The impact that “Stealing the Truth” has on human lives was a major theme in the novel The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. This theme was supported by the language feature/technique/device of foreshadowing as early as the opening lines of the novel: “I became what I am today at the age of twelve…” In the novel “stealing the truth” created a domino effect which negatively impacted on four lives. Foreshadowing dominated the presentation of this theme in the opening chapters of the novel. Theft of the Truth Baba hated or abhorred stealing/theft. He told Amir this when Amir was a little boy, sitting on Baba’s knee. Baba was a complete hypocrite. He stole the truth from: Hassan by not telling him he was his son. From Amir by not telling him Hassan was his brother and from Ali by having an affair with his wife. The consequences of Baba stealing the truth from Amir. Amir was left weakened because he bore the brunt of Baba’s guilt about being unfaithful to the memory of his wife and to his life-long friend and servant, Ali. Baba was guilty that he felt so proud of Hassan’s sporting skills and that he couldn’t show his love for him openly. So Amir never felt like Baba loved him or that he was good enough for him. Baba always held him out emotionally because he felt guilty that he couldn’t show them equal status and effection. As a result, Amir never had a strong foundation to develop personal confidence and resilience. He never felt “good enough” or had self confidence. His father appeared to wish he was more like the servant and playmate – Hassan. Amir became jealous desperate to maintain Baba’s love. This led to tragedy. When Hassan was raped retrieving the kite that Amir needed to show as a trophy to his father, he was unable to live with Hassan around. Instead he chose to “steal the truth” about Hassan stealing from him which would force Hassan and Ali to leave Kabul. The reason why he couldn’t remain under the same roof with Hassan was because he felt guilty that he hadn’t tried to stop the rape and save his friend. The reason why he couldn’t step in to save his friend was because he was not strong enough and wanted to please his father at any cost. This was because he was undermined emotionally as his father never gave him that strong platform of unconditional love. Baba’s emotions were crippled by carrying a “stolen truth” . The result of stealing the truth from Hassan is that he grew up as servant. The result of stealing the truth from Ali was that his son wasn’t his. Perceptive Comment on Society. This society and many others are bound by social rules, norms and traditions. The need to appear respectable stops people from searching out and telling the truth for fear of judgement. We can see how these judgements can be dropped when people migrate to other societies. Eg. Amir goes to the USA. So the significance/interesting aspect of this theme of “stealing the truth” in this novel is that it created a domino effect that negatively impacted on the lives of four people. Human frailty/weakness and “stealing the truth” causes weakness in others which can have drastic consequences.….. in this case, the rape of Hassan. But why didn’t/couldn’t Baba tell Ali and Hassan the truth? Because he would have suffered a huge blow to his status in society. He would nolt have been well respected in the Kabul community any longer. Having a son who was even part Hazara would have been totally unacceptable as they were considered a servant class. Consequences – Hassan and Ali would never have lived with Baba and Amir. His business connections would have suffered and he may not have been as wealthy and successful as a result. Amir may not have been welcome into the high class Kabul school that he attended. So the theme of stealing the truth is interesting/ significant to the novel because it constructed a lose-lose situation for Baba. It also unleashed a domino effect that negatively impacted on four lives. Baba, wracked with guilt, was short with Amir, which left him too weak to step in and stop Assef from raping Hassan chiefly because he wanted the kite to give to his father to make him proud of him. He was also too weak to have Hassan living with them and making him guilty every time he saw him. So he framed Hassan which forced Ali to take them (Hassan and Ali) away from Kabul and Baba. Baba was devastated to lose his great friend and his son. Ali was humiliated and devastated by learning why Amir set out to rid himself of Hassan’s presence.
Theft of the Truth
Baba hated or abhorred stealing/theft. He told Amir this when Amir was a little boy, sitting on Baba’s knee.
Baba was a complete hypocrite.
He stole the truth from: Hassan by not telling him he was his son. From Amir by not telling him Hassan was his brother and from Ali by having an affair with his wife.
The consequences of Baba stealing the truth from Amir.
Amir was left weakened because he bore the brunt of Baba’s guilt about being unfaithful to the memory of his wife and to his life-long friend and servant, Ali. Baba was guilty that he felt so proud of Hassan’s sporting skills and that he couldn’t show his love for him openly. So Amir never felt like Baba loved him or that he was good enough for him. Baba always held him out emotionally because he felt guilty that he couldn’t show them equal status and effection. As a result, Amir never had a strong foundation to develop personal confidence and resilience. He never felt “good enough” or had self confidence.
His father appeared to wish he was more like the servant and playmate – Hassan. Amir became jealous desperate to maintain Baba’s love. This led to tragedy.
When Hassan was raped retrieving the kite that Amir needed to show as a trophy to his father, he was unable to live with Hassan around. Instead he chose to “steal the truth” about Hassan stealing from him which would force Hassan and Ali to leave Kabul.
The reason why he couldn’t remain under the same roof with Hassan was because he felt guilty that he hadn’t tried to stop the rape and save his friend. The reason why he couldn’t step in to save his friend was because he was not strong enough and wanted to please his father at any cost. This was because he was undermined emotionally as his father never gave him that strong platform of unconditional love. Baba’s emotions were crippled by carrying a “stolen truth” .
The result of stealing the truth from Hassan is that he grew up as servant.
The result of stealing the truth from Ali was that his son wasn’t his.
Perceptive Comment on Society.
This society and many others are bound by social rules, norms and traditions. The need to appear respectable stops people from searching out and telling the truth for fear of judgement.
We can see how these judgements can be dropped when people migrate to other societies. Eg. Amir goes to the USA.
So the significance/interesting aspect of this theme of “stealing the truth” in this novel is that it created a domino effect that negatively impacted on the lives of four people.
Human frailty/weakness and “stealing the truth” causes weakness in others which can have drastic consequences. ….. in this case, the rape of Hassan.
But why didn’t/couldn’t Baba tell Ali and Hassan the truth?
Because he would have suffered a huge blow to his status in society. He would nolt have been well respected in the Kabul community any longer. Having a son who was even part Hazara would have been totally unacceptable as they were considered a servant class.
Consequences – Hassan and Ali would never have lived with Baba and Amir.
His business connections would have suffered and he may not have been as wealthy and successful as a result.
Amir may not have been welcome into the high class Kabul school that he attended.
So the theme of stealing the truth is interesting/ significant to the novel because it constructed a lose-lose situation for Baba. It also unleashed a domino effect that negatively impacted on four lives.
Baba, wracked with guilt, was short with Amir, which left him too weak to step in and stop Assef from raping Hassan chiefly because he wanted the kite to give to his father to make him proud of him. He was also too weak to have Hassan living with them and making him guilty every time he saw him. So he framed Hassan which forced Ali to take them (Hassan and Ali) away from Kabul and Baba. Baba was devastated to lose his great friend and his son. Ali was humiliated and devastated by learning why Amir set out to rid himself of Hassan’s presence.