Q4 Outside Reading Week 2 Post B

The title of the book I'm reading this quarter is The Kite Runner. Before, I had absolutely no idea what it was about and why it was called that, but now it's clear. Although this would make a great post A, I've already done that. So, in this post, I will enlighten you, the reader, with the customs of kite running, the relationship between Amir and Hassan, and why the title of the book is what it is.

In Afghanistan, every winter, there is a kite fighting contest. It is held throughout neighborhoods and lasts until the last kite is standing which can sometimes be all day. Spectators gather on the roofs to watch while competitors' kites soar in the sky. Kite runners wait tensely for a fallen kite. It is an all-out event that many Afghans participate in. The goal is to be the last kite still flying in the sky. Kites are cut down by the competitors using "glass string" that usually cuts the fingers of the kite flyers. The kite runners are spectators or sometimes the assistants of kite flyers who, after a kite is cut down, chase the fallen kite and keep it as a trophy. There aren't many rules, but the one thing no one most ever do is take a fallen kite out of a kite runner's hands. The biggest award for a kite runner is the last kite cut down by the winning kite flyer. To win the contest is an incredible honor. To be the kite flyer who gets the last fallen kite is like getting a gold medal.

The Kite Runner most likely refers to Hassan, Amir's Hazara friend/servant. An amazing kite runner, Hassan has always been there for Amir. Their relationship is a complicated one. While Hassan is always loyal and respectful, Amir houses a slight resentment for him due to Baba's favoritism towards Hassan. It seems that no matter what they do, Hassan is always better than Amir, except for kite fighting. That is where Amir is strongest. But despite their competitiveness, they both care for each other like brothers. Although this story is told from Amir's point of view, I have come to believe that it is about Hassan, the kite runner.