The Kite Runner

While reading "The Kite Runner", two quotations glared at me and refused to leave my mind. The first quote was in the beginning of the book when Amir tells us that his first word was Baba, while Hassan's was Amir, and how it sets up what will happen in the winter of 1975. I thought it was interesting because I found it relates to me. My cousin spent a lot of her time with me at my house when we were young, and she was so insanely perfect. In this way, she was my Hassan. My mom seemed to connect to her more than she ever connected with me, or so I felt. I resented my cousin for that, and while I love her dearly, if given the chance to beat her out, I would snatch at it. I think that is why I do not hate Amir for watching Hassan get raped. It was a horrible thing and I would never wish it on anyone, but I can understand Amir’s overwhelming urge to do anything to have his Baba say, “Well done.”

The other quote that stood out to me was between the two grown men in the study. Rahim Khan tells Baba that, "Children aren't coloring books. You can't fill them in with your favorite colors." Relating back to the competition for my mom, it was the realization that I was not colored the way she wanted me to be that began the tension between my cousin and I. Kids are so different from what anyone thinks they will be: it is how you get references to the bad egg in the family.