Irony In John Steinbeck's The Kite Runner

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This dramatic passage takes place after a betrayal occurs between Hassan and Amir. With a heavy conscience, Amir and his father escape from Kabul in an overcrowded fuel truck on its way to Pakistan. During the ride, “someone retched … heads banged against metal”, and his physical and mental states make dealing with the journey unbearable. When Baba says “think of something good … something happy,” Amir grasps at the notion. He suppresses the bitter taste of his unspeakable actions and replaces them with an idealized memory of an afternoon with Hassan. The irony of this becomes apparent, as Amir has never verbally recognized Hassan as a friend. Through this memory he not only validates his friendship with…show more content…
He recalls that “we don’t have to say anything, that’s how it is between people who are each others’ first memories.” He has not been willing to give Hassan the loyalty he deserves and is involuntarily using this memory to fill the void that his lack of allegiance has left. This idea generates a level of equality between Hassan and himself that is not there in actuality. Consequently, Amir becomes conscious that Hassan truly is his best memory, romanticized or not. The Hazara boy, though still a paradox, is now understood as a defining person in his life. Whether Amir is reminiscing about a missed childhood or lamenting the awful treatment of his brother, he will be constantly affected by him throughout the novel. These reflections rack his mind with guilt; as well generate enough bliss to supersede even the anguish of his ride to Pakistan. In either instance, Hassan is threaded into Amir’s being. His thoughts, recollections, and actions will always contain traces of the…show more content…
While in the dark, dreary, congested truck, filled with “groans and muttered prayers,” his father advises him to think of something pleasant. Surprisingly, Amir does not consider Baba; his memory goes directly to Hassan. This thought is incongruent with the way he strives for Baba’s attention and recognition in his daily life. After much struggle, Amir finally achieves this glory the day he wins the kite battle. Given Amir’s previous actions, it seems that this would be the day he remembers; the day he finally makes his father proud. The wonderful memory is marred when he does not defend Hassan. Instead of being the happiest day in his juvenile existence, it becomes the pivotal moment when his naïve reality begins to unravel. This part of the novel shows us that no matter what Amir wants to believe, Hassan is a more prevalent and joyful part of his life than his own
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