally makes sense, Amir is finally lifted of his guilt, and Amir finally gains a son.  But in betweens those events, Sohrab is hospitalized, after he attempts to commit suicide with a razor blade.  While in the hospital, Amir, for the first time in twenty years, prays.  He prays and prays and prays, relentlessly, making promises to Allah.  In the end, Sohrab's physical health is reborn, but his mental health is unstable.

This is Hosseini's way of expressing that Prayer can lead to some savior, but cannot fix everything.  He is saying that prayer is never a perfect thing to rely on in a time of distress or need, but if it is the only thing left to do, and it doesn't harm oneself, it can help.  It saved only half of Sohrab., but half is better than nothing.  Allah seemed to save Sohrab's physical form, but he couldnt manage to save his mental form.  Sorhab came back into the world, "given up" and pretty much without a soul, emotionless.  This shows that the true time for prayer is when one can not do anything physical to save people.  It should not be used during a earthquake or something of that sort, where physical actions can be taken to save oneself.  It should be used when one is isolated, and has no actual power over what happens.  Amir felt this helplessness when Baba was in the ambulance as well, but he didn't pray because Baba always frowned upon it.  Now, once he was released from Baba's wishes, he could do what he wanted.

Another thing i noticed was when he was trying to find out what his mother was like, Amir seemed so desperate to find out what his mother was actually like.  I think that on top of just wanting to find out what a parent he has never met was like, he had another reason for wanting to learn about her.  He had just found out that his all great, honorable father, Baba was actually sort of a fraud.  He has already followed in Baba's footsteps of betraying his best friend, and he wishes to find his "better half" in his mother.  Maybe he has a parent who was actually kind, and loving, and a real honorable person.  He wants to know he has good in himself as well.