The article examines the symbolic significance of the kite in Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, highlighting it as a central motif that embodies themes of guilt, betrayal, redemption, memory, and hope. The study explores the novel as a bildungsroman tracing Amir's moral and emotional growth against the socio-political backdrop of Afghanistan and the United States. It analyzes how kite flying symbolizes childhood innocence, class distinction, ethnic conflict, and Afghanistan's lost glory under monarchy, while its later prohibition under the Taliban signifies repression. The paper also interprets the kite as a symbol of prophecy, fate, and the fragile balance between beauty and violence, concluding that the final kite-running scene represents reconciliation, atonement, and the possibility of personal and national redemption.
Research Scholar, Department of English, Ranchi University, Ranchi
