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  • Essay / A look at literacy as shown in "The Kite Runner"

    774 million adults worldwide are illiterate. In many places, people do not have the opportunity to get an education. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir is lucky enough to learn to read and write, while many people in his country, including his servant, are illiterate. The power of literacy and the written word in the book is demonstrated through Amir's power of education against Hassan, Amir's love of poetry and books from a young age, and the influence of Amir's stories in his relationships. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Amir uses the power of literacy against Hassan several times throughout the book. Hassan is his servant and best friend, and Hassan is incredibly loyal to Amir and does everything Amir says. “What good was a servant for the written word?” (15). It is a known fact that Hazaras are illiterate and always will be. Hassan is said to be illiterate, just like his father and like all the other Hazaras in Afghanistan. Amir takes advantage of the fact that Hassan did not have the same opportunities as him to receive a proper education and learn to read. When they were young, Amir would read to Hassan under the pomegranate tree. “My favorite part of reading to Hassan was when we came across a big word that Hassan didn’t know” (15). Amir used his literacy advantage against Hassan and exposed Hassan's ignorance. "I'll use it in a sentence for you." When it comes to words, Hassan is a fool” (15). Hassan, knowing nothing but loyalty to Amir, believes him. When Hassan grew up, he learned to read and write and wrote a letter to Amir. He makes a promise to himself that he will not let his son grow up illiterate like he did. Amir developed a love for books from a young age. His mother was a poet and kept many books in her home. Amir discovers these books and reads everything he can. During the game of Sherjangi or “Battle of the Poems,” Amir won every round and was able to recite a line from a poem by heart. “I once competed against the whole class and won” (10). After reading all of his mother's books, Amir began going to the bookstore and buying as many new books as he could find. “I bought one a week at the bookstore near Cinema Park and stored them in boxes when I ran out of shelf space” (11). But his father disapproves of this decision. “Real men didn’t read poetry – and God forbid they ever write it!” » (11). Although Baba married a poet, having only one son who was not manly and loved to read was not what he expected from a son. Amir's stories influence his relationships with others. One of the most important examples of this is her relationship with Rahim Khan, her father's business associate. While his father disapproves of his writings and readings, Rahim Khan is Amir's biggest fan. When Amir started writing stories, Amir tried to give one of his stories to his father to read. His father showed no interest in his son's passion and it was Rahim Khan who saved the day. “Can I have it, Amir Jan?” I would very much like to read it” (17). Since then, Amir's writings have played an important role in his relationship with Rahim Khan. For Amir's birthday, Rahim Khan gave him a leather-bound notebook for his stories. Rahim Khan understood Amir's passion for the written word, and for that reason, Rahim Khan was the father Amir wished he had. Another relationship heavily influenced by Amir's love of stories is his relationship with Soraya. The first.