The Fence of Guilt

This image represents Amir’s life struggle due to his lack of openness with his wife Soraya. The chain links represent the bond that Amir and Soraya have formed through their marriage and love, and how they hold each other together. Additionally, The fence as a whole represents that while Amir and Soraya hold each other together, in truth, Amir only creates a barrier between Soraya and his past. This is just like the barrier between the blurry landscape of Amir’s past and the other side of the fence, which represents Amir’s potential marital relationship of trust and openness. Even though Soraya attempts to instigate heartfelt communication with Amir in her initial openness about her past, Amir refuses to open up to Soraya and confess his secret about Hassan. Furthermore,  the fence represents a defense mechanism preventing Amir from possibly losing Soraya. When Amir first hears about Soraya’s disgraceful past, he says that he is not one to judge, but does not share his past stories. Due to this, Amir retains the guilt he has felt for so long, and rather than gaining someone to confide in, Soraya acts as another obstacle preventing him from true peace. The open landscape behind the fence represents what Amir’s life could be if he took a risk with Soraya, and opened his dark past to her without worrying about her opinion of him.

Opening Up the Past

This picture symbolizes Amir's interaction with the homeless man on the street in Kabul.  The locker represents the memories of Amir's mother, whose life had been locked away from Amir due to Baba's guilt. Baba was unable to reveal who exactly Amir's mother was since it reminded him of his sins.  After Baba's death Amir loses his only chance to know the locker combination and open the locker of his mother's character. The locker was lost forever, until Amir meets the homeless man. The homeless man unlocks the locker with his own memories, allowing Amir his first exposure to his mother's personality. However, the half open locker shows that the homeless man can only reveal so much. His memory is blurry, and the inside of the locker is cast in dark shadow and mystique. The objects inside the locker that can be seen representing the little details that the old man possessed, which Amir craved for. It is not good enough for Amir to fully understand his mother, as he tells the old man they will meet again, but it gives him a glimpse of his mother's character and the woman whose blood he carries on. 

The emptiness of Sohrab

This image represents Sohrab’s mind. The individual spaces represent Sohrab’s possible life. What he could’ve done is captured in each of the spaces. Before Sohrab had a joyful life with his parents, like these cubbies had once been bright and new. However, now, it’s empty, also reflecting upon Sohrab’s loneliness and lack of connection with others. The dust and cobwebs demonstrate how Sohrab has been left uncared of and mistreated which causes him to lose the will to interact with others and to live. The sliver of light entering the cubbies is the hope that Amir brings when he saves Sohrab. However, the majority of the cubby remains dark and empty representing Sohrab’s pessimistic world view and lack of happiness.

Blooming Flower

Blooming Flower

This image represents how the past influences the present, specifically the parallelisms that a father and son share in their lives. The characters of Baba and Amir, along with Hassan and Sohrab, represent how the past repeats itself. Just like Baba and Hassan, the crumpled petals alongside the three flowers illustrate the conflict that occurs in their lives. As time goes on, people naturally endure hardships. Baba and Hassan, depicted as the most crumbled flower, represent the oldest of the three. The hardships of life have taken a toll on it, as it loses its petals to the environment. This is the natural cycle of life as the old pass down it’s influences to the hopeful youth. The blooming flower in it’s prime at the bottom illustrate the hope for the next generation. This is especially true for Sohrab as he is viewed as the “good” in the world, Amir believes that he can atone for his past sins through Hassan’s son. The offspring take influence and learn from those before, just like Sohrab takes after his father Hassan. Despite the different conditions of each flower, each possess the same innate likeliness of each other, displaying the similarities that are shared between father and son.

Cultivating a Culture of Fear

This image shows a shadow appearing to point to a man, while he covers his face and runs from the light into the shade. This shadow represents a variety of factors that causes the Afghan people to fear exposure or suspicion by the Taliban. Amir's visit to Afghanistan uses his perceptions to reflect more broadly on the Afghan experience during the time of the Taliban. A literal example of the pointing figure is the old man with the blanket who stands in Amir's room and looks at him for an abnormally long time. While he could just as easily be a mental patient or an elderly man taken aback by Amir's dramatic injuries, when Farid mentions that the Taliban could be tracking them, Amir very seriously snaps back to that memory and identifies the old man as a potential Taliban searcher. In reality the person casting the shadow could just as easily be pointing elsewhere; the man runs into the shade and away from the spotlight because the consequences of waiting, like Amir staying in the hospital, could be dire. In a country where honor and valor are so highly valued, staying in the light, like Baba against the Russian soldier, seems like the most noble course of action. But, as the Afghans have learned, staying in the shadow and avoiding the light may be the best course of action. This is made clear when Farid and Amir are walking in the street and Amir looks at the Taliban -- anyone who becomes remotely noticeable, according to Farid, and does not fade into the background could be the Taliban's next victim of random violence. The same situation exists in Zaman's world, where letting Assef take the child has the consequence of feeding and saving the rest of the children.

The Unbreakable Bond

The two bikes are locked together, representing how Amir and Hassan are tied together by blood and brotherhood. In the picture, the bike on the right is higher than the one on the left. The higher bike represents Amir, “the socially legitimate half, the half that represented the riches [Baba] had inherited and the sin-with-impunity privileges that came with them” (301). The lock that ties the two bikes has two distinct parts: a bumpy, swirled top, and a straight bottom part. The bumpy top part represents Amir’s side of the friendship — his up and down attitude towards Hassan. The straight line of the lock on the bottom represents Hassan’s contribution to their friendship, and how he is always constant and loyal to Amir.

Amir and Hassan are locked together by something stronger than friendship — family blood. Although they do not always know it, their relationship always seems to be there and they are always tied together in some way. As brothers, they have their ups and downs, but are still forced together, sometimes when they do not want to be. Their relationship is tainted with a jealousy and immaturity that is always in the background, represented by the green bike. Amir is jealous of Hassan, vying for his father’s affections, and his immaturity causes him to choose the wrong path of action many times. However, regardless of all of their obstacles, they are still tied together by their shared blood and their past friendship.

Status vs. Character

This image represents the disparity between status and character, and how neither one defines the other. The cars on the right represent the higher social class in Afghanistan, which is rich enough to afford a luxurious mode of transportation that requires them to do nothing but press on the gas pedal. Because of their wealth, they are all revered by the rest of society, which is shown by how the cars are illuminated by the sun. However, this light also shows all the character flaws they possess. Their higher status makes them feel inclined to reassert it and permits them to commit sins with impunity. These imperfections are represented by the broken windows and broken engines. Meanwhile, the bikes on the left represent the lower social class of Afghanistan, which can only afford to buy bikes, a manually powered mode of transportation. Being put in the shadows, the darkness hides their strengths and flaws, and they are often ignored by those of higher status. They are also chained to racks, which prevents them from ever moving out into the sunlight.

Road to Redemption

This image represents Amir's road to redemption. After Amir witnesses Hassan's rape and fails to intervene, he harbors immense guilt, represented by the dead mass of twigs in the bottom left corner. As Amir grows older, Amir still feels guilt. However, through his journey in Afghanistan, his guilt is slowly alleviated, shown by emerging specks of greenery, contrasting with the dead bush. He is slowly repenting through doing kind actions. For example, he leaves money for Wahid's family under the mattress. Finally, this all culminates in his rescue of Sohrab and his fight with Assef, represented by the large fern, his ultimate act of redemption. While his inaction is represented by the dead bush, his fight with Assef, something he feels he should have done long ago, is a large fern. When Amir gets beaten up, he states he finally feels at peace and alleviated of guilt, stepping out the shadow and into the light.

Amir and Soraya

The lockers themselves represents nostalgia. They are a key symbol of high school. They would remind any past graduates of their student years when one day stumbled upon while walking through the hallways of Los Altos. Nostalgia is incorporated between Amir and Soraya because to Amir, Soraya shows similar traits of courage, kindness, and loyalty that he had known Hassan for. For that, he finds love, and happiness in their relationship. It nurtures him through the hardships he goes through throughout the years, by filling in a sentimental longing for affection that he'd once shared with Hassan. The individual lockers have identical structures with the same color and dimension measurements. Each locker is apart of a structure that aligns, and stacks two rows of other individual lockers together. The two lockers in the photo represents Soraya's and Amir's marriage. The lockers are identical and apart of one structure, just as Amir and Soraya are apart of one commitment, one sacred bond. A marriage. Even so, Soraya is an open locker. She has revealed her past to Amir. A past which requires honesty, and trust. Amir on the other is a locked locker. He doesn't wish to reveal his past about Hassan to Soraya. He's uncomfortable with speaking about the wrong he's done to Hassan, causing him to lock up feelings of guilt and shame. What differentiates the individual lockers are their own locks.  Although the silver, metal locks are similar in structure as well, they have different their own individual codes. Soraya and Amir have their own locks, or in other words opportunities to redemption. In Amir and Soraya's case, redemption would be revealing a shameful past. Like, Soraya, in order to reach redemption one would have to use their own "lock code", or in reality courage and honesty to open up feelings of guilt and shame.

Amir's Changing View of Afghanistan

Amir's Changing View of Afghanistan

In the focused foreground of the image, we see rubble and dried, dead leaves, revealing Amir's immediate view of his country after he returns to Kabul several years later. The rubble depicts the current state of Afghanistan as it is in ruins since the Taliban has stormed through the cities, as opposed to the strong and sturdy flower standing upright in the background of the image. In addition to its beauty, the flower is also unfocused like Amir's distant memories of his home in Kabul which has become hazy and blurred over time. The vibrant color that remains on the flower contrasts to the decaying state of Afghanistan, portrayed by the dead leaves, ultimately showing Amir's fading hope for what the country could have been. 

Amir in Afghanistan

Amir in Afghanistan

This image symbolizes how Amir’s position in his own country, Afghanistan, has changed after his lengthy departure. When war broke out in Afghanistan, many people (including Baba and Amir) fled to safer countries such as the United States instead of aiding the war effort. The once white home plate represents Afghanistan, however it is now covered in the dirt which represents the state of chaos created by the Taliban. Amir’s return to Afghanistan is represented by the beautiful flower which seems out of place within the ravaged country of Afghanistan (the home plate). After being sheltered from war in the safe neighborhood of Kabul and later in America, Amir discovers that he cannot thrive in the harsh conditions of his homeland, he states, “I feel like a tourist in my own country” (231). A flower cannot grow on the manufactured plastic, it can only wither and die. If Amir were to truly understand his country and expand his roots to include the mistakes of his past (represented by the dirt surrounding the home plate), he would not feel so out of place. However, instead Amir turned his back on both his country and his best friend Hassan when they needed his courage the most. Ultimately, Amir’s inability to adapt in the face of difficult decisions has lead to his history of cowardly decisions.

The Ruins of Afghanistan

This image depicts an abandoned flower sitting on a barren plot of dirt, with a green field and trees in the background. The flower represents Amir's return to Afghanistan in order to try and find closure for past sins, but upon his arrival, he realizes that there really isn't an Afghanistan to return to. This is symbolized by the desolate landscape in the foreground, because the old Afghanistan has been reduced to dust and doesn't exist anymore. However, the memory of the old Afghanistan is still pretty fresh in Amir's mind, because it was only about twenty years prior to his homecoming that he left for the first time. This is represented in our image by the lush greenery and nature in the background because although it is no longer a part of the new Afghanistan, it is still remembered and looked back upon fondly by many Afghanis. Amir himself doesn't even recognize the new Afghanistan, and he states that "when Kabul finally did unroll before us, [he] was certain, absolutely certain, that he had taken a wrong turn somewhere" (244). This shows how drastic the change between the old Afghanistan and the new Afghanistan is, and this is illustrated in the staggering variation between the dirt foreground and the green background.

Sohrab's Guilt

This image represents the surfacing remorse Sohrab has felt since the fight with Assef. This overarching guilt was made when he injured Assef in the last few moments of the fight when his slingshot took one of Assef's eyes. Since then, his guilt has taken over his entire mood, believing that he had sinned because of the way that he hurt Assef, even if it was justified. The baby flower represents Sohrab, young and just beginning his life. It shows how something that was once so beautiful is now wilting and falling apart; a recollection of its former past. A flower that blooms compares to the amount of confidence Sohrab once had in himself, whereas now the continuous, constant guilt that he has sinned results in the "falling of petals" shown below. Almost as if he were looking down at his hands like he had done so many times in the book (which represented his sadness), the flower seems to hang over in dismay just like Sohrab.
 

The Relationship of Rahim Khan and Baba

The cars represent the two opposing forces on which Rahim Khan and Baba's friendship is built upon. Rahim Khan is painted as the lighter of the two, with mellower personality traits and a more mature personality. Baba is the dark side, as he is a man of brute force and more hard set beliefs. This is represented by the black and white car. They are very different and take alternative routes to solve the same issues. For example, Baba's relationship with Amir is very business-like, while Rahim Khan is much more caring and loving. This is represented by the fact they are parked oppositely. However, they still hold similar traits. They are best friends who grew up together and were forged from the same stone. That is why they are both cars, as while they may have their differences, they still fight for the same ideas.

 

Hassan's Docility

This image represents Hassan servile personality. He always wants to be there for people, accept people's trash, and make the trash into something good again. Hassan is a recycling vessel. First, he is a recycling vessel because he is always there for people who need him. He does not move, and he never ceases to help those who need him. Secondly, as a recycling bin, he is always getting taken advantage of. He is always accepting others' trash, especially Amir's. Over the years, Amir betrays him multiple times, but Hassan continues to accept whatever Amir throws his way. Lastly, he is even able to turn the abusive treatment back into something that is useful. As a recycling bin, he continues to make the best of every situation. Amir betrays him in many ways, but Hassan still wants to repair his relationship with Amir and maintains a positive attitude. Ultimately, Hassan is a reliable, good willed recycling bin.
 

Evil Actions not Evil People

This image represents Khaled Hosseini's major theme in the Kite Runner that there are not simply evil people, but instead evil actions that people commit. The sunlight represents the good things or people which ease a person's journey through life and nourishes his character. Without this light, life would be a constant struggle for happiness, growth, and prosperity. Baba allows Amir to grow without struggling for wealth, so Baba represents the light. In this instance, the sun is mostly blocked off from the flower by the shade which represents the person who is not meaning to do evil, but is badly affecting others. In the example the shutter has good intentions, simply wanting the sunlight for itself, but this cuts off the light from others. In the Kite Runner, this shade is Amir wishing for Baba, the sunlight and unintentionally warding off Baba's love from Hassan, the flower. Hassan is getting little love, the flower receiving little light. Amir is not an evil person but just wishes to make his life easier and stand up for himself, therefore possibly causing others strife and hardship.

Kite Runner Metaphor - Barriers

            Amir's life was heavily affected by his past experiences. His guilt had led him to construct barriers between himself and the people around him. The fence represents the barrier he puts between himself and those he loves, such as Babba and Soraya. At points in his life, like his graduation and wedding days, Amir was able to let go of his past in his moments of happiness, allowing him to begin to break down the barrier. However, something would always come around to remind him of his shameful past, such as Babba's quote, "I wish Hassan had been with us today" (133) This would force Amir to rebuild the barricade. Events such as this are represented by the newer piece of wood amidst the darker planks. Despite the barriers of his past, Amir searches for a chance at redemption and new life, represented by the fern at the bottom of the photo.

Baba's Personality

This image represents Baba's personality throughout the novel. It shows how he is a very admirable man but holds a past that he cannot get over. This past torments him everyday. The outside of this picture represents his tough exterior while the water that runs through the drain represents his soft side. The tall rocks on the pavement represents the countless accomplishments he has achieved throughout his life. However, the drain represents the one mistake he has made throughout his life, which drains away the satisfaction of his other accomplishment.  

Baba's Redemption

This image demonstrates how Baba tries to redeem himself through good actions. After he betrays Ali, Baba feels guilt and dishonor, and helps others in an attempt to make up for this. First, the stones on the ground represent Baba's good acts, such as donating to the poor or building an orphanage. He uses these as an attempt to rebuild himself in addition to helping others. He tries to reclaim his honor through helping others, and with each action, big or small, he places another stone. Over time, he is able to almost cover the area, meaning he is close to redemption. However, he is never able to entirely fill in all the gaps between the stones. This represents how there are still chinks in the new armor Baba has built for himself and how his guilt will always be with him no matter how many stones he places. The benches represent how much Baba truly relies on his honor and reputation in this way. He rests upon his good acts, the only thing that stops him from seeing himself as a bad person. However, the cracks prevent him from ever feeling truly stable. As a result, he constantly tries to do more good, attempting to further stabilize the ground and his bench. Baba brought himself great dishonor with his previous actions, something he is constantly trying to make up for. This continuous struggle to make up for his bad by doing good allows him to redeem himself enough to at least have stable ground.

Soraya's Morning Sun To Amir's Yelda

The tiny weed represents Amir, who is out of focus and small in comparison to the sun. The blur shows how Amir is lost in life and confused. He grows from a crack in the ground and struggles to live. When Amir meets Soraya, she literally becomes "the morning sun to [Amir's] yelda" (144). Soraya supports Amir, and becomes the reason for Amir's determination to be happy and stable in America. Amir strives to be with Soraya, much like the weed looks up towards the sun. However, the large space between the weed and the sun only shows how much of a distance there is between Soraya and Amir. This is shown when Soraya reveals her secret to Amir over the phone about her past relationship, while Amir does not admit to his past mistakes with Hassan.

Amir and Baba's Relationship

When Amir visits Rahim Khan in Pakistan, he is told that Hassan is actually his half-brother, making Baba Hassan's real father.  This image relates to Amir's changing feelings about his father.  Amir has looked up to Baba throughout his life as a full-grown, leafy tree, yet after learning about the sins Baba committed, Amir sees Baba as more of a sparse, hollow tree.  The shadow covering most of the tree illustrates the overwhelming guilt that both Amir and Baba have experienced throughout their lives.  The sunlit top of the tree represents the light that Amir sees when he realizes that his father, in the end, remained a good person as he constantly attempted to redeem himself for his sins by performing acts of good such as the building of the orphanage.  The tree itself represents the phases of Amir's life and his transition from shadow to sunlight as he gains understanding.  

Repression of Guilt and Memories

Repression of Guilt and Memory

The image of a rusted chain lock on a fence represents Amir’s emotional and psychological state. The chain link fence represents his old memories and experiences in Afghanistan and how he really only remembers the framework of his less important memories from his childhood. The spaces between the links, where the sky is exposed, represent the details he’s forgotten. The rusted chain represents the guilt from the incident with Hassan’s rape, and the ugly memories that resulted from that incident. It is more tightly made and has less spaces within its links, which implies that he has a more vivid memory of this event. The rust symbolizes how time has worn the memories down, but the chain itself will never quite disappear. However, the lock on the chain is unlocked, which symbolizes how the open-endedness of how he deals with guilt. He could either deal with the guilt like Baba, who acted with honor and nobility to try and redeem himself, or he could act in a cowardly fashion let his emotions leak out and wound his relationships with his close friends and family.

Heavy Weight of Guilt

In this image, the leaf is being "weighed down by guilt [water]" which represents the guilt Amir feels for betraying Hassan years ago. Amir has lived with guilt for many years of his life after making a mistake that alters his friendship with Hassan. The leaf represents how guilt [water] will always be there and bring you down. The leaf is Amir, and Hassan is the water weighing him down. In a way guilt is weight on one's conscience, which leads to a longer lasting feeling because it's hard to get rid of the feeling. It is scientifically that when someone experiences emotional guilt, it can be felt through your body. So, guilt can physically weigh you down. Amir is longs to be freed of his guilt and take the weight of guilt off his back. 

Farid: the Dark World

When Amir first returns to Afghanistan, he is not respected by Farid. Farid is resentful towards all of the Afghans who left their country in a time of need. This is result of Farid's intense pride for his nation, a pride that often leads him to have prejudice towards others. In the video, the first image we see is of the one wilted flower. This represents Farid's outlook on Amir, and on Afghan Americans in general. However, just behind this flower, there is one in full bloom, representing Amir and his good intensions. This is out of focus - Farid only focuses on what he expects, and not on Amir's better characteristics. When the camera pans over to the plant, we see Amir's blurred and outdated view of Afghanistan. As Farid says, "You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it" (232). Once the video focuses, a gaping hole is revealed in the plant, signifying the destruction of Afghanistan by the Taliban. Farid is consumed by this destruction, leading him to assume the worst of Amir. However, the flowers on the outskirts of the image show that despite the devastation, the common people can still find a way to live.

Forging New Paths

After the death of Baba, Amir is left to embark on a new journey of independence.  The road represents the journey Amir will undertake without Baba at his side to guide him through life. Just like the path, life is full of twists and turns, and nothing is straightforward. The tree’s vibrant green color represents the joys of life that may not seem evident at first, but will motivate Amir to continue on in search of more happiness. His marriage to Soraya and the lessons he learns by interacting with Sohrab are joys that come from the depths of darkness, and that give Amir hope for a better future. The shadows that cover up much of the road show that Baba’s death will darken Amir’s life in the near future, but the light that illuminates the horizon show hope for a better future and one free of guilt and anguish. When says, "I'm going to miss him," (176) it shows how the shadows and the darkness of Baba's death will leave a lasting impact on Amir, but throughout the rest of the novel, Amir uses Baba's advice to better himself and redeem himself for his past actions.

Soraya's Fight for Equality

This image illustrates Soraya's journey throughout the book and her struggle to overcome social boundaries. Soraya is represented by the blossoming flower, showing how she stands out amongst her oppressive culture. She is breaking the lock of social repression, by standing up to her father and speaking out about what she believes in. Throughout the novel, Soraya stood up for her freedoms to both her family and Amir. She explains how she ran away with an Afghan man, which goes against societal norms for women. The rusty chain and pole show the perpetuation of antiquated values that still persist within society.