Friendship in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Essay examples -- Kit

Friendship in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Theme: Real Friendships are more than a stubborn act; they are actions that surround your soul in order to uncover the truth that you're seeking in a friend. Friendship, as understood here, is a distinctively personal relationship that is grounded in a concern on the part of each friend for the welfare of the other, for the other's sake, and that involves some degree of intimacy. As such, friendship is undoubtedly central to our lives, in part because the special concern we have for our friends must have a place within a broader set of concerns, including moral concerns, and in part because our friends can help shape who we are as persons. Given this centrality, important questions arise concerning the justification of friendship and, in this context, whether it is permissible to ?trade up? when someone new comes along, as well as concerning the possibility of reconciling the demands of friendship with the demands of morality in cases in which the two seem to conflict. In the novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini explores the struggles that Amir faces that confront him on the path to manhood testing friendship. One of the highlights of their friendship is their competition in the kite fighting competitions that mark the start of winter in Kabul. Amir is a master kite fighter, and Hassan is a mysterious "kite runner? able to retrieve the fallen kites and bring them home as trophies. Amir and Hassan do wonderful things together like they are brothers, but still Amir tries to test Hassan?s loyalty all the time and still is afraid of accepting being Hassan?s true friend. ?Never Mind that we taught each other to ride a bicycle with no hands, or to bui... ...want to stay for a longer period of time with someone. But does this mean that we want to be friends with each other? Testing your friend?s loyalty in order to see how faithful they are is a fine idea, but when you get carried away it can cause negative feelings and possibly a loss of friendship. A real friend is not only a speaking mouth, but also a helping hand, and sometimes even a shoulder that you can depend on. A real friendship must be tested by a long period, sometimes for ten or more years. And of course, friendship can be promoted onto a higher level, such as love. If you both have love for each other, you will make good friendship. Amir?s ideal true friend was staring at him in the face all the time but it took a while for him to realize that Hassan was the one. Works Cited: Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Canada: Random House, 2004.