Courage in The Kite Runner Essay

In the Novel The kite runner courage is portrayed through the characters, and how the value each other as family and friends. Through the book courage is a quality that is shown by many of the characters in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The characters are brave in their effort to protect physical well-being, personal values, their reputation and sanity. In the novel the characters exhibit genuine bravery in order to guard the things important to them.

Firstly, the characters in the novel display bravery as they protect one another from physical harm. This can be seen in generations in families. Amirs grandfather protects Ali by adopting him and letting him live under the household and getting the other children to tutor him. Since Alis parents were killed and he is a Hazaras he would have been insult and discriminated against by the other children.

Another way courage is portrayed by the characters is friendship. Hassan defends Amir from being beaten by Assef who has shown as a thug or a psychopath. When Assef threatens them, Hassan is the one who shows courage and does not back down, although is terrified inside, he is doesnt hesitate to respond ,

You are right, Agha. But perhaps you didnt notice that Im the one holding the slingshot. If you make a move, theyll have to change your nickname from Assef the Ear Eater to One-Eyed Assef, because I have this rock pointed at your left eye

In the book Amir starts to do strange things to Hassan, getting him in trouble and accusing him of crime, because Amir can still not face the fact that he was a coward that he had not done anything when Hassan was raped except stand by and watch, eventually Hassan is killed and Amir winds up with Hassan son Sohrab. Amir then starts to stand up for Sohrab and show courage, as Hassan stood up for Amir countless times before. In Amirs mind this is his way of paying Hassan back as he should of done years ago. He demands to Assef, All I want is the boy to take Sohrab to a safe place where he would no longer be sexually abused. In return, Sohrab is bold and prevents Amir from being slain. He points the slingshot at Assefs face, No more, Agha. Please, he says, his voice husky and trembling.

Courage is portrayed in many ways throughout the book but a key example is through characters and how the value there family.