Becoming a Hero: A Comparative Study of the Hero Figure in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
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Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner (2003) has gained significant attention and acclaim since it was first published. The story is often read in terms of a coming of age novel, or a Bildungsroman, as a morality tale with the themes of betrayal and redemption at its center, and as an ethnographic exploration of a historic moment in Afghan history. This study, on the other hand, takes a different approach and aims to examine the protagonist of the novel in terms of a hero figure rather than an anti-hero, as Amir is often believed to be. To that end, the article starts with an introduction to the use of the word “hero” throughout the study, outlining several works that defined the characteristics, role, and function of a hero. The article then examines Amir’s character in the context of Persian epics, notably Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi’s Masnawi and Hakim Abul-Qasim Ferdawsi’s “Rostam and Sohrab.” Amir’s journey is then framed as an odyssey because of the numerous parallels between his arduous return to Afghanistan and Odysseus’ adventures. Finally, Amir’s experience is read in light of the American Western, whose heroes Amir grows up admiring and emulating.
Abstract
Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner (2003) has gained significant attention and acclaim since it was first published. The story is often read in terms of a coming of age novel, or a Bildungsroman, as a morality tale with the themes of betrayal and redemption at its center, and as an ethnographic exploration of a historic moment in Afghan history. This study, on the other hand, takes a different approach and aims to examine the protagonist of the novel in terms of a hero figure rather than an anti-hero, as Amir is often believed to be. To that end, the article starts with an introduction to the use of the word “hero” throughout the study, outlining several works that defined the characteristics, role, and function of a hero. The article then examines Amir’s character in the context of Persian epics, notably Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi’s Masnawi and Hakim Abul-Qasim Ferdawsi’s “Rostam and Sohrab.” Amir’s journey is then framed as an odyssey because of the numerous parallels between his arduous return to Afghanistan and Odysseus’ adventures. Finally, Amir’s experience is read in light of the American Western, whose heroes Amir grows up admiring and emulating.
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