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The Kite Runner Shame Analysis

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Shame: A Destructive Force to Man
Shame is a very destructive force, especially in the two lives of a father and son, Baba and Amir. In Khaled Hosseini’s book, The Kite Runner, shame is developed as a destructive force. There was an extreme amount of shame generated widely throughout in The Kite Runner, primarily in the lives of Baba and Amir. Although shame can have an effect on people to act in the wrong ways, it can also encourage them do what is most honorable. In The Kite Runner, shown in multiple ways, shame can be an extremely destructive force in an individual’s life by destroying relationships between loved ones.
The force of shame triggered Amir to turn his back on his best friend whom he later finds out is his brother, Hassan. Amir framed Hassan by saying he stole from him, “I lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it.” Amir was dishonored by not taking up for Hassan when he was in need of his assistance, so Amir’s shame caught up with him and assumed it would make matters better by attempting to have Baba get rid of him and Ali by framing him. Also, Amir disrespected Hassan and hit him in the chest with a pomegranate, “I hurled the pomegranate at him.” To me this was an attempt for Amir to test Hassan’s honor and respect by seeing if he would hit him back; …show more content…

For instance, shame influenced Amir to turn his back on his best friend and destroy his relationship with him. Also, the destruction of shame was the reason Amir put his life on the life and returned to Pakistan to somewhat redeem himself by bringing back his nephew, Sohrab. Being ashamed not only endangered Amir’s life, but it was also the source of Baba dying being able to tell his two sons they were brothers. The impact shame can sustain on a person’s life can be very detrimental, as The Kite Runner

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