The Issue of Courage in "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” This is a well-known quote from Muhammad Ali, it means, without courage there won’t be any changes in ourselves, this quote have the same idea as the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the book is about a wealthy Pashtun boy name Amir and his servant as well as constant companion, a Hazara boy name Hassan, their friendship and fate. The book is full of thought provoking lesson and ideas, among all those ideas one important thing the reader can learn from the book is about courage, this idea has shown over and over again throughout the entire book, it can be seen from the characters’ action and personal though, For example Hassan fearlessly protect Amir, Amir decided to face his past, and how Baba stand up for others. In the book the author has shown people can’t cause a change without courage and determination, to make the changes often require overcoming the fear of failure.

To protect someone need a lot of courage, because you might fail to protect other. In the book The Kite Runner, when Assef is picking on Amir and about to fight him, Hassan decided to stand up for Amir and go against Assef. He overcomes his fear and threatens him. "You are right, Agha. But perhaps you didn't notice that I'm the one holding the slingshot. If you make a move, they'll have to change your nickname from Assef 'the Ear Eater' to "One-Eyed Assef,' because I have this rock pointed at your left eye." (Hosseini, 45). Hassan Stood up for Amir and protected him, he proves his friendship and loyalty is stronger than his fear. Not only that after the kite tournament, Hassan protected Amir’s kite, Hassan knows the importance of the kite, so when he was bully by Assef he, still holds the kite tight in his arm and claims Amir and him are friends, “Amir agha and I are friends", Hassan said.” After the tragedy Hassan still hold the kite tight in his arm and pretend nothing happened in front of Amir because he doesn’t want to lose his precious friend, but he does not know Amir knows what happened. To draw the conclusion Hassan is scare but he would overcome his fear for his friend and something he believes is important to him and that is courage.

The past is full of shameful and regretful moments and to face the past it needs a lot of courage. What happened to Hassan in Afghanistan is a nightmare for Amir, he tries to forget it multiple times, as he grows older, when he’s back to Afghanistan to visit Rahim Khan, and he finally decided to face the past, the past he wants to forget. "I don't want to forget anymore” (263), when Amir says that he’s ready to face the past. Everyone is a slave to their past. No matter how much you wish to move forward, the events of last year will bear down on you, you carry it forever in a corner of your heart, waiting for it to resurrect. That is why it required a lot of courage to face it. In addition, Amir decided to face the truth, overcome his mistake and regretful moment, and went to find Sohrab when he heard about Hassan’s death. Amir knows he can run from his past all he wants, but it will always follow him, Forever. When he decided to redeem his sins by searching for Sohrab, he obtains the pluck from his friend and family. He became courageousness to do so. It’s hard for people to face the past. It can make people want to die out of regret and shame, but Amir finally stand up and face the past and redeem his sins, it makes Amir from a coward who’s running away from his past to someone who put his head up and face the truth.

Courage is needed to face someone who’s stronger than yourself? No, when you face someone who’s stronger than you is courage. When Amir and Baba are in the truck on their way to America, Baba stands up for the women, who’s being sexually assaulted by the Russian soldier. “That was when Baba stood up. It was my turn to clamp a hand on his thigh, but Baba pried it loose, snatched his leg away. When he stood, he eclipsed the moonlight. "I want you to ask this man something," Baba said. He said it to Karim, but looked directly at the Russian officer. "Ask him where his shame is” (121). Baba knows those soldiers have guns, and he might get kill, but he still stands up for the women, people are often scare and not willing to stand up for others, when they know they’ll against someone who’s more powerful than themselves, likewise, Amir decided to stand up for Sohrab like Baba, He became a man who stand up for other, to rescue Sohrab he has to fight Assef to earn him back, first Amir was planning to bag, but it reminded him of what Hassan did “I remember how envious I’d been of Hassan’s bravery. Assef had backed down, promise with Hassan. Now it was my turn.” (300). He knows regretting the past forever won't solve anything. That’s why he became fearless and goes against Assef. To face someone who’s stronger than its own is hard, because people know they might fail or be in danger but when they overcome the fear of failure. Become mentally stronger, because of the courage and pluck gained after all those difficult situations.

Finally, individuals can't cause a change without bravery and assurance, to roll out the improvements regularly requires to overcome the dread of disappointment and courage is to own the dread itself. In the book the kite runner it perfectly proved protecting others, facing the past, fight someone who’s stronger than you requires courage to change what will happen or what has happened already, if to summer up the factor list above we can draw the conclusion that courage is the most important element in making changes. But at the end what is courage and who to obtain it.