Brotherhood In The Kite Runner

Words: 1087
Pages: 5

Hosseini spins the novel The Kite Runner, following the friendship of two Afghan boys who, despite the brotherhood between the two, are separated by the crevasse that is religion; while Amir is a Sunni Pashtun, his half-brother Hassan is a Shia Hazara. However, religion is not the only element driving a wedge between the “sultans”; throughout the novel, the narrator Amir is blind to the significance of “brotherhood” (Hosseini 73), for he is absorbed in the struggle of obtaining his father’s worthiness. His lack of sight leads to Hassan’s descent, as he saw his blood brother as a sacrificial lamb, rather than his friend. In the poem “The Fish,” Bishop follows a fisherman’s catch of an enormous fish, a victory to say the least; however, when the narrator peers into the eyes of his prize, he realizes the fish’s freedom is far more valuable than a mere triumph. As the fisherman grants the fish independence, he is overwhelmed by the feeling of forgiveness. Although Amir and Bishop’s fisherman in “The Fish” are driven by a similar desire for victory, Bishop’s poem serves as a looking glass into an alternate universe, one where Amir sacrifices his victory for Hassan; in the end, the fisherman possesses the kind of closure Amir …show more content…
Thus, one can see Hassan as Jesus who is sacrificing himself to let Amir win. Bishop describes the fishing lines as “metals with their ribbons/frayed and wavering” (Bishop line 61-62); hence, the author is insinuating victory is momentary. Although initially Baba is proud of Amir, the feeling of pride is fleeting; victory within taking advantage of someone or something who does not pose a threat due to a lack of motive to fight is short-lived and, therefore,