I have noticed that this book is really similar to the movie The Kite Runner. The characters have almost identical personalities and are face with very similar problems.
Just Kidding!
After watching the 1986 film Stand by Me over the weekend, I couldn't help but resemble it to Khaled's Hosseni's The Kite Runner. But how could an old American fictional narration and a new popular fictional Afghani memoir be any thing alike? What, if anything, could they share in common?
First off, as one might have noticed, they are both fictional first person stories. Both are told in the same way that allow the author to truly engage the viewer in the story and make the story more meaningful and real to the viewer on a personal level. As a viewer, this perspective of story telling allows the viewer to relate to the main character and go through his problems as if there were his own.
Besides the perspective of The Kite Runner and Stand by Me, both have similar characters and the characters have similar roles in the story. Starting with Amir and the other main character Gordie, they both are good writers. Both, in their respective story, love to write and have a specific talent for it. Also, both of the characters have negative and awkward relationships with their fathers. Amir because of Baba's secret, and Gordie because of his brother's death. Both Amir's father and Gordie's father pay little attention to their sons and never acnowledge or show interest in their talent for writing. Though there is no friendly encouraging Uncle to Gordie, there is a Rahim Khan figure who is also is his brother. In the story, supports Gordie's passion for writing by complimenting him and constantly advertising it to his family and friends all the while his father thinks of writing as a waste of time and a silly thing to do. This situation is very comparable to that of Kite runner as both main characters receive a lack of interest in their writing from their father's but encouragement from other family in their writing. Continuing further, we can see that both also have confidence issues. Both when it comes to advertising their writing and standing up to bullies.
Like the main characters, the bullies in the stories are similar. Both Assef and Ace are blond haired blue eyed bullies aided by loyal but not always agreeing cronies (both start with A too :)). Also, each bully has a weapon that they are known for having and puts fear in the main character's eyes and the eyes of others. For Assef, it is the brass knuckles: For Ace, it is the switchblade. Each weapon is distinct to the bully and makes each encounterment with the main character more suspenseful and frightening. Both bullies also are a great source of fear in the main characters' lives and pick on them until they are stood up to by the main characters.
The character similar to Hassan is the character Chris. Chris is the best friend of Gordie and defends him as if he was his brother. He, on numerous occasions, stands up for Gordie when the bully, Ace, picks on him, thus, like Hassan, he receives the punishment for the main character.
One scene in the movie that screams resemblence to that of the book The Kite Runner, is the one of the final scenes of the movie where Ace, like he promised, finds and is ready to hurt Chris and Gordie for getting away earlier from him unharmed. However, for the first time in his life, Gordie stands up for himself and Chris by holding a gun to Ace and telling him to leave. Eventually Ace leaves and Chris and Gordie are safe. I related this scene to the scene in the book where Amir finally stands up against Assef and Assef is threatened to stop when the slingshot is held to his head. However, in this story, the weapon is held not by the main character but instead his loyal friend's son Sohrab.
Overall, these two stories are more alike than they are different. With similar characters, similars scenes, similar character relations and roles, and a similar format and perspective. Though the comparisson to the movie the Kite Runner might be stronger, the comparisson to the book, The Kite Runner, and the movie, Stand by Me, are not too far behind. All in all, The Kite Runner and Stand by Me, despite their different time periods and area the stories take place, are connected, and because of that, help to understand the author's message and emotions.
P.S. Watch the movie and you will see what I mean :)
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This post is interesting because it draws attention to archetypal similarities that people find interesting. Art is made to attract viewers, and by examining the art forms of film and literature, we can see that what draws people in is conflict and lies. It's fascinating how two seemingly unrelated forms of entertainment resemble each other so clearly. This showcases how human nature really never changes, only the things around it do.
ReplyDeleteMeh, I Interpreted Stand By Me as more of a coming of age story; in kite runner they actually skip right over what would be Amir's development. Amir basically stays the same from beginning to end, he was extremely reluctant to search for Hassan's son, and he got beat to a pulp by Assef, and had to be rescued by a small child, just like 20-some years ago in his life.
ReplyDeleteThe similarity between Ace and Assef is pretty striking now that I think about it, and Chris Chambers plays hassan in that he is supportive to Gordie, but their relationship is completely different otherwise.
In Stand by Me, Gorgie is not portrayed as weak, merely as wayward, this is due to his relationship with his dad, which is as you pointed out VERY similar to the relationship between Amir and Baba in Kite Runner.